The Growing Impact Of Integrity In The Workplace

Now is the time to shape this new normal into our next normal

There’s every indication we’re entering a new era of employer integrity. Or, at least, an era of increased scrutiny about what an organization says versus how it acts, the obligations it incurs and how it follows through on those obligations, and the responsibilities it has to have to employees, partners and the world at large.

If you study history, you see recurring patterns in all areas and levels of society. Issues may simmer for months, years, decades. These issues boil over and usher in change that may be viewed as abrupt by some or a long time coming by others. Then the cycle starts again. 
 

Over the past several years, the world has experienced refugee crises, a rise in extremist organizations, increasing indications of climate change, expanding cyber attacks, and varying periods of political unrest and economic uncertainty. Together they created a simmering atmosphere of insecurity that boiled over in the perfect storm that was 2020. 

In the myriad changes that resulted, there’s one that’s been consistent across every aspect of our lives: demands for integrity. This is not a reckoning intended just for policy leaders, but for anyone in any leadership role. From classrooms to squad rooms to boardrooms, stakeholders have made it clear they are weary of confusion and just want honest, authentic, straight talk and action. 

The Road to Re-discovering Integrity

In my organization, we’re seeing integrity concerns across an array of employer sentiment data we study, rising as an issue from employees rather than something our HR partners have pre-identified. And unlike previous focus on this issue, it’s not limited to one thing, like ethical sourcing. It also covers concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), the treatment of employees, customers, vendors or other partners, and whether or not the organization is “walking the talk”--particularly after so many pledged to champion DE&I in the midst of last year’s social justice concerns.

It’s never easy to accept that someone thinks your organization lacks integrity. It’s even harder to have a conversation about steps to take to fix it. But the issue won’t go away on its own. In fact, it poses a real and material risk, potentially snowballing from a whiff of tainted reputation affecting recruitment and employee motivation to something that seeps into social media chatter and explodes, directly impacting bottom-line concerns like funding, pending partnerships or sales.

Instead of viewing the health of your organizational integrity as yet another obligation, however, view it as an opportunity. Not only can it serve as a catalyst for a much-needed conversation, it opens you up to partnerships with organizational and leadership development specialists. They can help you figure out a strategy and maybe even help you uncover and proactively address other latent issues in your company culture.

Another reason to face concerns about integrity head-on? It’s probably not going away anytime soon. At the risk of overgeneralizing across generations, while older employees may have been conditioned to accept and adapt to whatever came their way, younger employees have grown up with the idea that they can shape the world to their way of thinking. It means they also view the employer-employee relationship differently and are willing to challenge an environment that does not feel supportive, inclusive or operating without integrity.

The Role of Integrity in Our Intersecting Lives

Last year was a crushing experience, and in so many ways we’re still recovering. But if there’s some silver lining, it’s that we’re also evolving. Under the microscope of modern behavior, we’re moving from closed and secretive corporate attitudes of the past to a new willingness to at least acknowledge, if not yet embrace, the need for authenticity and transparency. 

In large part, that’s because our workplaces and our homes have merged. And the world and all its worries are largely inescapable with our screened devices serving as our connection to everything beyond our own four walls. As lines have blurred and barriers dropped, we see the reality of our action or inaction on others and it’s no surprise that integrity has come to the forefront. 

Now is the time to shape this new normal into our next normal. We should be prioritizing what’s most important to us and letting that serve as our guide. We should also seize this opportunity to make our workplaces more fully realized environments where employees feel truth, responsibility and honorable action are valued, and integrity is not optional--it’s a given.

Kevin Gregson is the CEO and Co-founder at Analine, Inc.  Visit www.aniline.io Connect Kevin Gregson