Give an example of a time you showed integrity on the job or in your personal life.
Integrity means 'being honest and having strong moral principles.' The interviewer wants to see how you exercise integrity in your work and personal life. The goal of your response is to give a brief example of a time you exercised integrity.
"I aim to show integrity in all that I do, whether or not anyone sees me make the right decision. (Situation) For instance, at Company XYZ, I had a client who incurred charges for their order for six months. Nobody else on the team seemed to have noticed the error. (Task) I could have let it go and kept collecting a commission on the double charges; however, that is not an act of integrity. (Action) Instead, I brought the matter to our accounting department. (Result) Accounting credited my client's account with the overage. Shortly after, the client sent me an email thanking me for my honesty and diligence. It felt wonderful to do the right thing."
"To have integrity is to do the right thing, even when nobody is watching. (Situation) When I was in university, I received a higher grade on my transcript than I earned. (Task) I value integrity, so I immediately knew I needed to be honest about the error. I was determined to start my career off right - through complete honesty. (Action) I brought the typo to the attention of my administrator, who then had the grade reversed. (Result) I could have taken credit, but I didn't earn that grade. My school was very thankful for my honesty, and I even received a note of thanks from the Dean."
Avoid making over-inflated statements such as, 'I do the right thing 100% of the time.' Everyone has flaws, and the interviewer isn't looking for moral perfection. They are, however, looking for a story-based example of your integrity in action.
The interviewer is asking you to be a storyteller. You can 'give an example of a time when...' by forming a brief story using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. This framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the best information and detail to form a memorable answer. Be sure to include details, such as why you chose to do the right thing and how it made you feel to display the quality of integrity.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
An associate shared she was resigning due to unsavory behavior in the dept. I looked into the matter confirmed that it was, in fact, occurring. I raised the issue with my leader and my peer. Both were initially affronted by the fact that this claim was coming to light. I confirmed that since the person was resigning, there was no reason for her to lie. We installed cameras as a preventative tactic.
Rachelle's Feedback
It speaks a lot about your character and professionalism that you looked into the issue, showing the associate that you cared about what they were saying, even though they were resigning. A very good example of integrity!
