How would you react if you knew a team member was being dishonest? What actions would you take?
Questions surrounding ethics and integrity are asked to determine whether you could be trusted with their reputation and assets and maintain the trust of the individual members of their teams. How you answer will help them assess whether you would be an asset for their company and a valuable member of their teams or would present as a liability. The aim is to show your integrity cannot be compromised and that you vigilantly stay true to your character.
This question allows the algorithm to assess your integrity by evaluating how honestly you present your answers. Some non-verbal cues the assessment vendor may use to determine your honesty are stroking your chin, and covering your mouth or your eyes, gaze avoidance, the direction of your eyes, excessive fidgeting, such as restless foot and leg movements, frequent body posture changes, and grooming behaviors such as playing with hair or pressing your fingers to lips.
Despite this question being phrased as a hypothetical situation, feel free to offer any real-life examples of where your conduct was in line with their code of ethics and recommended approach to such situations. Most companies post their code of ethics online, either linked to their website or independent of it. Reflect sincerity and transparency when delivering your answer, and express that you aren't afraid to have uncomfortable conversations or do the right thing.
"I take pride in my work and have a low tolerance for dishonesty since it damages the company's reputation, which hurts us all. I focus on honesty and transparency. I'm obligated to report any coworker who violates our code of ethics. Of course, I would consult my leadership to ensure I appropriately handle the situation. I would desire to resolve the issue without escalating the situation or introducing a new conflict. For example, my manager was recently on vacation for three weeks. Some of my coworkers wanted to falsify our timesheets to reflect overtime hours we did not work. I disagreed and convinced them it was a bad idea and not worth being fired over. If hired at Company ABC, I will hold myself and my peers accountable to the highest ethical standards."
Once you're ready and the setting and timing feel right, enter the virtual interview room and ensure the webcam, sound, and lighting is suitable for your interview. Position the camera angle at eye level. Positioning it too low will make you come across as domineering. Too high, and you'll seem too weak or small. Maintain eye contact in front of the camera as if you're speaking face-to-face with a person. Be mindful of your facial expressions. Furrowing your brow while concentrating on your answer can easily be misinterpreted as exhibiting anger and raise a red flag.
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
I would not tolerate such kind of behavior, because it has a very inappropriate impact on a project and other team members. Firstly, I will use my psychological skills and talk to my colleague, to find out the reason for his/her behavior. Apart from this, I would emphasize that we should support each other and work hard to achieve the goal. If this statement will not change his/her behavior I would report it to the manager.
Jaymie's Feedback
Good job walking the interviewer through your thought process and the action you would take. It may also be worth mentioning that you would follow the company policy if it were a more severe level of dishonesty like theft.
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