Work Ethics

Where have the good work ethics gone

As a recruiter, I talk with hundreds of companies, ranging in size from one person just starting to hire his or her first employee all the way up to large corporations with thousands of employees and global locations.

One of the major complaints I hear from all of them, no matter the size, is “What happened to someone having good work ethics?”

By definition: “An ethical principle that places greatest value on hard work and diligence.”

In other words, what hiring managers are looking for is:

• An employee who cares about the company, the product, the service, the mission, and its customers
• Someone who comes to work when they are supposed to be there
• Someone who will come in earlier or stay later if there’s a need, without complaining
• Someone who is dedicated to getting the work done (i.e., figuring out what’s going wrong and fixing it or asking questions if they are stuck)

It doesn’t seem like a huge order to fill, however, not a day goes by that I don’t hear from someone who is trying to fill an opening and I hear:

We’re flexible on the skill requirements if they have a good attitude, are willing to learn and have a good work ethic.

We prefer a college degree but if they have a good work ethic and can be trained, we will consider someone without the degree.

As long as the candidate has a good work ethic, we can work around whatever skill set is missing.

When you are interviewing for a new opportunity, I suggest you truly listen to the questions and think about your response.  Then determine how you can showcase your skills as well as your passion, drive and work ethics.