Most businesses today require a lot of traits such as trustworthiness, transparency, and loyalty. These are vital traits that are a must-have for an employee. But have you heard about the word “integrity?”
One of the most crucial attributes that recruiters look for in employees is integrity in the workplace. Integrity is the cornerstone of trust and confidence. Truthfulness, moral conventions, and ethical norms are all aspects of integrity. Integrity is one of the core ideals that all employees must uphold.
Now, do we understand what business integrity entails? How will integrity help you and your beloved company? What does business integrity mean?
What Does Business Integrity Mean?
Let us first understand what integrity is. The dictionary defines integrity as “the attribute of having strong values and being honest.” This word derives from the Latin word “integer,” which means “untouched, pure, honest, and sound.”
A person who values integrity has a solid moral compass on a personal level. They keep their word, accept full responsibility for their acts, and adhere to their moral values, even if it means putting themselves in awkward situations or making complex judgments. In other terms, integrity entails doing what you say you’ll do even if no one is around to see it. It also entails taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to your mistakes.
Your integrity reflects in the way you do business as a business owner. Whether you work as a freelancer or have a small team, the moral code you follow outside of the office is the same set of rules you apply to work. Understandably, acting with integrity can be difficult. It’s also understandable that we all want to be treated with integrity by others.
So, how do you incorporate integrity into your day-to-day business dealings? Several specifics can assist in converting this from an appealing notion to reality, including:
- Keep all of your commitments. Customers have expectations, whether you make promises or not. Being committed shows that your products and services function properly, solve a problem, and provide value. Recognize these kinds of obligations and make every effort to keep them.
- Be consistently honest. As a corporation, you have a responsibility not only to tell the truth at all times but also not to withhold information from staff and customers. For instance, if your advertisement says that you are selling the cheapest homeowner’s insurance, you have to offer the most affordable insurance. Don’t forget, if you make a blunder, own up to it!
- Everyone should receive equal treatment. Do you give larger clients more attention than smaller ones? Keep in mind that having integrity means being the same person (or company) in every situation. Equality means that no one is treated differently based on their contribution.
- Respect one another. Be kind and respectful to others on a fundamental level. Understand other viewpoints on positions, ages, races, and cultural differences. Also, strive to treat everyone with care and respect.
Why Is Integrity Important in Business?
Now that we’ve defined business integrity, let’s look at why it matters and why you should be concerned about operating your company under it.
1. Strong Reputation
Your company’s reputation is crucial to its success. Customers, suppliers, business partners, and investors must all have faith in you to know what you’re doing and run a long-term firm. It helps to develop your reputation when you act with integrity. Similarly, dishonesty might lead to your doom.
2. Satisfaction of Employees
Employees are happy when their employer performs with honor rather than acting like a snake in the grass. Bosses with strong integrity encourage employees to have higher job engagement. As a result, employees work with happiness and satisfaction.
3. Enhanced Quality
Happier employees are more likely to be productive as well. Integrity-driven businesses are more likely to produce high-quality goods and services. High-quality services are attainable if the organization resolves problems to improve the client experience.
4. A Sharper Focus
It takes a lot of effort to not be on the same level as everyone else or to treat everyone differently. You’ll have to keep track of everything to maintain consistency as you display different faces to different people. Integrity saves you from this awkward situation.
5. Better Outcomes
Consumers value ethical businesses and will often reward you for it. According to Ethical Consumer, spending through “ethical” enterprises has nearly doubled in the last seven years.
As you can see, integrity plays a crucial role in a business’s success. It should be one of the fundamental morals and principles that every company should practice. After all, integrity should be a practice that everyone must adhere to in their daily lives.
