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How to Develop a Strong Work Ethic

• Tutti Taygerly

Hiring managers want to see your motivation, can-do attitude, and dedication.

In our early career years, it can be challenging to figure out what behaviors are and are not acceptable in different professional environments. Employers are now expecting more of entry-level workers and they want to see that you have good work ethic. So what is work ethic?

• Work ethic refers to a set of moral principles, values, and attitudes around how to act at work. It often surrounds what behaviors are commonly acceptable and appropriate (or not).
• Qualities like reliability, productivity, ownership and team support all demonstrate professional integrity, or a strong commitment to ethical behavior at work. In contrast, low-quality work, tardiness, or lack of attention to details demonstrates bad work ethic.
• If you’re new to the workplace, a good way to start is by observing. Pay attention to how your coworkers behave in meetings to gain a better understanding of their “etiquette,” as well as the communication styles of different people and teams. Another essential part of building good work ethic is adopting a “do it like you own it” attitude. You can do this by being proactive in small, but powerful, ways.

Have you ever wondered about how to behave appropriately at work? Throughout your career, and especially in the early years, it’s challenging to figure out what behaviors and attitudes are and are not acceptable in different professional environments. The more you traverse companies and industries, the clearer your understanding will become. When you’re just starting out, though, it can be hard to pin down these behaviors.

• Tutti Taygerly is an executive coach and speaker with 20+ years of product design experience in Silicon Valley. Her book Make Space to Lead: Break Patterns to Find Flow and Focus on What Matters Most (Taygerly Labs, 2021) shows high achievers how to reframe their relationship to work.

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52 Work Ethic Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

A person who has a strong work ethic is someone who is a diligent, self-disciplined, and virtuous worker. They try their hardest at work to do their best work as productively and ethically as possible.

Employers value people with work ethic because they will be trustworthy and reliable employees. Therefore, in interviews and job applications, you are often asked to describe a time when you demonstrated strong work ethic.

Examples of work ethic include always turning up for work on time, consistently working hard while on the clock, and aiming to produce the best quality work you can within the shortest timeframe.

Good Work Ethic Examples

• Turning up early for work so you can start as soon as your shift begins.
• Working late to get the job done.
• Not stopping until your task list for the day is complete.
• Working hard even when you’re unmotivated.
• Waking up with a desire to be productive for the day.
• Looking for more tasks to do once your assigned tasks are completed.
• Having the initiative to find more work to do even if you haven’t been assigned that work.
• Always looking for new ways to increase productivity at work.
• Suggesting new and innovative ways to improve the workplace.
• Organizing groups when working in teams rather than waiting for someone else to take the lead.
• Putting your hand up to do extra roles within the team at work in order to demonstrate your abilities and value to the workplace.
• Having a competitive spirit where you will work hard to make sure that you’re number one.
• Being a university student who will put in long hours studying in order to submit an assignment on time.
• Being the university student who doesn’t just study in the last few weeks before an exam, but who studies every single week of school in order to make sure you succeed.
• Working extra hard in order to show your boss that you deserve a pay rise or promotion.
• Getting a promotion out of recognition that you are the hardest worker in the team.
• Turning up on the weekend for a shift because the workplace suddenly got busy and needed a back-up on short notice.
• Finishing your projects 2 weeks before deadline because you work so hard.
• Deciding to continue working hard even if your colleagues are slacking off.
• Making sure you’re back from your lunch break and ready to start work on time, every time.
• Setting personal productivity goals at work and trying to beat them each week.
• Having the self-discipline to not check your phone at work because you want to keep busy.
• Turning up early to meetings to make sure you definitely don’t miss any of the first few minutes.
• Being the sort of person who has to do physical labor in their workplace every day in order to feel healthy and fit.
• Following-up on emails with your boss if she forgets because you’re on top of the work and want to make sure it gets done.
• Taking pride in your work and making sure it’s the best it can possibly be every single time.
• Adhering to workplace standards of behavior at all times, especially when others are encouraging you not to.
• Maintaining professionalism at work all the time, including when interacting with colleagues and clients.
• Conducting regular self-assessments then testing to see if you can outdo that self-assessment the next week.
• Setting medium-term goals for yourself and trying to reach them for your own personal interest.
• Keeping an inquisitive mindset at work and always looking to learn better ways of doing things from colleagues.
• Choosing not to say anything negative at work or in the locker room in order to maintain a professional workplace culture.
• Dressing professionally at work in order to maintain the respectful image of the workplace.
• Being passionate about what you do and giving it your best.
• Regularly asking your boss to assess your performance and give feedback in order to identify new ways to work better.
• Putting as much effort into a task that is less enjoyable than the amount of effort you put into tasks that you love doing at work.
• Keeping a positive outlook at work and ensuring your colleagues know you’re attentive and open for collaboration.
• Approaching customers and asking them if they need help rather than sitting back and waiting for customers to approach you.
• Making up for lost time if you turned up late.

Poor Work Ethic Examples

• Turning up late to work regularly.
• Taking extra long lunch breaks.
• Doing the minimum possible work then standing around and talking for the rest of the day.
• Trying to avoid the boss in order to avoid them asking you questions about how your work is going.
• Leaving tasks to the last minute before completing them.
• Never studying for exams.
• Always being the person asking your professor for an extension on your papers.
• Making unconstructive comments about your boss and colleagues at work.
• Avoiding responsibilities and instead trying to get other colleagues to pick up that work.
• Calling in sick to work when you’re not actually sick.
• Taking credit for work that another colleague did.
• Trying to find ways to get around the rules at work.
• Choosing not to contribute ideas during a brainstorming session because you find the work boring. 

How to Demonstrate Work Ethic in a Job Interview

1. talk about when you went above and beyond at work.

People with high work ethic tend to go above and beyond in the workplace. This is because they turn up to work with the determination to do their personal best every single time.

You could go above and beyond when submitting a project that does more than the basic outline asked for, or when you spent extra time on a task to make sure it was perfect.

Here’s an example of what you could say:

“One example of how I demonstrated work ethic was when my team was preparing a conference weekend for our workplace. We could have simply booked the most well-known caterers in town, but instead, I went to each catering company and asked them to demonstrate why I should choose them. Thanks to this extra effort, we got a 25% discount on our catering services and the food was delicious!”

2. Talk About How you Test Yourself at Work

One of the best ways to show work ethic is to talk about how you test yourself and try to set personal bests. This might be by literally timing your speed on tasks or by using more subjective measures like asking your boss to set you some goals that you can try to meet.

Here’s an example:

“To me, work ethic is about doing your absolute personal best every day. I get to work and challenge myself to meet my personal best every day. I love to try to squeeze out 1% more effort from myself by testing myself against my previous time to complete a task.”

Of course, this quote misses one important point: quality! Don’t forget to let your potential employer know that your idea of work ethic includes a focus on both productivity and quality.

3. Express your Aspiration for Career Advancement

Often, employers and HR departments associate aspiration with work ethic. People who are aspirational in their career will come to work hoping to impress their boss.

Aspirtaitonal people will want to do well at work and stand out in order to be positioned as the best employee. This, in turn, should help them achieve career advancement.

So, in your job application, you could write:

“I am applying for this job because it helps to fulfill my desire to work within an organization with career advancement opportunities. The size of the company means I will always have internal advancement opportunities that help me meet my career goals while adding extra value to the company. I intend to come to work every day looking for ways to excel in my job with the goal of positioning myself well for future internal job opportunities.”

Notice here how the phrase ‘work ethic’ wasn’t used once? Nevertheless, through the vignette, it was obvious that the applicant is going to come to work with something to prove to themselves and the company. They’re not going to settle with mediocrity.

Work ethic is one of the most desirable workplace skills you can have. It’s a skill that transcends all job roles and titles, and is perhaps the single most important skill for someone looking for career advancement.

If you can use these work ethic examples to demonstrate to a hiring manager that you have excellent work ethic, you can situate yourself in the best position possible to get that job you want. But once you’ve got the job, you need to demonstrate that you weren’t making things up. Proving your work ethic on the job is up to you!

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 50 Incentives to Give to Students

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20+ Work Ethic Examples That Managers Need to Know [2024]

Table of contents:.

Some people believe work ethic is a quality you’re born with, while others think it can be learned and developed over time.

Either way, one thing is for sure: work ethic has a big impact on the success of your business and the productivity of your team.

In this article, we’ll explore the factors that influence work ethic and how to identify employees with a strong work ethic and a weak work ethic. We’ll also look at some work ethic examples in action so you can better understand how it impacts workplace productivity and success.

Key Takeaways:

• An employee’s work ethic is impacted by their environment, workplace culture, and attitude toward labor.
• Managers should take note of employee work ethic to help them realize their full potential.

Is Work Ethic a Character Trait or a Learned Skill?

Work ethic can be defined as a belief in the importance of hard work and the willingness to apply oneself diligently to a task. But the question of whether work is a character trait or a learned skill is a topic of much debate.

Recent research has pointed out the link between self-determination theory and work ethic . It suggests that individuals who have a strong sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are more likely to exhibit a positive work ethic, as this mindset reflects their personal belief system and values.

It suggests that work ethic is closely associated with a person’s sense of moral duty and is considered a ‘‘syndrome of attitudes and beliefs” surrounding work.

As such, work ethic is not a fixed character trait but a malleable attribute that can be influenced and shaped by the people around us, as well as our cultural and familial values.

Outstanding Work Ethic Examples

Employees with an outstanding work ethic are a valuable asset to any workplace. As workers, these individuals are incredibly reliable, take ownership of their work, and are capable of working independently with minimal supervision.

This is especially important in hybrid work environments , where trust and self-accountability are essential for success.

An employee with an outstanding work ethic:

• Is always going the extra mile
• Is constantly looking for ways to improve
• Is highly independent
• Inspires others to be their best
• Is proactive and self-motivated
• Admits when they’ve made a mistake

Case Study: Brian, the Outstanding Worker

Brian starts his day by reviewing his tasks and identifying opportunities to go above and beyond what’s expected of him. He proactively seeks feedback from his manager and colleagues to improve his work and ensure he’s meeting expectations.

Throughout the day, Brian remains highly independent, completing tasks with minimal supervision and always completing his assignments before their deadlines.

If one of his projects doesn’t meet the standard he sets for himself, he voluntarily works overtime and, in doing so, inspires his colleagues to do the same.

Despite his exceptional performance, Brian remains humble and is able to admit when he’s made a mistake.

Due to the amount of pressure Brian puts on his work performance, he doesn’t allow himself the time to relax and enjoy life outside of work. Instead, he often uses the weekend to log back onto work assignments or improve previous tasks based on his manager’s feedback.

How to Use Interviews to Find Employees With an Outstanding Work Ethic

You can start building a team of employees with an outstanding work ethic as part of your hiring process .

During interviews, you can effectively identify candidates with an outstanding work ethic beyond just the show they put on to impress you on the day.

By paying attention to candidates’ initiative, preparation, professionalism, and passion, you can make informed decisions about who will contribute positively to the company.

Take notice of candidates who:

• Have thoroughly researched your company and prepared for the interview
• Are dressed professionally
• Show interest in your workplace through their tone of voice, body language, and general enthusiasm
• Answer questions interestingly and insightfully

Good Work Ethic Examples

A good work ethic is characterized by punctuality, accountability, honesty, professionalism, and a healthy work-life balance.

For managers, hiring employees with a solid work ethic can help set a standard for success in which not only is achieving organizational goals important but so is getting along with your co-workers and prioritizing your mental and physical needs outside of work.

An employee with a good work ethic:

• Arrives to work on time
• Consistently meets deadlines
• Is reliable and trustworthy
• Completes their work to a high standard
• Is a team player
• Is willing to work overtime when required
• Looks for opportunities to help others
• Is accepting of additional workloads

Case Study: Amy, the “Good Great Worker”

Amy starts her day by arriving at work on time and ready to tackle her tasks after having taken time to relax and rejuvenate outside of work hours. She consistently meets deadlines and produces high-quality work that exceeds expectations.

As a team player, Amy looks for opportunities to help her colleagues and is willing to take on additional work to help her team out.

When necessary, Amy is willing to work overtime and is always happy to help out her team. However, she maintains a healthy boundary between work and her personal life.

Amy doesn’t make a habit of staying in the office if not required and instead spends her time off having an active social life and fulfilling hobbies, as they contribute to her quality of life and well-being.

Why “Good” Might Be Better Than “Outstanding” When It Comes to Work Ethic

While an outstanding work ethic might seem like the most desirable trait an employee can have, it can be unrealistic to maintain for a long time.

These individuals focus almost exclusively on their work, putting an enormous amount of pressure on themselves to perform to a certain standard.

Lack of a strong work-life balance can also lead to severe burnout , which impacts not only work ethic in the long term but also work quality and productivity.

On the other hand, employees with a “good” work ethic are able to consistently maintain a smooth workflow because they enforce boundaries between their professional and personal lives. This leads to a more sustainable and healthy approach to work.

For employers, offering flexible work arrangements is a great way to support a good work ethic. Hybrid and remote work ensures that your team has the ability to work around their own lifestyle in a way that suits them so they can focus on taking care of themselves outside of the office.

Mediocre Work Ethic Examples

Employees with a mediocre work ethic meet minimum expectations but don’t exceed them.

While employees with a mediocre work ethic don’t do anything counter-productive or problematic in the workplace, they also won’t go out of their way to boost their performance and are not always receptive to feedback.

A manager might notice that an employee who was once an outstanding worker has suddenly slipped into the “acceptable” work ethic category. Or they might mistakenly hire an employee they assume is outstanding who turns out to have a mediocre work ethic.

Employees with a mediocre work ethic:

• Arrive at meetings on time but don’t prepare notes or talking points
• Complete their work to an acceptable standard but never ask for feedback or advice on how to make it better
• Are willing to help others when asked but don’t proactively look for ways to do so
• Do what they “need to do” during the day but don’t talk or act passionately about their work

Case Study: “Demi the Mediocre Worker”

Demi starts her day by arriving at meetings on time but without preparing any notes or talking points. She completes her work but never seeks advice on how to improve it or requests feedback.

Demi is prone to asking for extensions on her work. While she does her work quietly, she doesn’t express passion or enthusiasm for it and stays a considerable distance away from her colleagues.

How to Motivate Your Employees to Reach New Heights

Employees with a mediocre work ethic aren’t necessarily bad workers; they may simply be cruising through their workdays without a sense of purpose or passion.

These workers are often disengaged and linked to the quiet quitting phenomenon , where they’ve emotionally checked out and are just going through the motions.

If you’re finding that an employee’s work ethic has room for improvement, try the following tactics:

• Set up a 1:1 meeting to set clear and achievable goals
• Provide personalized and regular feedback
• Offer personal and professional development opportunities
• Show that you care about their future in the company and appreciate their work

Poor Work Ethic Examples

Poor work ethic is characterized by chronic lateness, low productivity, frequent absences, and poor quality of work.

Employees with a poor work ethic often look for the “easy way out.” As a result, they often don’t take their job seriously — and this can contribute to a negative or toxic work environment .

Managers should look out for these behaviors in their employees. They’ll also need to determine if workers with a poor work ethic are an appropriate fit for their team.

An employee with a poor work ethic:

• Frequently arrives to work late
• Often asks for deadline extensions (including after the due date has passed)
• Is unwilling to help their colleagues out and actively avoids taking on any extra responsibilities
• Regularly checks their phone or scrolls through social media during work hours
• Has a poor attitude toward managers when asked to work on something outside of their normal duties
• Relies on others to do all the work in collaborative tasks

Case Study: Mark the Underperforming Worker

Mark frequently arrives to work late — but he always has a coffee in his hand. When working remotely , Mark constantly refuses to join video calls, claiming he’s “too busy.”

When asked, Mark is unwilling to help out his colleagues and actively avoids taking on extra responsibilities, especially if it means he has to put in extra work.

Mark doesn’t like to collaborate with his colleagues , is often rude to his managers, and purposely ignores instructions. Additionally, he is often the first person to leave the office or log off for the day.

Are Employees With a Poor Work Ethic a Lost Cause?

Employees with a poor work ethic can have a significant impact on a company’s operations. However, factors other than simple laziness could play into these situations.

Recent research has shown a link between an employee’s self-esteem , confidence in their job, and extrinsic motivation .

Factors that can impact employee work ethic include:

• Personal issues outside of work
• Poor management, including micromanagement
• Lack of adequate training
• Feelings of stress or failure
• Lack of recognition or appropriate payment

If you believe that some of these factors might be affecting an employee’s work ethic, try to work with them to improve their mental health . This can make a big difference in their performance.

However, if that employee continues showing a poor work ethic even after you’ve attempted to remedy the situation, it might be necessary to let them go and find someone more committed to the role.

Supporting Employees: The Key to Improving Work Ethic

When employees see that their colleagues are going above and beyond, they’re more likely to be motivated to do the same.

However, it’s important to note that work ethic is not just a personality trait — it can be shaped and influenced by extrinsic factors, such as work environment and company culture.

One way to support your employees and get the best out of them is to create a flexible, productive, and collaborative work environment.

For that, you need the right hybrid work software.

OfficeRnD Hybrid is a powerful hybrid work solution that can help your organization adopt and thrive in a hybrid work model by streamlining when, where, and how people work together via seamless workplace experiences.

Get started for free with OfficeRnD Hybrid or book a live demo with one of our workplace experts to see how OfficeRnD Hybrid can transform your workplace and boost the work ethic of your employees

What Is a “Basic Work Ethic”?

A basic work ethic is a set of values and beliefs that guide the way people behave and work in the workplace. It’s the fundamental characteristic that employees have to strive for excellence, ensure that they finish their projects on time and to a certain standard, and maintain a positive attitude toward their work.

What Are Some Professional Work Ethic Examples?

Employees who have a strong professional work ethic exhibit reliability, productivity, professionalism, time management , teamwork, integrity, good communication, and respect for leadership.

What is a Good Example of a Good Work Ethic?

A good example of a strong work ethic is consistently meeting deadlines while maintaining high-quality work. This demonstrates reliability, dedication, and attention to detail, key traits valued in any professional setting.

How Would I Describe my Work Ethic?

To describe your work ethic, highlight your commitment to reliability, efficiency, and quality in your work. Mention your dedication to meeting deadlines, your ability to work effectively under pressure, and your consistent pursuit of excellence in all tasks.

What are Signs of a Bad Work Ethic?

Signs of a bad work ethic include consistently missing deadlines, showing a lack of initiative, and producing low-quality work. Additionally, frequent tardiness, a negative attitude towards tasks, and an unwillingness to collaborate or improve are also indicative of poor work ethic.

What Causes Poor Work Ethic?

Poor work ethic can be caused by a lack of motivation or engagement, insufficient recognition or rewards, and a mismatch between the employee’s skills and their job requirements. A toxic work environment or unclear expectations can also contribute to a decline in work ethic.

Miro Miroslavov

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Work ethic in the workplace

Discover work ethic definition, examples of strong and bad work ethics. Why it is important in the workplace. Learn how to improve your work ethic.

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

January 17, 2022 · updated July 10, 2024

15 minute read

In this article, you’ll learn what defines a strong work ethic, and how to develop it within your company.

You’ll also learn what affects the work ethic of various personnel, and how you can help them improve it.

What is work ethic?

Why is work ethic important, what are the benefits of having a strong work ethic in an organization, strong work ethic examples, bad work ethic examples, strong work ethic skills you should develop, bad work ethic skills you should avoid, how to develop a strong work ethic in an organization (tips), faq about work ethic.

Work ethic is a set of standards of behavior and beliefs regarding what is and isn’t acceptable to do at work.

Work ethic can be strong (good) or poor (bad), it depends on personal views of employees, their motivation, and overall company culture.

A strong work ethic is an attitude an employee applies to their work that indicates a high level of passion for any work they do.

A bad work ethic is an attitude that an employee demonstrates that shows a lack of ambition and professionalism in the workplace.

People with a strong work ethic often seem as though they have a competitive spirit, although their competitiveness is often within themselves to achieve their goals within their occupation.

Those individuals with a strong work ethic often present themselves as ‘ideal employees’ because their drive for success leads them to work to achieve one goal after another.

Work ethic can be nurtured, although it’s often a part of an individual’s character and overall outlook on life.

Work ethic may seem like a subjective topic, but for human resources departments, knowing what it is and how it works is important.

A strong work ethic within the company serves as a behavioral model for the right way of working. It supports and fosters a productive working culture.

Employees with a strong work ethic are highly driven and often far exceed their peers in terms of achieving company goals.

They lead by example and motivate others to work hard. Of course, it must be part of the work culture , and everybody should support it.

Otherwise, one employee with a strong work ethic in a collective of people with poor work ethic will eventually exhibit the same attitude or will leave the company.

Bad work ethic, put another way, can lead to demotivation, loss of effectiveness, sometimes even to high turnover rate and other damaging consequences.

So, it is vital for the HR department to track and adjust work ethic within the company, department, or even of the particular employee.

We won’t say that employees with a strong work ethic are better choices for promotion within the company, but they are the first candidates for this, because of their drive and commitment to their job.

Develop and maintain a strategy-driven learning culture

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Employees are more productive and dedicated. They help each other, and so on. Cover this more.

1. A balanced, respectful workplace and culture

Employees with a strong work ethic present themselves as professionals in every sense of the word.

They respect their fellow employees, their higher-ups, and those that they come into contact with.

Not only does this present a polished image for your organization, it also creates an environment that other people are happy to work in.

2. Higher productivity

Employees with a strong ethic put their commitments to the company before other, frivolous activities.

While there’s no reason to work rather than attend to a family emergency, these employees won’t slack off on a project because they’d rather do something they’re not obligated to instead.

A high drive for work ethic means that they take enough gratification in their job to complete every task, and correctly prioritize their work/life balance.

People with a strong work ethic take pride in their jobs and see every task they do as important.

These are employees that rarely, if ever, arrive at the job late. Not only that, they complete all assigned projects in a timely manner and avoid holding up the workflow of the rest of the organization. This creates efficiency and a sense of expediency in the workplace.

3. A wider talent pool

The employees that show the highest work ethic are also those that continue their dedication as they advance in their careers. Better managers make for better employees underneath them.

When you scout employees with a strong work ethic from the beginning, you can keep your strongest assets within the company.

Work ethic examples

Next, we’ll go into a practical examination of work ethic. We’ll review some common examples of both strong and poor work ethic.

People with a strong work ethic are often referred to as true professionals. Next, we’ll look at some examples of a strong work ethic in the workplace.

First example:

Barney is the employee that always follows through on his commitments. If he agrees to take over another co-worker’s shift, he always shows up. If commits to a deadline, you can count on him to meet that deadline.

Everyone knows him as the guy they can rely on. He gets satisfaction in being the person that never shows up late, and always completes work of the caliber, no matter what the task is.

Second example:

Angela’s supervisor asked her to coordinate reports between patient in-services and insurance. Unfortunately, Angela isn’t very familiar with processing certain insurance claims.

Rather than giving up, Angela decides to expand her skillset. She networks with her co-workers in the insurance department and asks questions of her supervisor to ensure she completes her task to the best of her ability.

In the process, she expands her skills to make sure she meets her goals.

Third example:

Barbara is known for her meticulous work. She never misses a deadline, and still doesn’t sacrifice the quality of her work to do so.

While it may take more focus, and time for certain tasks, she always delivers high-quality, reliable work. Her supervisors know that they don’t need to double-check her work.

No matter what day, what time, or what the circumstances are Barbara never turns in work that would be considered sub-par.

Individuals with bad work ethic aren’t very hard to point out. However, clear examples can help you point out specific factors that are a problem. If these are corrected, the employee’s performance will also improve.

Jim’s supervisor asked him to review the financial reports from last quarter to look for purchases from one client. The supervisor gave him this task about a month ago and asked him to complete it within a few weeks.

Now, a month has passed, and Jim still hasn’t reviewed any of the reports. Rather than starting early, he’s left it to the last minute and turns in an incomplete report.

Jim is a standard example of poor prioritization and a weak work ethic.

Sheila is sometimes bothered by the tasks required of her. However, she never addresses this with her superiors. Instead, she complains to co-workers, friends, and anyone that will listen about her job.

Ultimately it displays a very poor image of the company and creates a more hostile working environment for her co-workers.

Being resentful and complaining, rather than seeking solutions, is another strong indicator of poor work ethic.

Jeff is an employee that isn’t bothered by work schedules. Every weekday he’s supposed to show up at 9 am.

While other employees show up on time or even early, Jeff is rarely, if ever at the office on time. He makes excuses about traffic or other problems but never bothers to get up earlier to correct the issues.

His constant tardiness shows a lack of respect for his job and fellow coworkers. His coworkers know him as unreliable and irresponsible as a result.

Repeated tardiness is another common sign that an employee has a bad work ethic.

Strong and poor work ethic skills and traits

Next, we’ll go into a practical examination of work ethic. We’ll review some common examples of both good and bad work ethic.

Hard workers don’t give up when a task is difficult. These individuals show their work ethic in their persistence.

Dedication means that an employee always sees their commitments through. They keep their deadlines and complete tasks to the fullest.

Workers that show discipline aren’t swayed by what they want to do. Instead, they continue doing what they should until it’s complete.

• Productivity

Individuals with a strong work ethic often have high productivity and keep themselves busy completing assignments and meeting their goals.

Team players are individuals that demonstrate work ethic through teamwork. They know their company works when everyone does their part, and they’re always willing to help a co-worker.

Integrity is a strong indicator of a good work ethic. It guides individuals to make choices that are morally sound, and that are ethically balanced.

• Responsibility

Individuals with a strong work ethic are known to be responsible. Being consistent and reliable shows professionalism and respect for their work.

• Determination

Employees can show a strong work ethic by being determined to meet or exceed goals. Even if they’re not familiar with the task, they will look for resources to help them successfully achieve their goals.

• Professionalism

It can be difficult to do the best work on the hardest days; however, individuals with a strong work ethic persevere and create high-quality work nonetheless.

Procrastination

People with poor work ethic aren’t driven to complete tasks. As a result, they wait until the last minute to complete work and often produce work of poor quality.

Negativity affects others in the workplace and is a common trait of people with bad work ethic because they don’t value professionalism.

Toxicity is a high indication of poor work ethic. These individuals aren’t concerned with creating a productive, welcoming work environment and seek to minimize their peers.

Inefficiency

Employees with poor work ethic may demonstrate inefficiency. While they may complete their tasks, they do it in a way that ultimately takes more time, and costs the company more money.

Irresponsibility

When you have an irresponsible employee, you can see a lack of work ethic in how seriously they take their duties in the workplace. Irresponsible employees don’t place high importance on their commitments and responsibilities.

Passiveness

Passiveness can be a general personality characteristic, but it can also apply to attitudes in the workplace. This attitude means that individuals don’t care either way what happens with their job- in other words, they also demonstrate apathy.

Untimeliness

People with a poor work ethic aren’t driven to go to work, nor are they driven to complete projects as part of their job.

Unprofessional behavior

Unprofessional behavior is a strong indicator of a lack of work ethic, as those employees that take pride in their jobs strive to maintain a professional demeanor.

Next, this list will give you the best tips available for developing a strong work ethic within your company.

1. Lead by example

People look to their leaders for the behaviors they should emulate. Supervisors and the HR department are perfect examples of this.

Show employees the value of a strong work ethic by embodying it yourself, and encouraging supervisors in all departments to do the same.

2. Organize team workshops

Employees tend to be more motivated when they work as a team, and learning skills for their job is no different.

Allowing everyone to work together in a team workshop breeds a more positive environment in the office, and often gives individuals an extra reason to try and excel at learning a new skill.

3. Organize feedback sessions (discussions)

Getting feedback helps you know how employees feel about the company.

You can choose to do individual interviews, group discussions, or even anonymous surveys. The most important part is to get honest, unfiltered feedback.

This feedback can tell you if there’s a general lack of work ethic in the company as a whole, in certain departments, or if certain individuals diminish work ethic.

4. Team building activities

People work harder when they feel like part of a team, and they don’t want to let their teammates down.

Use team-building activities to build rapport between employees, and grow their skills for teamwork.

Working as a team player is an important skill for developing an attitude of a strong work ethic.

5. 1-on-1 meetings to improve attitude

Address problems within your company as soon as possible- but keep it professional.

Don’t try to confront an employee in front of their peers, which can cause embarrassment, and lower morale and motivation. Instead, if you find an individual with problematic attitudes or behaviors, pull them aside for individual meetings.

Try to understand any issues they feel are causing the problem, and help coach them into better work behavior.

6. Encourage mentoring

One way to help enhance work ethic is by giving employees time to learn from a more experienced employee with a strong work ethic.

Mentors understand what less experienced employees deal with, and issues that might cause a negative attitude.

Set aside time and select mentors to be available to ‘coach’ other employees, and ultimately enhance their performance.

7. Keep a professional demeanor

Professionalism is a cornerstone of a strong work ethic.

Remember, a strong work ethic shows that you have great pride in the work you do, and a strong drive to continually succeed.

That also means that you see yourself as part of the team, and want to represent yourself, your coworkers, and your place of work to the very best. You never act in a way that creates a hostile or uncomfortable environment for your peers- you’re too busy trying to achieve your next goal.

Likewise, you don’t create conflict, and address everyone else within the company with the same respect you feel you deserve. You keep a clean-cut, professional appearance that shows you care about how you represent yourself and the company.

What does work ethic mean?

Work ethic represents a set of ethical attitudes towards work that regulates employees’ behavior at work.

What is a strong work ethic?

A strong work ethic refers to an outlook that compels people to succeed within their jobs.

How to develop a strong work ethic?

Create an atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism among employees. Encourage employees to think of themselves as team players.

How to improve work ethic?

Maintain a professional attitude even in difficult circumstances. Remember that you’re part of a team, and that team needs all players to succeed. If possible, find a mentor (such as a more experienced employee at your company) to help guide you.

What are important skills of strong work ethics?

The most important skills for a strong work ethic include:

How to describe your work ethic?

Highlight positive traits about yourself that show your work ethic. Make these traits specific to you and your attitude. Avoid simply listing skills or traits; instead, try to connect them with job experience or examples.

How do you complete your work? Are you: timely, reliable, professional, or driven? Do you: always arrive on time, consistently complete quality work, support your team members?

Use these traits to build your answer, and make sure you can give relevant examples for each.

What is the protestant work ethic?

The Protestant work ethic is a theory applied to many different subjects, including sociology, theology, and other related studies. You may also hear ‘Protestant work ethic’ referred to Puritan or Calvinist work ethic, although the principles are the same.

In essence, this theory says that people are influenced by the values in their Protestant faith, and tend to demonstrate a more frugal lifestyle, discipline, and diligence in their everyday lives.

What is poor work ethics?

Poor work ethic shows when employees demonstrate bad work habits, including a lack of productivity, lack of concern for deadlines, and poor quality of work. In general, poor work ethics are an overall disregard for the job and professionalism.

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“Describe Your Work Ethic”: 3 Examples of Smart Answers

By Status.net Editorial Team on February 8, 2024 — 9 minutes to read

When you hear about work ethic, you might think about staying late at the office or checking emails around the clock. However, work ethic is really about your attitude and behavior towards your job and responsibilities. It’s a set of values you hold regarding the importance of work and how you perform it.

Preparing Your Response

When gearing up to answer the question about your work ethic, focusing on specific experiences and values that shape your professional approach is key.

Reflect on Your Experiences

Think about your past jobs, volunteering roles, or any projects you’ve tackled. Remember situations where your work ethic was put to the test. For example, did you ever meet a tight deadline without sacrificing quality, or maybe you were the go-to person for problem-solving? These instances give a glimpse into how you handle your responsibilities.

Identify Core Values

Next, pinpoint what you believe are the pillars of your work ethic. Is punctuality your strength? Or perhaps you pride yourself on consistency or teamwork? Knowing these will help you weave a narrative that genuinely represents your professional mindset. You might say, “I value transparency and open communication because it streamlines collaboration and builds trust.”

Formulate Your Narrative

Now, combine your reflections and values to create a compelling narrative. Instead of merely stating, “I’m hardworking,” tell a story that shows it. For instance, “In my last role, my commitment to meeting client expectations meant that I often led team brainstorming sessions to ensure we delivered innovative solutions on time every time.” This gives life to your work ethic, allowing the interviewer to see your qualities in action.

Structuring Your Answer

When crafting your response to “Describe Your Work Ethic,” it’s important to remember that the way you structure your answer can be just as telling as the content. Use real-life examples and organize your thoughts to make a lasting impression.

Situation or Task

Identify a specific scenario or responsibility from your previous experience where your work ethic was tested or showcased. Describe the context in a way that someone unfamiliar with your job can understand the importance of the situation. For example, you might mention a tight deadline on a project at your last job where you were responsible for leading your team to success.

Explain the steps you took in response to the situation. Be specific about your role and what you did to address the task at hand. For instance, if you stayed late for several nights to ensure the project met its deadline or took the initiative to solve an unexpected problem, this is where you share that.

Share the outcome of your actions. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements with data or concrete results. If staying late led to the project’s on-time completion and a 20% increase in client satisfaction, those details illustrate the impact of your strong work ethic.

Example Answers

Example 1: commitment and reliability.

Your commitment to your job means you’re always punctual, and you meet deadlines consistently. For example, you might say, “I prioritize my responsibilities to ensure I’m always on time and meet project deadlines. My previous manager often depended on me to deliver work promptly, which helped maintain our team’s reputation for reliability.”

Example 2: Team Collaboration and Support

Working well with others shows that you value teamwork and are willing to support your colleagues. You could explain, “In my previous role, I was the go-to person for collaboration. I helped organize team meetings and contributed to creating a supportive work environment where all opinions were valued.”

Example 3: Efficiency and Quality Focus

Being efficient and maintaining high-quality standards is about balancing speed with attention to detail. You might describe this balance by saying, “I streamline my processes to be as efficient as possible without compromising on quality. At my last job, this approach allowed me to increase productivity by 20% while also reducing errors in my work.”

Tailoring Your Answer to the Job Description

When you’re asked to describe your work ethic during a job interview, aligning your answer with the job description can demonstrate that you’re a perfect fit for the role. Carefully read the job description and identify the key qualities the employer is looking for. Here are ways you can tailor your response:

• If the job calls for teamwork , you could say, “I thrive in team settings where collaboration leads to innovation. In my last role, I contributed to a group project that increased our department’s efficiency by 15%.”
• For roles emphasizing innovation , mention, “I’m constantly looking for ways to improve processes. I once reorganized an outdated filing system, which saved hours every week.”
• Where attention to detail is paramount, try, “I pride myself on my meticulous nature. For example, by carefully auditing reports, I’ve helped correct critical financial discrepancies.”
• If the job requires strong communication skills , you may share, “I believe in clear and concise communication. This was key when I successfully mediated a conflict within my team.”
• A role that values adaptability might resonate with, “I’m quick to adjust to changes. When a major product shift happened, I was among the first to adopt the new procedure, setting a positive example.”
• When customer service is a priority, you could respond, “Ensuring client satisfaction is a priority for me. I once stepped in to resolve a complaint and turned the situation around, retaining a key account.”
• Leadership qualities can be showcased with, “I lead by example and with empathy. I spearheaded a volunteer initiative that both helped the community and boosted team morale.”
• If problem-solving is highlighted, consider saying, “I tackle challenges head-on and with creativity; I developed a solution that reduced common customer questions by 30%.”
• For roles looking for self-motivation , indicate, “I’m driven to exceed my targets. Last quarter, I surpassed my sales goals by 20% through persistent effort.”
• When time management is essential, state, “I prioritize my workload effectively. This approach helped me successfully manage multiple projects without missing deadlines.”

By specifically addressing what the employer needs, using concrete examples, and integrating those with your personal experiences, you paint yourself as the ideal candidate. Relate these qualities back to tangible outcomes from your previous work to strengthen your answer.

Describing Work Ethic Without Experience

When you’re asked to describe your work ethic but lack formal job experience, focus on the qualities and behaviors you’ve demonstrated in other areas of life. Think about the group projects you completed in school or volunteer work you’ve been involved with.

• For instance, you can illustrate your reliability by recounting a time you consistently met deadlines for class assignments or managed a schedule for a sports team, ensuring practices and games went smoothly. This shows employers that you take commitments seriously and manage time effectively.
• You can highlight your initiative through examples like starting a club at school or leading a group project. By sharing these experiences, you convey a proactive approach to taking on tasks and a willingness to lead when necessary.
• You can mention your collaborative spirit by detailing an instance when you worked with classmates to achieve a common goal, revealing your capability to work well with others toward success.
• Discussing your adaptability , you can talk about a situation where you handled unexpected changes during an event you helped organize. This demonstrates your ability to remain flexible and level-headed in the face of challenges.
• You can demonstrate your perseverance by explaining situations where you encountered difficulties during volunteer work, yet you continued working until you resolved the issues. Employers appreciate individuals who don’t give up when faced with obstacles.

It’s important to be honest and provide real-life instances that exemplify these traits. Your examples give potential employers insight into how you will perform on the job, despite the lack of traditional experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When describing your work ethic in an interview, being vague is a common pitfall. Instead of general statements like “I work hard,” provide specific examples that showcase how you’ve applied your strong work ethic to achieve results.

• Avoid overusing buzzwords like “team-player” or “self-starter” without backing them up with concrete experiences. Saying you’re a “perfectionist” can also backfire, because it could imply a potential for inefficiency.
• Being negative about past experiences can reflect poorly on you. Even if you’ve faced challenges, focus on how your work ethic helped you overcome them rather than complaining about previous roles or employers.
• Resist the temptation to exaggerate . If you claim to be the first one in and last one out every day, ensure this is a truthful representation, as it may be verified with references.
• Ignoring the cultural fit is an error. Your description of your work ethic should align with the company’s values. Researching the company culture and incorporating it into your answer can show a thoughtful approach.
• Lastly, don’t miss the opportunity to be personable . Share stories that reveal not just your commitment to work but also how you connect with colleagues and contribute to a positive workplace environment. Usually the interviewer wants to see how you’ll fit as a team member, not just as an individual contributor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does having a strong work ethic mean to you, and how do you reflect this in a professional setting.

Having a strong work ethic means you’re committed to delivering quality work consistently. You might show this by being punctual, meeting deadlines, and going the extra mile to ensure a project’s success.

Can you provide examples of how you have demonstrated a good work ethic in your previous roles?

In past roles, you may have volunteered for additional duties or taken on challenging projects to demonstrate initiative. Staying late to meet a crucial deadline or helping colleagues with their workload can also exemplify a strong work ethic.

How do you maintain a consistent work ethic even during challenging situations at work?

You remain focused on your goals and prioritize tasks even when times are tough. Seeking support when needed and maintaining a positive attitude can help you overcome obstacles while still upholding high standards.

Could you share your approach to balancing quality and efficiency in your daily tasks?

To balance quality with efficiency, you might implement time management techniques, such as creating to-do lists or using productivity tools, ensuring that you are effective without compromising on excellence.

In what ways do you go above and beyond what is required to ensure work success?

You might take additional courses to improve your skills or proactively seek feedback to enhance your performance. Sometimes, contributing ideas during team meetings or mentoring new staff members can also be ways to exceed expectations.

How do you plan to showcase your work ethic to potential employers during your job interview?

During interviews, you’ll want to share specific stories that highlight your reliability, dedication, and willingness to learn. You’ll also express your enthusiasm for the role and demonstrate your professional values through your demeanor and engagement.

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A Strong Work Ethic Can *Make* Your Career and Character—Here's How to Develop It

It pays to work hard

Maskot / Getty Images

Characteristics of a Strong Work Ethic

How to develop a strong work ethic, work ethic skills for success, the downside to a strong work ethic.

My mother was relentless in instilling a strong work ethic in my family. Growing up, we didn’t have much. But we believed in self-reliance and getting things done, no matter what, to get the things we did have. Her value systems forever shaped my attitude and behaviors, teaching me to channel a wholehearted commitment to my actions. 

Chrystal Ramos , a Headspace mental health coach and coach manager, defines a strong work ethic as the ability to set goals and stick to those objectives until they are achieved. According to Ramos, dedication, discipline , productivity , and flexibility are essential qualities for success.

Dreaming about your desires is one thing; taking action to go after them is another. Here’s how and why you should develop a strong work ethic.

Jeremy Dela Rosa , executive advisor for founders and spiritual life coach, notes possessing a strong work ethic can help you show up to work with increased focus, courage, and problem-solving. 

A work ethic is made up of many qualities that contribute to your success and effectiveness in the workplace. Dela Rosa shares some characteristics below: 

Reliability and Integrity

“Follow through on your commitments to build trust . When others trust you, it cultivates a willingness to give you their time, attention, energy, and ideas,” Dela Rosa says. Examples include meeting your deadlines, following through on your projects, and being on time. “More importantly, when you can trust yourself - your confidence rises, fear loses its hold on you, and making decisions becomes easier.”

Flexibility

Dela Rosa points out that society is undergoing rapid shifts, affecting virtually every job on the market today. Adaptability is key to navigating these changes: “Set yourself up for success by accepting that things never remain static, be willing to let go of old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you and the team, and constantly experiment with new ideas. By letting go of your personal preferences and comfort zone, you will find new perspectives, clarity, and creative solutions with greater ease.”

Set yourself up for success by accepting that things never remain static, be willing to let go of old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you and the team, and constantly experiment with new ideas.

Humility and Ownership

You won’t know everything and you’ll make mistakes. That’s OK. “Recognize that this is not a reflection of your inherent worth, but rather an opportunity to learn, improve, and take accountability where you can do better and try new angles. Doing so dramatically improves your working relationship with others and builds loyalty with your customers.”

Collaboration

“We live in a world of immense complexity, with many layers of systems constantly interacting with each other - economic, technological, social, legal, or environmental,” Dela Rosa says. “Your ability to support and work with others is an absolute necessity. Without it, you can’t be a team player and tackle challenges with others. This requires clear communication, reciprocity, integrity, and a genuine interest in the well-being of others.” 

Perseverance

"It may seem easier to give up sometimes, for it often takes multiple tries to get things right," Dela Rosa explains. "Whether it be in life, business, or relationships - the greatest rewards are hidden behind the discomfort. Having the grit and resilience to overcome adversity is a superpower, letting you ascend to unimaginable heights.” 

Benefits of Developing a Strong Work Ethic

Developing a strong work ethic is rewarding as you can see your tangible results and it enhances your professional reputation. As your reputation builds, you prove you can take responsibility for your outcomes, sharpening your ability to thrive in dynamic work settings. 

“There are few things more satisfying than seeing your creations completed, shining with a high quality that only you could produce at your best,” Dela Rosa continues. “Whether it be a happy customer, an increase in sales, a more efficient process, or a more beautiful product - having a strong work ethic enables you to consistently deliver, and deliver well.”

A strong work ethic helps you organize your priorities, tasks, and time effectively to meet challenges head-on, reinforcing positive habits. Despite inevitable moments of stress, procrastination, overwhelm, and distraction, you can rely on your hard-earned discipline to push your projects to completion.

“When you deliver consistently, people start to notice. They trust in your capabilities, they respect your input, they gravitate towards your energy, and they become your biggest supporters,” he says. “Your efforts can open up opportunities for a salary increase, promotion, partnership, or a dream job.”

If you don’t have a strong work ethic, it’s easy to feel demotivated, underperform, and turn in sloppy work at your job.

A solid work ethic is needed to maintain motivation, productivity, and high-quality work. When you care about your goals, team, and overall output, it becomes easier to approach your career with a positive attitude and commitment to excellence. 

Ramos says, “A person can develop a strong work ethic by finding out their ‘why’ and ‘what?’.  Why are you here?  What do you want to accomplish?  What do you ultimately hope to achieve?” Engaging in a contemplative dialogue with yourself to identify these motivations and then defining the core principles are pivotal steps to establish pillars in how you approach work.

Dela Rosa shares tips he uses in his coaching practice to guide new founders, entrepreneurs, and members of organizations through this process. 

• Set a vision for who you are and what you stand for: “Understand who you truly are and what you value most. Is it integrity, consistency, quality, speed, pragmatism, creativity, compassion? Envision yourself operating at your absolute best and what that looks and feels like. Then show up each day and make the choices that represent that ideal self.”
• Practice self-discipline: “Believing in something and acting on it are two different things. Each day, commit to small achievable actions and activities that adhere to your goals and principles. Over time, this consistent behavior will turn into habits and routines and yield compounding returns.”
• Set boundaries : He recommends being firm around distractions such as social media, email, and nonessential meetings. Learn to say no when necessary and commit to following through on your true priorities to get your tasks done.  
• Surround yourself with motivated people. “Individuals naturally conform to their environment, and that includes other people. Surround yourself with peers and colleagues who share similar values and work ethics. Their positive influence and feedback can help motivate and inspire you to stay focused and committed to your own goals.”

A 2022 study found job satisfaction is determined by the concept of “realizing a perfect image of oneself,” which is less about viewing your job as a forced obligation and more about seeing it as a space to refine and master your skills.

As you accomplish goals with cognitive effort, your brain releases dopamine, flooding your body with satisfaction. So, whether it’s doing a good job flipping burgers or project managing, doing those tasks with intrinsic motivation pulls the same reward chemical levers in your brain.

This perspective is especially relevant today, as society increasingly shifts away from hustle culture to combat the burnout experienced by younger generations within the capitalist framework.

Among Gen Z, there’s a notable embrace of “ quiet quitting ,” which rejects the idea that work must be the center of your life. At its best, its values can enforce strong boundaries for work/life balance, reclaim your time, and find meaning in your work since you're making time in life for your happiness.

What are some work ethic skills for success? For starters, Dela Rosa suggests being curious about your job which will incentivize you to seek out new knowledge and acquire new skills. He explains that conscientiousness, paying attention to details, and striving for diligence play a big role in your daily efforts.

“The greatest problem solvers are proactive, self-driven, forward-thinking, and solutions-focused,” he says. “By taking initiative, anticipating future needs, and creating solutions before being asked, you lead the way in preventing delays, minimizing disruptions, and accelerating progress. These are key elements to improving work ethic.”

Examples of a Strong Work Ethic

Let’s explore how a strong work ethic can show up in different professions. In education, it might be a science teacher who passionately conducts engaging experiments in class to excite students. In healthcare, it looks like a nurse who goes above and beyond to provide compassionate care to their patients. In entrepreneurship, it may be demonstrated by a founder tirelessly dedicated to their vision, working around the clock to achieve their goals. 

According to Ramos, here are some other pillars you can add to your work ethic to help you succeed further:

• Advocating for yourself: This helps you take control of your career, how you interact with others, and the projects you’re taking on.
• Prioritizing and being intentional about planning your work-life: Manage your time and energy so you can be thoughtful about caring for yourself while juggling work commitments. 
• Educating yourself as a subject matter expert: By staying updated with continuous learnings, you can learn new perspectives and also network with other individuals in your field. 
• Asking for feedback: This feedback helps you identify blind spots, understand how others perceive your work, and grow professionally. 
• Seeking out mentorship: A mentor can look out for your career path, provide opportunities for growth, and offer support and guidance. 

Most importantly, a strong work ethic benefits the team. Dela Rosa says, “When I recollect the best people I’ve worked with, I always remember the ones who were reliable. They showed up with a smile on their face, followed through, and owned their mistakes. Not only did I feel safe and confident they were on my team, but it was an absolute joy to be in their presence and collaborate.”

Although having a strong work ethic can help you get ahead with your job, it can have detrimental effects on your personal life and mental health when taken too far. Dela Rosa notes a strong work ethic can sometimes translate into excessive self-criticism , workaholism, and perfectionism if one strives for flawless execution. To avoid this pitfall, he recommends practicing self-compassion, setting realistic goals , and celebrating your achievements –no matter how small.

“Working long hours and neglecting personal needs can result in burnout, which impacts mental and physical health,” he says. To prevent burnout , he advises his clients to delegate tasks and focus on their health, hobbies, loved ones, and restorative activities such as meditation, exercise, or reading.

Too much focus on your work ethic may lead to excessive performance and criticizing people who aren't able to match your pace. Doing this can disconnect you from your empathy and emotions as you focus more on doing than being. “Judging others based on their work habits can create tension and undermine team cohesion,” Dela Rosa says. “Focus on your own progress and appreciate diversity in working styles. It fosters a supportive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected.”

What This Means For You

Developing a strong work ethic can be a powerful asset in life. By being driven and actualizing your ambitions, you can count on yourself to see your goals through to the end. As you apply yourself and set your goals, it’s important to recognize when you need to recharge to take care of yourself .

When you’re able to effectively channel your hard work, you can fulfill your dreams and find your individual independence.

Grabowski D, Chudzicka-Czupała A, Stapor K. Relationships between work ethic and motivation to work from the point of view of the self-determination theory .  PLoS One . 2021;16(7):e0253145.

Westbrook A, Braver TS. Dopamine does double duty in motivating cognitive effort .  Neuron . 2016;89(4):695-710.

By Julie Nguyen Julie Nguyen is a certified relationship coach and freelance mental health and sexuality writer. Her writing explores themes around mental well-being, culture, psychology, trauma, and human intimacy.

• Work Ethic Definition & Elements of a Strong Work Ethic

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In this article, you’ll learn 1) the work ethic definition , 2) why work ethic is super important , 3) the work ethics that are in high demand in businesses, and 4) how to develop a strong work ethic .

WORK ETHIC DEFINITION

What is work ethic, and its purpose.

In its simplest definition, a system of moral principles is called ethics. They affect how people lead their lives, for life is an unbroken stream of decision-making and ethics are concerned with what is the right moral choice, for individuals and for society. This is also known as a moral philosophy. The etymology of ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos , meaning habit, custom, disposition or character.

Ethics are therefore concerned with these sorts of moral decision: how to live an ethical life, rights and responsibilities, right and wrong language, what is good and bad and so on. Contemporary notions of ethics have been handed on from philosophy, religions, and global cultures. Ethics are debated in topics such as human rights, right to life, and professional behavior.

In a business, an ethical code is a defined set of principles which guide an organization in its activities and decisions and the firm’s philosophy may affect its productivity, reputation, and bottom line.

Among staff ethical behavior ensures work is completed with integrity and honesty and staff that are ethical adhere to policies and rules while working to meet the aims of the enterprise. An ethically positive, healthy work culture enhances morale among employees.

Work Ethic Definition and Meaning

Traditionally, work ethic has been understood as a value based on hard work and diligence. Capitalists, for example, believe in the necessity of working hard and in consequential ability of enhancing one’s character. Socialists suggest that a concept of “hard work” is deluding the working class into being loyal workers of the elite; and working hard, in itself, is not necessarily an honorable thing, but simply a way to create greater wealth for those at the summit of the economic pyramid.

These values have been challenged and characterized as submissive to social convention and authority, and not meaningful in and of itself, but only if a positive result accrues. An alternative perception suggests that the work ethic is now subverted in a broader, and readily marketed-to society. This perspective has given us the phrase “work smart”.

In recent times, many say that a work ethic is now obsolete and that it is no true any longer that working more means producing more, or even that more production leads to a better life… this is, of course, not to be confused with quality productivity.

Here is one of the views about work ethic from Will Smith and how important it is where Will says (about 2:00 during the interview):

“I’ve never viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous sickening work ethic”

IMPORTANCE OF WORK ETHIC

Those with a strong work ethic have inculcated principles that guide them in their work behavior. This leads them to consistent higher productivity, without any prodding that many require to stay on track. Therefore, whether staff are naturally this way or need be trained, if possible, into such an attitude is determined by the managers.

Productive Work

Individuals with a good work ethic are usually very productive people who work at a faster pace. They regularly accomplish more work, more quickly than those who lack a work ethic, for they do not quit until the work which they are tasked is completed. At least in part, this is also due to the fact that they wish to appear to be stronger employees, and thus, they wish to appear to be of more benefit to their managers and the company.

Cooperation

Cooperative work can be highly beneficial in a business entity, individuals with a good work ethic know this well. They understand the usefulness of cooperation, e.g., teamwork — they often put an extensive amount of effort into working well with others.

Such people usually respect company authority enough to cooperate with anyone else with whom they are paired, in a polite and productive way, even if the individuals in question are not so ethically inclined.

Ethics in Organizational Culture

Employers, executives and employees, all adhering to an ethics code stimulate an ethical work culture. Business leaders must lead by exhibiting the behavior they wish to see in employees.

Reinforce ethical conduct by rewarding employees who show the integrity and values that coincide with company policy, and discipline those who make the wrong ethical decisions. Positive ethics culture improves morale in a business, plus it may increase productivity and employee retention which cuts the costs of employee churning, consequentially financially benefitting an organization as improved productivity improves company efficiency.

BASIC WORK ETHIC FOR AN ORGANISATION

Ideally, the policies a business operates with are compassion, fairness, honor, responsibility, and integrity. One of the best ways to communicate organizational ethics is by training employees about company standards. Basic work ethics for any organization should include:

• Uniform rules and regulations: An ethical organizational example is the common treatment of all staff, i.e., with the same respect, regardless of race, culture, religion, or lifestyle, with equal chances for promotion. Therefore, small company managers should desist from favoring any one employee, for it can lead to lawsuits and is also highly counterproductive.
• Communication of the rules and regulation to all employees: Company policies must be clearly communicated to each employee with a transparency at all levels of the hierarchy. Employees are the spine of all organizations and should have a say in the goals and objectives of a firm.
• Respect for Employees: Respect employees and in return receive the same. Regulations should not be so rigid, and therefore, don’t expect staff to attend work two days before a marriage. If somebody is not well, don’t ask them to attend office unless or until there’s an emergency.
• Allow a degree of freedom to employees without constant micro-management: Key roles of responsibility need to be established on the first day of joining with responsibilities commensurate with a person’s expertise. Employees should be inducted into training if needed.
• Clear cut salary and promotion policy: Employees crib if they are underpaid. Make sure they get what is deserved and decided in the presence of the person. A major attrition factor is a poor appraisal, promotion prospects are ideally based on merit, not favor. Clarity is crucial.
• Clear and uniform holiday schedule: It is the responsibility of human resource professionals to prepare the holiday calendar at the beginning of the year and circulate the same among all employees.
• Effects of Work Ethics within an organization : Preferably a workplace ethic culture will ensure that employers guide and mentor staff appropriately while management treats all as equal. Transparency is essential.
• How Leadership ethics and Employee ethics can impact the organization: Owner and executive level accountability is a vital function of leadership. Executives, as equally as employees, are expected to be honest and transparent. Organizations need to abide by ethical norms; all of which benefit the consumer, the society and the firm.
• A written code of ethics and standards (ethical code).
• Ethics training for executives, managers, and employees.
• The availability of ethical situational advice (i.e. advice lines or offices).
• A confidential reporting system.

HOW TO DEVELOP STRONG WORK ETHIC

The employment market is now so competitive that if one doesn’t have a positive work ethic, then employers do not bat an eyelid about looking for someone who meets their firm’s requirement.

As a positive work ethic is vital to a business success, then each person from the CEO to new staff, must inculcate this to keep the company functioning optimally. Get to work promptly, arriving late always starts a workday badly, and signals that you are not committed. Take into consideration traffic, weather and so on and leave home to reach on time. Take responsibility for your actions, which includes being punctual.

Step 1: Be professional about your work

Professionalism is beyond a clean shirt, for it includes one’s values, attitude, and demeanor. Practice being cordial and positive while refraining from gossip. Knowing how to communicate constructively and positively, while respecting the feelings of others is an invaluable tool. Respect others and develop a reputation for having integrity, meaning honesty, fairness, and consistency in what you do and say.

Reliability and honesty: Work ethic is more than completing long hours for its foundation is integrity. To develop integrity, one can:

• Act the same when people are not watching you, as when they are.
• Perform consistently at the same level of quality. Be conscientious. Be honest in all things.

Honesty isn’t a business policy, it is a state of mind.

Deliver best outputs: A work ethic is fundamental to success at anything, plus it makes you a valuable employee. For career advancement this is more important than ever before. In work assignments strive to exceed expectations by paying attention to details and making the quality of work your central priority. Everyone can work fast, but few will deliver best quality outputs with few mistakes.

Keep everything in an organized method like a good file system for documents (both soft and hard copy), so you can retrieve these easily to get on with the essential tasks. All of us have times when we are more productive, some in the early morning, some later at night. Identify and schedule the difficult work to be completed in those periods.

Be consistent in delivering good quality work and earn good reputation : Everything worthwhile accomplishing requires discipline. Remain focused on a long-term goal while avoiding getting side-tracked by a short-term gratification. To be persistent and able to follow through on assignments… Train yourself.

However productive you may be, there is always an opportunity to increase one’s level of quality work. Effectiveness means doing the work that matters. Be effective first, then become efficient. Efficient is achieving improved output in less time. There is no point in becoming efficient at doing that non-value added work.

Step 2: Manage your time

Know your strength and weaknesses (including potential distractions, so you can avoid them):  Evaluate work. Identifying one’s weaknesses and making a plan to improve these areas builds a stronger work ethic. One way of evaluating this is to create a list summarizing the skills and requirements of your work, and the strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about weaknesses, and what it is that distracts you – this is step one in learning to manage those weaknesses.

Distractions are everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, TV, mobile, etc. Complete these before arriving at work for a no-distraction period. Turn off the internet and see how you start doing work in due time. Ditch the unimportant. If the work is nice-to-do but not need-to-do. Stop it.

Accelerate becoming a more productive employee by regularly visualizing yourself as channeled toward higher accomplishments. Vision yourself as highly efficient and feed the subconscious mind with this vision until it is accepted as a command. The individual that you ‘‘vision”, is the individual that you “become”. Lastingly successful people have one common denominator: they focus on strengths and manage around any weaknesses

Set yourself deadlines for delivering even small tasks: Being able to complete your tasks and finish what you start, is an essential part of character building. You cannot imagine a fully mature, fully functioning person who is unable to finish what she begins. The development of this habit is the key to long-term success. Don’t waste time by doing stuff that is not important? Constantly evaluate to check which things absolutely must get done.

Prioritize tasks and set the most important ones in the morning: Complete projects and tasks immediately. A trademark behavior of a worker with a poor work ethic is delaying work until another day, which usually only leads to an incomplete or late project.

Avoid procrastination: Procrastinating is a great waste. Imagine all that could be accomplished by eliminating procrastination from this moment on. To overcome procrastination, first realize that it’s not the real issue. Procrastination, laziness, bad time management, or lack of discipline, are merely symptoms of the issue. The real reason is beneath this. You can also use the Pomodoro technique to avoid procrastination.

Avoid negative talk and gossip: Keep the lazy, the negative minded, and the unproductive, at arm’s length, for it’s a psychological prison. Associate with ambitious, hard-working people, and soon count yourself amongst them.

• Provide feedback that improves situations and builds people up.
• Be an active listener and keep an open mind.

Step 3: Keep a balance and deliver consistent high performance work

Do sport, sleep well, and socialize: Play is best when it’s earned, equally sleep. Earn sleep by working hard on one’s goals in the day. A good work ethic isn’t just being glued to a computer. It is also understanding how to take care with decent sleep, and eating nutritiously. Take time to relax and recharge while keeping priorities in your life clear, helps maintain a good perspective at work.

Step 4: Develop good work habits

Steer the self-development path towards choosing to be an employee with a strong ethic, after all, creating a habit for oneself is really a question of being an action-minded person. The ‘doing component’ flows easily when embracing the ‘being part.’

Create and learn habits: Values to inculcate and habitualize:

• Valuing punctuality and attendance.
• Valuing time, orderliness, neatness, and speed.
• Working smarter but not harder; being psychologically self-employed.
• Playing an internal game of working, yet enjoying the importance of relaxation and rest.

“Do it now” habit: Never leave ‘till tomorrow what can be accomplished today.’ Good ethics habitualize both attitude, action, and inevitably – consequence: how you do, what you do this moment.

• The initiative habit – positivity.
• The main cause of poor productivity and self-sabotage is procrastination, for many reasons, including the perceptions that a task is unpleasant, may lead to negative consequences, or is overwhelming.
• Cultivate flexibility.

“Do it right” habit : A disciplined habit makes a difference in the long term. Don’t try to break bad habits. Alternatively, choose preferable substitutes that you move forward to, in place of the old ones.

Other good habits:

Concentration is the ability to stay on a task until it is completed, by working in a straight line to get from where one is, without distraction or diversion, to the destination, i.e., completion of the work.

• Get off to a good start.
• Clean up and get organized.
• Plan activities.
• Streamline work and emphasize the important work.
• Concentrate on one work task at a time until completion.
• Work steadily.
• Make smart use of technology.
• Be in control of office paper, work in-basket, and e-mail.
• Multitask on routine matters.
• Make better use of time.

Don’t forget to create some quiet, uninterrupted time!

CORE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG WORK ETHIC

It is difficult to define the elements of good work ethics, as it is such an individualistic approach and thinking. What may be good work ethics for me may not be the same for you. Much depends upon how each organization or person looks at work ethics and the moral values that each follows. What moral values you practice in daily life will define your attitude towards work and your work ethics. But there are a few common elements that are universally followed and employers look for it in their employees.

• Honesty : This is the core element of work ethics, all the other elements are based upon your honesty. Be honest about your successes and failures, take credit only where due, do not steal other’s works or ideas, and own up to your failures.
• Integrity : Do not let people down, try to fulfill your commitments, and be consistent in your thoughts, action and behavior.
• Impartiality/Fairness : Be fair to all, do not practice favoritism. Treat everyone as equals.
• Alertness : Be aware of what is happening around and keep an eye on things.
• Openness : Share your ideas, results and resources with the other team members, so that everyone has the same opportunity and know what you are doing. Being secretive is counterproductive.
• Respect for others : No matter how urgent a deadline or heated that tempers become, remain diplomatic and poised and show grace under pressure. Whether serving a client, meeting a customer or meeting with management, do the best to respect other’s opinions, even in stressful circumstances. It shows one values other’s individual worth and professional contribution.
• Reliability and Dependability : Means being punctual for work and meetings, delivering assignments within budget and on schedule. Be reliable about keeping promises for reputation precedes one so that clients, customers, and colleagues do trust in you to do all that you say you will – everyone appreciates the stability this embodies.
• Determination : Obstacles cannot stop you as they are a challenge to be overcome. Embrace challenges positively and know that your role is to solve problems with purpose and resilience. Push on, no matter how far it is necessary to go.
• Dedication: Continue until the job is complete, and delivered. “It’s good enough” is not sufficient for you and the team, as you aim to be “outstanding” in content and quality. Put in the extra hours to get things right by attending to detail and excellence.
• Accountability: Accept responsibility personally for one’s actions and outcomes in all situations, plus avoid excuses when work does not proceed as planned – admitting mistakes or oversights are used as a learning curve and will not be repeated again. Employers expect employees to attain to high standards, and they should fully support staff who accept responsibility, instead of passing the buck.
• Confidentiality : Any confidential information of documents you have should remain confidential. You cannot discuss it or show it to anyone else, other than the people authorized to do so.
• Responsibility : Take responsibility for your thoughts, actions, behavior and work.
• Legality: Always work within the legal boundaries, do not break or twist the law to fit your agenda.
• Competence : Improve your performance and competence by constantly learning and including the new learning into your work.
• Professionalism : From how one dresses and presents oneself in the business world, to how others are treated, professionalism is such a very broad category that it encompasses all the elements of a work ethic.
• Humility : Acknowledge other’s contribution, and share credit for successes. You have integrity and are open to learning from mentors and others, even as you teach via your action, example, and words. Though you take the work seriously, you are also maintaining a sense of humor about yourself.
• Initiative : Do not be afraid to put forth your ideas or volunteer for work.

These days a work ethics is important in many situations. It is a skill that can be learned by every person and has so often proved to be the path of success for many. All businesses give a higher regard to an ethical employee, and hiring staff with positive ethics is appreciated around the world.

Simply stating that “I have a good work ethic” is not the way to demonstrate it to an employer. Don’t provide generic, wishy-washy utterings, allow the employer to visualize your ethic by defining how they are incorporated in your accomplishments, without condition.

Today the notion of ethics is extremely widespread. They are an important part of our personal and our working life. With a positive work ethic, individuals can become more focused and responsible regarding their work. The individual can also cultivate a sense of achievement, and this too, has positive effects on their career development, and also on the culture and productivity within the enterprise.

If one is able to successfully demonstrate a positive work ethic, then you are sure to get the job you are being interviewed for, retain your position or be expectant regarding a promotion. However, it’s crucial to cognise what constitutes an ideal work ethics before answering the question.

As we have seen, ethics are fundamentally the modus operandi of activity and any work or task where one keeps in mind the synergy and harmony of coworkers involved which is simply one’s demeanor with respect to others, and towards work.

Ethics in the work environment means those positive facets that accumulatively, define the staff of a company, e.g. Integrity, determination, dedication, initiative and so on. If asked about your ethics, then speak about how you implement them in your work and that being in a job that satisfies you, ensures that you are productive in your current job performance.

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How to Create a Culture of Ethics & Accountability in the Workplace

• 22 Aug 2023

Ethics and accountability play significant roles in company culture. From employee satisfaction and productivity to maintaining a favorable reputation with customers and business partners, prioritizing ethical decision-making and accountability has numerous benefits.

An ethical company culture results from hard work and intentional actions. Before diving into how to foster that kind of environment, here’s an overview of why ethics and accountability are important in the workplace.

Access your free e-book today.

The Importance of Ethics and Accountability at Work

Ethics and accountability are crucial to a productive work environment. They help shape your organization's culture, promote trust, ensure responsible behavior, and contribute to its success.

“Being a leader involves responsibility for others,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the online course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “As a leader, you’ll want to create a culture not just of legal and regulatory compliance but more fundamentally grounded in reliability, ethics, and goodwill.”

When it comes to employees, you must create a culture that both encourages them to work hard and saves the company from lawsuits. Wrongful termination claims can cost your organization upwards of $100,000 in legal expenses , but you can help avoid them with a track record of ethical decision-making .

How to Create a Culture of Accountability

Despite its growing importance, creating a culture of accountability can be challenging. This is largely because organizational change can suffer from poor employee buy-in, an unclear vision, or inadequate understanding among managers. According to a recent Partners In Leadership study on workplace accountability, however, 91 percent of respondents included accountability at the top of their company’s leadership development needs.

So, how can you build a culture of accountability? Here are five ways to get started.

1. Lead by Example

Establishing a culture of ethics and accountability starts with setting an example as an organizational leader . By proactively creating a space where you encourage ethical decision-making and accountability, your team will be more likely to do the same.

Integrity and accountability are also vital to leading effectively .

“Shaping and sustaining an organization’s culture is a critical dimension of a leader’s responsibilities toward their employees,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “In addition, the right culture—one in which employees feel they’re treated fairly and with respect—can benefit the organization from an economic perspective.”

Leading by example also promotes trust within your organization, which can be critical to establishing accountability among your team. Although 40 percent of employees report unethical behavior in the workplace, they’re 24 percent more likely to report it if they trust leadership.

To increase trust, promote accountability, and encourage ethical decisions, it’s prudent to practice what you preach.

Related: How Does Leadership Influence Organizational Culture?

2. Provide Meaningful Feedback

Giving feedback is an effective way to promote accountability within your team. Research by Gallup shows that employees who receive regular, meaningful feedback are four times more likely to be engaged.

“Within a company, one way of building accountability is to incorporate key performance indicators, or KPIs, into evaluations of managers and other employees,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “It would then be important to regularly review how well employees are meeting those KPIs and to reaffirm that the metrics chosen are indeed useful and relevant ones.”

When providing feedback, be direct but empathetic. Let your team know you come from a place of caring and consideration, with the goal of helping them grow and improve professionally.

Remember that asking for and receiving meaningful feedback is essential to creating a culture of accountability. Request input on how you’re doing as a leader, and show initiative to improve. This can encourage your team members to continuously hold you—and each other—accountable.

3. Combat Workplace Bias

Building a culture of ethics and accountability requires that everyone proactively combats workplace bias and stereotypes .

Workplace bias refers to unconscious inclinations based on personal experience, cultural background, or social conditioning. Bias can affect your decisions and actions and be explicit (you’re aware of it) or implicit (you’re unaware of it).

Stereotypes—overgeneralized perceptions and beliefs about groups of people—can also lead to unfair decisions and harmful actions. They can be based on:

• Sexual orientation
• Religious affiliation

According to Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , promoting diversity is one of the best ways to overcome workplace bias and stereotypes.

“It’s integral to create a sense of belonging within an organization,” Hsieh says in the course. “Having diverse people in upper management roles ensures that minority employees have role models they can relate to. But it can also be helpful to foster meaningful interactions among people in different demographic groups; for example, through mentorships or teamwork in small groups.”

Other strategies include hosting workshops to increase cultural awareness, encouraging interactions between diverse groups, and holding colleagues accountable when bias or stereotypes affect workplace dynamics.

4. Give Employees a Voice

So that you and other leaders receive meaningful feedback and stay accountable, it’s vital to give employees a platform to share their thoughts. However, doing so can be unnerving.

“Finding ways to promote employee voice is not always an easy or comfortable task,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “It involves both formal and informal channels of engagement. It involves real listening. And it may even feel threatening to managers and require a sense of vulnerability.”

Yet, employees need to feel heard—beyond defending their basic rights—to boost their morale.

“Fairness may require that companies establish formal channels for employees to speak out not only about rights violations but also about wants, needs, concerns, and suggestions for improvement,” Hsieh says in the course.

Despite the potential discomfort, giving employees a platform can have numerous benefits. For example, you can increase their satisfaction and reduce costly turnover by addressing their concerns. It can also lead to more innovation and creative problem-solving .

5. Develop an Authentic Leadership Style

Authentic leadership is defined by principle-driven decisions. It requires putting your beliefs ahead of your company’s success and prioritizing employee satisfaction and relationships.

The benefits of having an authentic leadership style include:

• Enhanced workplace relationships
• Increased productivity
• Improved working environments

To develop an authentic leadership style, reflect on your values, principles, and mission. What’s important to you above all else? What do you believe in? Self-awareness is one of the first steps to becoming an authentic leader.

You also need to practice authentic leadership in your daily life. For instance, by making decisions that prioritize relationships with your team and colleagues. Continuously committing to developing your leadership style through accountability and implementing feedback can ensure you garner long-term results in creating an ethical work environment.

Take Accountability

Taking accountability can be difficult—especially in the workplace. However, it’s critical to fostering an ethical, productive work environment and protecting your organization from negative financial or legal actions.

If you struggle to navigate business ethics , consider sharpening your leadership skills . One way to do so is by taking an online course, such as Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . Through engaging in an interactive learning experience featuring real-world business examples, you can develop a framework for understanding and delivering on your responsibilities to customers, employees, investors, and society.

Ready to improve your workplace accountability? Enroll in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses—and download our free e-book on how to become a more effective leader.

About the Author

Ethics at work: An employer’s guide

Red flags, practical resources and action points for employers looking to foster ethical values in their organisations

Ethical values provide the moral compass by which we live our lives and make decisions. They also highlight why organisations should focus on creating a shared ethical culture where employees feel empowered to do the right thing rather than simply following a set of rules.

The way we make decisions is important for organisations because wrong or badly implemented decisions can significantly impact people’s lives and the reputation of organisations. But when we make decisions based on good principles, and live by good values, we can improve the lives of others and their experiences at work.

In setting out standards for the people profession, the CIPD’s Profession Map  includes ethics under ‘Core behaviours’, describing ethical practice as:

"Building trust by role-modelling ethical behaviour and applying principles and values consistently in decision-making."

Therefore, it’s vital that people professionals can define ethical behaviour, identify unethical behaviour, and take steps to create a shared ethical culture accordingly.

In this guide, we discuss the red flags to watch out for, along with practical tips and resources to safeguard your organisation and people against ethical breaches and misconduct. The guide draws on – and complements  – CIPD research , and features nine areas of action employers can prioritise to ensure they behave ethically. Please note, individual red flags may not in themselves indicate unethical behaviour, but several may be a sign of a wider issue

On this page

Ethical climate in organisations, develop and consistently embed codes, fairness and organisational politics, personality/mood, targets and reward, an alternative to silence: whistleblowing/speaking up, accountability, communication, further resources.

Unethical workplace behaviour can vary from minor transgressions to illegal activity, but is essentially actions that harm the legitimate interests of the organisation, its workforce, customers and wider society. Examples include (but are not limited to):

Bullying and harassment

Such behaviour could result in absenteeism, tardiness, rule-breaking, disengagement, defensive outbursts, and could lead to an increased attrition rate among those affected. Other examples of unethical behaviour may be the advancement of financial gain, such as price-fixing, putting profit above safety, withholding vital information or misrepresenting facts.

A growing number of companies recognise that ethical practice and corporate social responsibility policies boost employee commitment and motivation, customer loyalty and brand reputation, with positive knock-on effects for recruitment, retention and employee relations.

Ethical climate refers to the social norms and values that outline what ‘the right behaviour’ is and how ethics should guide behaviour. Norms can be reflected and reinforced by formal processes (for example, disciplinary processes and reward) and informal processes (such as leadership behaviour). Climate is linked to job satisfaction and employee wellbeing, but can change rapidly.

“A climate can be locally created by what leaders do, what circumstances apply, and what environments afford. A culture can evolve only out of mutual experience and shared learning.” 

Edgar Schein

Ethical context

All organisations have an opportunity to influence their ethical climate and to encourage the workforce to act and behave in an ethical manner. Organisational climate, and perceptions of ethical leadership have been found to positively impact ethical behaviour by employees. Honestly identifying the type of ethical climate that exists in your organisation allows steps to improve it. There are three key types of ethical climate to be aware of:

• Egoistic/instrumental: Acting in self-interest is the norm; people protect their own interests, including putting company profit above other considerations and the consequences of actions. This climate is associated with unethical choices and dysfunctional behaviour.
• Benevolent: Acting in the interest of others, the workforce is actively concerned about the customers’ and public’s interest and negatively connected with unethical choices.
• Principled: Sticking to rules and regulations is the norm and there is a reduction in unethical choices and dysfunctional behaviour.
• The organisation’s business model is fostering unethical behaviour; for example, harvesting consumer or user data to sell to advertisers.
• Shortcuts are taken that may detrimentally affect stakeholders or the wider community (a sign of an egoistic climate).
• The level of trust within and outside of the organisation from staff and customer surveys is low (this may identify a perception of egoistic climate as opposed to the benevolent or principled perception that an organisation may assume exists).
• Dealing with competitors in an overly ruthless or underhand manner may be a clear sign of an egoistic climate.
• No effort is undertaken by leaders to foster active participation in strategy development, business activities and innovation.
• There is high staff turnover. Insights in exit interviews flagging coercive management, disputes over pay or other issues are indicators of an egoistic climate.
• The types of grievances raised may provide an indication of the type of ethical climate prevalent in the organisation.
• Infrequent or low participation on platforms for raising concerns, such as staff surveys and representative groups, could mean a lack of employee confidence that there would not be reprisals for feedback.
• Financial transactions (such as paying suppliers late) can be an indicator of financial stress and may suggest an egoistic climate.
• What is the level of understanding of differences across international territories and cultures and do the organisation’s values translate internationally? If considered to be low, it would jeopardise a principled climate.
• Are policies and processes fit for purpose? Sticking to rules and using checks and approval processes would be indicative of a principled climate (however, it’s worth checking that the appropriate balance is struck and that bottlenecks are not caused). 

What you can do

• To start, look at where the balance lies in the organisation between different and competing stakeholder interests.
• Explore (and agree) the accepted organisational norms within the workforce and the ethical considerations of their work, including behaviours. Agree how these will be measured and monitored. 
• Consider how leadership, management and HR practices shape the ethical climate.  Use internal communications to encourage high ethical standards and ensure that the values and/or code of ethics are not in contrast to the climate. 
• Cascade regular reminders in newsletters and business updates confirming  the ethical expectations, and also reaffirming the leadership support to uphold those values. 
• Ensure there is a triangulation of available evidence to support workforce-based recommendations and management. Regularly extrapolate important insights from all stakeholders and agree critical indicators. 
• Monitoring behaviour has been found to reduce unethical behaviour and draws attention to the individual’s moral standards and awareness. Balance this with engendering trust. 
• Commit to – and deliver – inclusion across the organisation to achieve either a benevolent or principled climate. 

Use the 'Organisational climate checklist' download below on how to address the ethical climate in your organisation.

The Irish Aviation Authority ordered Irish-based airlines to comply with flight time limitations for their pilots. Due to a management and scheduling error,  one no-frills airline didn’t plan for this regulation until it was too late . Some 20–40 flights per day were cancelled over a three-month period in 2017, affecting 700,000 passengers. Pilots (who were encouraged to take month-long holidays between October and March to avoid the busiest times) were told to buy back or forego their holiday entitlement until the following year, amid claims the firm could do this without workforce agreement or consultation. Affected passengers were initially offered a £40 voucher as compensation (which does not conform with EU rules governing flight cancellations) but the airline was eventually forced to offer the minimum dictated by the regulators. This form of unilateral decision-making by senior leaders has led to passenger distrust, many pilots moving to different airlines, a massive dent to reputation, and the airline has had to at last recognise union representation. It has now taken steps to rebuild trust by reconstructing their employee value proposition.

A code of conduct may be supported by disciplinary procedures for failures to uphold the code. It is, therefore, typically more of a compliance requirement and likely to be more directive. A code of ethics, on the other hand, sets out the values and/or principles of an organisation (and may include aspirational aspects).

Both types of code are applications of normative ethics (the study of ethical action), which is concerned with the ‘oughts’ of ethical behaviour. A code of ethics may be used as a guide to inform decision-making and exemplify what ethical practice looks like; a code of conduct is more a tool for compliance and enforcement.

For this guide we refer to a code of ethics rather than a code of conduct. The beliefs of the organisation expressed through values and/or a code of ethics must be credible and echoed by the board, leadership and management. This endorsement is vital to embedding ethics in the organisation and needs to be communicated regularly.

Tackling the causes of unethical behaviour should be a priority for businesses. A code should not be something that sits in a drawer or on the intranet; its existence will not guarantee ethical behaviour and choices. Its underpinning values and principles should not only be understood but shared by the workforce and adopted as the way to do business. The code should be clear on what customers, stakeholders and the workforce can expect from individuals and from each other. Codes must be actively enforced to promote ethical behaviour, and unethical behaviour must be tackled consistently across the organisation regardless of status of the individual. Checks and balances should identify all blind spots and any inaction.

A multinational energy company reported in its 2018 sustainability report that 50 employees had been dismissed for non-conformity with their code or for unethical behaviour. The organisation trains its workforce on how to apply the code in their daily work. In 2018 this training focused on raising awareness of workplace harassment, conflicts of interest and protecting confidential information.

• If your organisation operates internationally, there may be different ethical standards in different parts of the world (for example, regarding gifts and entertaining). Trying to impose a universal standard may result in disengagement with the principles by international based colleagues.
• There is a lack of awareness or understanding in the workforce of the ethical ramifications of an action, behaviour or decision.
• Boards and stakeholders struggle to assess whether any codes are effective.
• The workforce needs to be regularly asked if they have read and understood the code.

  What you can do

• To be fit for purpose, the code should be easy to read and translate into practice by all stakeholder groups. Avoid jargon, legalese and vague statements.
• Watch out for the tone taken within the code and with communications about the code. Beware of being excessively strict on the workforce so they do not start hiding issues.
• It may seem obvious, but make clear whether the code is mandatory, including the ramifications of failure to adhere to the code.
• Where possible, metrics should be agreed between the board and leadership to measure the effectiveness of a code and to identify patterns that suggest action should be taken.
• Find a way to balance taking action and raising concerns with a ‘no-blame’ culture (bear in mind that this will differ between companies).
• The code should be a reference document, but should not be built to stand alone; it must be supported with auxiliary materials (for example, decision-making frameworks, policies and processes).
• Individuals who are promoted should be clear role models of the organisation’s code. 

See the flowchart below for advice on how to develop and consistently embed codes.

Organisations that treat their workforce with fairness, integrity and sensitivity are more likely to find that the workforce responds with increased commitment and productivity.

The workforce is more likely to act unethically when they perceive their organisation to be unfair; for example, if reward or resources aren’t shared fairly, or policies and procedures are inconsistent.

This is also the case where organisational politics leave employees with a feeling that you must ‘watch your back’ and that your success at work depends on more powerful ‘others’. The effort required to navigate the politics can create a strain and reduce motivation and commitment resulting in unethical behaviour and in people protecting their own interests above other ethical considerations. Fear and frustration can have similar negative effects.

Take the psychological contract (the mutually implicit expectations of the workforce and employers towards one another) as an example. If employees feel that promises are broken, removed or changed, they might experience deep feelings of unfairness, dissatisfaction and loss of trust. Outward signs of such feelings could manifest in seeing the red flags below.

• Rising numbers of grievances (both officially in writing and unofficially where mediation can help to resolve the situation). 
• Spikes in absenteeism (especially for employees where this might be deemed out of character), poor performance, incivility, attrition rates and extended sick leave.
• Surveys revealing that employees have rising distrust in leaders, experience unreasonable organisational politics, and feel that promotional opportunities only favour the few.
• Disparity of pay, favouring men.
• Unfair allocation of work within a team (causing stress for some and an easy life for others).
• Misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
• People deserve to be treated fairly and be heard on matters that affect them (in addition to their rights and protection under law). People professionals should not assert or distort the balance of power; they should strive towards equal, positive outcomes for the workforce (like wellbeing) and the business (like profit and loss). 
• Where possible, don’t let short-term business outcomes lead to decision-making that could be deemed unfair and be detrimental to the business in the long run. 
• Assess employee perceptions of politics and fairness through surveys and focus groups. Ensure they are transparent, and communicate what you are doing to make improvements based on the feedback. 
• Review policies and practices to ensure they are fair and unbiased. Consider the fairness lens for everyone in the workforce: if it could cause a detriment to an under-represented group, it is unfair. 
• Keep political behaviour (such as ambiguous decisions or promoting favoured employees) in check, challenging it when it becomes unhealthy. 
• Have clearly defined values and behavioural competencies, role-modelled by leaders. 
• Ensure development opportunities are extended as far as possible.
• Work with managers to ensure that work is allocated fairly within teams, with equal opportunity to be involved in stretching projects. 
• Build inclusive organisations that treat people fairly and respond to diverse voices. 
• Advocate consistency in performance management. It should be regular and offer feedback that motivates the workforce, helps them improve, and holds them to account.
• Review NDAs to ensure they don’t prohibit an employee from bringing a genuine unlawful act to be investigated. Allegations of discrimination or harassment should be investigated properly and fairly in line with your grievance policy.

In 2018 the New York Times reported that HR departments are ill-equipped to investigate discrimination complaints and, in some cases, have hidden abusive leadership behaviour. Women working at a leading retail sports outfitter’s US headquarters complained to HR about sexual harassment and demeaning treatment by male supervisors, who used vulgar and condescending behaviour towards them. The culture has been described as toxic and pre-disposed to promoting men over women, regardless of behaviour or complaints. One manager received promotion to an executive role despite having three grievances on file brought by three female direct reports. It took an anonymous survey to trigger an internal investigation and a major shake-up in the company’s top ranks.

Certain personality factors (which include an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, emotions and behaviours), along with their psychological attributes, can lead to unethical behaviour . Therefore, understanding personality traits of individual staff, and building in measures to steer the likely courses of behaviour, will be important considerations in creating ethical practice.

• Competitive individuals are more likely to sabotage or misrepresent work. This trait is more pronounced when these individuals have information on the performance of others.  
• High levels of egocentrism are shown by self-focus and employees advancing their own interests with little concern for how their actions impact others.  
• Greed will be shown by someone making social comparisons which can motivate actions to increase their wealth, and by optimising results or outputs for their benefit.  
• Feelings of social exclusion can affect those with a need to be included in a group.  
• High levels of impulsivity indicate less willpower or self-control. For example, pyramid schemes demonstrate the human capacity to focus on immediate payoffs while discounting future detection and punishment.  
• High levels of moral relativism – where moral principles are context-specific or situationally determined; people with this trait can therefore feel that harm to others may be justified.  
• Those with high levels of happiness may be prone to passively follow pressures to engage in unethical behaviour to sustain their happiness or take the path of least resistance. This was exemplified by the associates that were highly remunerated to recruit clients for Bernie Madoff , who orchestrated an elaborate Ponzi scheme. Despite having some reservations, the associates did not take action.  
• Undesirable personality traits such as self-beneficial behaviour; shown by those who take an ‘ends justify the means’ approach and are prepared to violate social norms and commit fraud.  
• Be aware when personality is overly attributed as a cause for behaviour – for example, a late colleague being considered as tardy (person based) rather than faulting factors such as transport (action based).  
• Blame is used to rationalise unethical behaviour (also found when individuals negatively feel an external locus of control (the degree of autonomy in their work)).  
• Absence, lateness, staff exits, complaints, over-budget project delivery or failure to deliver/under-selling of products and services/sabotage or withdrawal can be signs of personality-related matters; these may be caused by low self-esteem, stress or negative emotions such as anger, guilt, lack of job satisfaction, or a sense of unfairness.  
• The extent to which the performance management process is dependent upon a prescribed set of behaviours – some personalities are more prone to behave in a particular way; there should be reflection of this and flexibility in the expectations of the workforce.  
• Temporary ethical blindness – a subconscious state in which a person is unable to see the ethical dimension of what they are doing (such as played out by the NASA engineers who voted for the Challenger shuttle to take off despite safety concerns ); identified through auditing or reviewing decision-making after the fact.  
• Moral disengagement (self-justification that unethical behaviour is less immoral by minimising or ignoring the consequences and blaming victims) – this is indicated by passive states, cynicism or complacency, and identified through reviewing projects, errors, complaints. 

What you can do 

• Reputable personality profiling can be used in the creation of behavioural strategies, leadership development, team evolution and performance management to better understand strengths, preferences, career interests, development areas and job design.  
• Consider if personality is a feature of workplace conflicts, and whether it highlights a training need for the individuals, team and/or manager(s) involved.  
• Use manager and workforce training to raise awareness of the impact of personality and mood, and the increased risk of unethical behaviour of some personalities. This will need an environment in which challenges can be made and honest conversations can take place as well as the workforce feeling safe to share experiences or issues.  
• Provide unconscious bias training, facilitate regular group discussions to examine where bias appears in work and decision-making. Discuss contributory factors in case studies to raise awareness and reduce ethical blindness, looking beyond diversity and inclusion risks.  
• Develop empathy in the workforce, especially in managers and leaders.  
• Develop proactive use of customer feedback, including customer-led websites; co-ordinate team discussions about the impact of the work on customers and suppliers; facilitate opportunities to meet with each of the customer groups and share learnings with the remainder of the workforce.  
• Foster enthusiasm and a sense of agency (responsibility) to overcome a negative external locus of control belief (the degree to which people believe that they have control over the outcome of events, as opposed to external forces beyond their control). For example, people with a strong external locus of control will blame external factors, such as the teacher or exam, for their own inadequacies.  
• Reduce impulsiveness by developing decision-making frameworks, and implement a system to audit/moderate decisions made and the journey leading to those decisions.  

The purpose of job (re-)design is to optimise the work process and to improve productivity. It should also consider motivation theory, behaviours required to align with business values and principles, employee empowerment, teamworking, flexible working and employee well-being.   

Good work  exists for the long-term benefit of individuals, organisations and society, balancing economic sustainability with social accountability. It is predicted that future challenges of the world of work will put more pressure on people professionals to apply ethical principles to job design, especially as they will have less control over how people want to work and the contributions they choose to make in an organisation. Workplaces should be designed to accommodate and engage with all employees with diversity and inclusion in mind to ensure no one feels disadvantaged. People professionals should aim to design or re-design roles to make the most out of emerging opportunities that engage workers and offer them a voice.  

Ethical context  

Responsibilities, tasks and interactions within a job role will affect aspects of working life. How an employee perceives their role may result in them feeling interested, engaged, accountable and valued, or under pressure, disengaged, frustrated or lacking responsibility, which can also affect trust and the psychological contract. Job design can inadvertently influence unethical behaviours; if a role is too repetitive or monotonous, this could lead to ignoring or missing mistakes. The opposite is also applicable when roles are highly pressurised, and there could be the temptation to cut corners to reach the end goal. It is therefore vital for organisations to pay attention to how work is designed and carried out by the workforce.  

• Monotonous roles – there is a risk that people can conduct their roles on auto-pilot and consequently miss potential unethical issues. You might expect that with a low variety of tasks you would have more time to consider ethical choices and make ethical decisions, but researchers carried out an experiment giving participants either a low- or high-variety task followed by an activity where they had the opportunity to cheat. They found that those who carried out the low-variety task were more likely to cheat , suggesting that deliberative thinking leads to greater compliance with rules.  
• Highly pressurised roles that don’t allow for thinking time or reflection can incite shortcuts to meet a target, timeframe or objective. The pressure to compromise ethical principles to meet business needs can be overwhelming, especially in the absence of moral reminders (such as a code of conduct) to mitigate this risk.  
• Where individuals work in isolation/remotely, there could be a higher risk of decisions being made that are contrary to company values and ethos.  
• Roles where individuals are removed from the consequences of decisions – for example, a head office decision to impose a uniform on retail staff without consultation. Another example would be when drawing up confidentiality policies and agreements, not being transparent in spelling out workers’ rights in pursuit of protecting assets, data, clients, intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential information. 
• Where possible, design jobs that are meaningful, interesting and stretching, provide stimulation and learning opportunities, and ensure workload is manageable.  
• Understand the risk factors related to different types of job to inform where to target interventions on ethical behaviour – from ethical training to moral reminders and to provide whistleblowing ‘speaking-up’ channels.  
• Ensure each role has an element of deliberative thinking (weighing up options) to relieve monotony or prolonged periods of repetitive work. Break up the routine, support learning, plan to re-deploy and give training to re-skill and ease transition, encourage personal projects and stretching objectives.  
• Ensure that those who work in isolation or remotely have accessible ways to gain feedback on their decisions and seek advice on workplace issues. Ensure your communications and engagement strategy caters for and reaches your remote workforce.  
• Ensure wellbeing ( the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual needs of employees ) is a priority by providing safe working practices, an inclusive working environment, effective people management, an element of autonomy to reach one’s own decision, and so on.  
• Protect work–life balance. Working under pressure can be stretching for us all from time to time but ensure this doesn’t become ‘the norm’ and lead to burnout and/or work-related stress.  
• Begin to adopt the mindset that every role should be open to flexible working .  
• Review your confidentiality clause. If used in conjunction with contracts of employment, it should protect your organisation – but not to the detriment of your workforce. Confidentiality is implicitly protected in law, but some organisations still take steps to make these terms explicitly understood. However, a confidentiality clause cannot remove a person’s statutory employment rights to whistleblow or override anti-discrimination law under the UK Equality Act 2010 , and this should be made explicitly clear in the clause.

Routine and repetitive tasks can often be carried out more efficiently by an algorithm or computer programme. The ONS analysed the jobs of 20 million people in 2017 and found that 7.4% of these were highly likely to be replaced by a robot. While this is often framed as jobs being ‘at risk’, the  CIPD’s research suggests AI and automation can have positive impacts on jobs, especially by removing low-skilled tasks. Job design and analysis should take automotive innovation into account and provide opportunities for the workforce to gain the essential skills development required of businesses in future.

A target is a set of measures broken down to help achieve an overall work goal. Reward is an important factor in the process of attracting, retaining, rewarding and engaging with the workforce. The most effective reward packages will be aligned with business needs, reflecting the organisation’s values, purpose and performance.  

Hard-to-reach and short-term goals can put undue pressure on employees, which can increase the risk of unethical behaviour. This risk is higher in competitive environments or when combined with performance-related pay. In these circumstances, employees become more likely to ignore ethical consequences, instead focusing on potential short-term benefits . Evidence from previous CIPD research and surveys report work intensity has increased over the past 20 years and the workforce think they are working harder now than ever before . There are now great pressures to meet targets (performance, sales), deadlines and customer demands. 

• Unachievable targets and goals can cause disengagement. Hard-to-reach and short-term goals can put undue pressure on the workforce, which can increase the risk of unethical and, in some cases, fraudulent behaviour (as in the  case of Wells Fargo ). 
• Increasing the bar each time a target or goal has been met – an employer could argue this is representative of market conditions; however, how this practice is perceived by the workforce matters, especially if targets disproportionately impact one group over another (for example, part-time workers compared with full-time workers). The pressure is greater when remuneration is involved or combined with performance-related pay. In these circumstances, the workforce becomes more likely to ignore ethical consequences, instead focusing on short-term benefits. 
• Use of SIPs (sales incentive plans) and deliberate misrepresentation of need – SIPs are extensively used throughout the private sector. However, they are also open to incentive-gaming, whereby the commission incentivises people to make sales that don’t necessarily benefit the party who bought the product. For example, mis-selling has seen some high-profile pharmaceutical companies encouraging doctors to prescribe opioids not linked to clinical need, or selling unwanted or unnecessary insurance policies. 
• The presence of the ‘say/do’ gap – for example, your EVP (employee value proposition) states people are your greatest asset, but you pay under market rate. Issues can arise if you are deliberately keeping base pay under market rate as an incentive to perform. This can backfire if it results in unintended consequences, such as the mis-selling of PPI scandal in the UK. 
• People are rewarded for the wrong behaviour – for example, an individual who consistently exceeds targets but displays unethical behaviour that is overlooked by management. 
• Rather than use standard disciplinary action to realign individuals who step out of line, settlement agreements are used to dismiss individuals instead. This sends a broader message to the rest of the workforce – misbehave and you’ll be paid off to leave. 
• The CEO pay ratio for yearly salary and bonus increases – are percentage increases for executives vastly inflated in comparison with percentage increases awarded to employees?
• A wide gender pay gap differential – if after an audit has been carried out there is a wide gap, this may reflect past biases in decision-making and recruiting unless objectively justified. 
• There is no recognition for values and competency role-modelling. 
• A ‘do whatever it takes’ attitude is present. 
• Lack of transparency for pay and reward structures can lead to pay speculation and feelings of unfair treatment. 
• Ensure objectives/targets are realistic, and that monetary rewards are not only linked to short-term outcomes. Due consideration needs to be given to employee perceptions of the attainability of goals, especially when tied to financial rewards. While goals can be difficult, they need to be perceived as attainable (SMART goal-setting will help here).  
• Avoid pitting the workforce against each other by keeping promotions fair and transparent.  
• Look at the evidence around exceptional performance and development, and link that to pay.  
• Consider how bonuses are dispersed; a team bonus will encourage team performance, whereas individual bonuses could encourage Machiavellian behaviour, hiding information from others for self-interest or to hinder another’s progress.  
• Review your reward strategy and regularly benchmark salaries in the open market. Ensure pay structures and pay progression reflect achievement and the behaviours and attitudes that are valued by the business. Review outcomes first and outputs second. 
• Clearly define performance measures and management as well as the consequences when an individual steps out of line, no matter what title they may hold. 
• Ensure you have a clear, explicit and consistent policy in place for pay increases, how they are awarded, and what behaviour deserves such awards. 
• Corporate governance is needed to improve CEO pay transparency and ensure boards recognise their broader responsibility towards the workforce when decisions on executive pay and business investment are made. Equally this applies across the workforce for decisions on pay-setting and pay progression for salary/base pay as well as on bonus/variable pay and incentives. 
• Recognise excellence and upholding values via workforce-nominated awards. 
• Position variable earnings carefully – for instance, using cash bonuses to drive higher sales while also considering corporate governance standards – to include the expected behaviours required to achieve targets. 
• Have a remuneration committee for executive pay governance, and consider appointing an employee representative onto it to ensure equity, challenge ethical propriety and ensure that it is free from bias. This can also be applied to how bonuses are awarded across the organisation. 
• Managers should take account of the workforce contribution when making pay decisions as opposed to just the top team. HR should give sufficient support to managers for assessing performance and giving feedback. 
• Strategic reward should be based on long-term reward policies and practices to support and advance both the organisation’s objectives and employee aspirations.  

The demise of Carillion in January 2018 was largely due to mismanagement by its leaders, and yet the CEO who presided over the collapse was still paid a £660,000 salary until October 2018.  

An international bank incentivised the workforce to sign up new customers and paid handsome bonuses linked to targets and goals.  Workers created 3.5 million fraudulent accounts as a result.  

Car giant manufacturers’ executive pay packages remain unchanged despite the emissions scandal. 

A world-leading security company boss received a record £4.8 million in pay and bonuses despite numerous scandals. The bungled under-recruitment of security guards for the London 2012 Olympics forced the army to step in. 

Providing facilities for the workforce to raise concerns means that there is an early warning system, allowing organisations to act upon issues before they escalate. It also means that people will be less likely to behave unethically if they are called out directly or indirectly through a speak-up service, thus positively contributing to risk reduction for organisations. Failure to enable the workforce to speak up and raise concerns can stifle creativity and innovation.  

For the purpose of this guide, whistleblowing refers to qualifying disclosures in the public interest and covered by the UK Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) 1998 . Even if you are not covered by this legislation, the general principles can be applied to most organisations.

"Speaking up" refers to the raising of concerns by the workforce that may be internally focused and not necessarily of public interest. 

Ideally, informal processes need to be in place to manage issues before they get to a breach of regulations or requirements and formal whistleblowing is needed. The workforce should know how to raise concerns and have an alternative resource to do so other than their manager so that hierarchy is not a barrier to raising concerns.  

The role of people professionals is vital in building trust so that the workforce feels enabled to raise issues in confidence and know they will not face reprisals for raising concerns. Offering a facility in which the workforce can speak up can help wellbeing by enabling the workforce to clear their conscience and empower them to do the right thing. Further, it is vital to identify issues that may not be in keeping with the ethical expectations of the organisation as early as possible. 

The difference between speaking up and grievance(s)

It is important not to confuse speaking-up arrangements with grievance or dispute resolution processes. A grievance is making a complaint about something that affects you or your employment contract (for example, if your employer doesn’t pay you on time). It is reasonable for an organisation to refer an employee to the appropriate process and the processes should not be confused. 

Dr Jeffrey Wigand was vice president of research and development at Brown & Williamson, a major tobacco firm. In the mid-1990s, he went public with his inside knowledge of how the companies downplayed the health risks and addictive qualities of nicotine. His exposure took a severe toll on him personally and a smear campaign was launched against him, but as a result of his actions the consequences for the organisation were record-breaking, including litigation against tobacco companies that resulted in $348 billion in damages being paid out.  

• There are low levels of confidence in the workforce to challenge practices and policies, and uncertainty about whether any detriment or repercussions would follow.  
• Negative responses on employee surveys give insight into speaking-up issues.  
• There is no resource or channel to raise health and safety concerns.  
• Confidentiality agreements focus on the needs of the employer rather than the employee. These agreements may be essential but, in the UK, should not ignore employees’ rights under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Equality Act 2010. Agreements that prohibit individuals to report whistleblowing concerns or raise complaints with an external regulator are unenforceable. Those who speak up may feel that there will be repercussions in relation to their own role and/or performance as they may be perceived as troublemakers. This is particularly prevalent when they are not updated as to the final outcome.  
• Inappropriate comments from disgruntled employees may appear on websites such as Glassdoor (remember that regulators may be contacted with alleged issues).  
• How are changes to workforce contracts executed? Has the workforce been fairly consulted? Are underrepresented groups going to incur detriment as a result of the changes? For example, changing working patterns will adversely affect those that struggle with childcare arrangements.  
• Provide the workforce with multiple channels to raise concerns and ideas, such as a staff sounding board, confidential whistleblowing phone line or email address, and, essentially, an alternative to managers.  
• Resources allocated to deal with speaking-up concerns should be carefully considered. There may be some distrust of HR being the designated resource and this may confuse employees about the difference between grievances and speaking-up concerns.  
• Consider using an external and independent provider to reinforce confidentiality and enable safeguards that will give the workforce confidence to trust the facility. The protection of whistleblowers is essential.  
• There is no set process an employer must follow to investigate a speaking-up concern, but good practice would be to respect a whistleblower’s wish for confidentiality and to provide some feedback about any action taken.  
• Ensure that those who speak up feel sufficiently protected and that the process for investigating concerns is swift so as not to prolong the impact on the whistleblower. When dealing with those who speak up, bear in mind the difference between curiosity and someone being critical or challenging.  
• Address relationships between management and senior leadership to ensure the workforce does not get caught in the middle of disputes or conflicting directions. This can affect their willingness to speak up.  
• Deploy resources to look forward as well as backwards through predictive indicators (revenue per employee for example). Critical analysis of near-misses is as important as events and errors that occurred.  
• People managers can ensure that policies are supported with appeal processes to enable the workforce to highlight unethical practice.  
• Create bonds within teams to help foster psychological safety and openness. Teams should share information and trust each other.  
• To get the full story, ensure that other mechanisms are examined and contrasted against the speak-up facility, such as turnover rates, exit interviews, equality and diversity rates, workforce surveys, health and safety statistics (for example, accident and sickness records), and, importantly, customer satisfaction. Any red flags and complaints or issues raised with regulators or other third parties, for example, complaints raised with the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) or the UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).  
• A perceived lack of transparency by the organisation in dealing with concerns may cause apprehension in the workforce when it comes to their willingness to speak up, but this can easily be dispelled by regular communication. Regular promotion of speaking-up facilities is just as important as providing them, otherwise there is a risk of new starters not being aware of the facility, and the organisation’s support of raising concerns without consequence needs to be reinforced.  

Download the speaking-up checklist below for more information. 

If you take responsibility for your own actions, you show accountability. However, this also means accepting accountability when things go wrong and admitting to your mistakes!  

Numerous corporate scandals over the last few years have diminished trust in business. The car giant manufacturer (who admitted to deliberately cheating on US diesel emissions tests for several years) and a leading UK sports retailer (accused of paying the workforce below the minimum wage and creating a culture of fear) show a lack of accountability in some organisations, and raise critical questions about the future of business, such as how ethical cultures can be created. According to the UK Companies Act 2006 , among other matters, directors should "maintain a reputation for high standards of business conduct and be considerate of the interests of the workforce". 

Conversely, when looking for accountability from your workforce, businesses must have mechanisms in place to allow for mistakes without retribution (although it will depend on the size and impact of that mistake as to how it is handled appropriately, fairly and proportionately). It is well known that people learn from mistakes and managers should receive adequate training on how to deal with these situations.  

This is a unique role for people professionals to play in organisations, considering recent corporate scandals where there was a lack of accountability for unethical practice. It appears that organisational context influences individuals’ perceived ability to challenge, with those working in third-sector and large organisations feeling the most empowered. 

Shareholder vs stakeholder

If working for a UK company, refresh your understanding of the terms of section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 . This addresses the shareholder/stakeholder debate and outlines ethical principles with firm links to accountability. 

• There is insufficient supervision and free reign to act unethically without consequence (such as lack of a disciplinary process).  
• Employees fear losing their job if ‘I admit to this mistake’. This can lead to serious cover-ups which could have ramifications further down the line. Think of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster – inadequate safety regulations deliberately suppressed by senior shareholders and coercing the government into lying about the extent of the impact post-event.  
• There is careless, indecisive or negligent behaviour towards circumstances, colleagues, customers or stakeholders. ‘I just pursue my organisation’s aims when I’m at work’ is an ethical choice in itself, and a very dubious one – compare it with, ‘I was just following orders’ as a way of absolving responsibility.  
• There are reports of micromanagement, which can result in procrastination and lack of accountability due to the fear of making the wrong decision.  
• People professionals have limited power in organisations . Academics have questioned the extent to which people professionals are in a position to uphold ethical values within organisations, because of the boundaries of their role.  
• Negative comments about your organisation are posted on social media by a disgruntled ex-employee or customer which present a one-sided story.  
• Work is reshaped using digital and AI technology with little or no thought to re-deployment, upskilling and development of those employees affected by this initiative. 
• Adopt an evidence-based approach to decision-making, reducing reliance on gut feeling and making decisions more reliable. Evidence-based practice involves critical thinking and judicious use of evidence from research and/or organisational data, alongside professional expertise and stakeholder concerns.  
• Create management structures that hold people accountable. Provide checks and balances where decisions are made in isolation and the opportunity for individuals to ‘speak up’ ( see ‘whistleblowing/speaking up’ ) when they are concerned about a decision.  
• Consider how behaviour can be monitored effectively and constructively, without leading to micromanagement or eroding trust.  
• Everyone should have a chance to exercise powers of decision, planning and self-command, therefore responsibilities should be distributed rather than concentrated around one person.  
• Where individuals work in isolation or remotely, encourage collaborative decision-making so that risky decisions by one person can be challenged by another. Provide a code of conduct and access to advice on workplace issues prior to the decision.  
• Less hierarchical organisations make it more difficult to engage in unethical behaviours and increase accountability, since people have stronger relationships with their colleagues through working more closely together.  
• A cease-and-desist response to negative comments on social media may be an initial reaction, but good HR recommends an impartial approach and a genuine desire to investigate the issue.  
• Clearly mapping workforce-related risks when looking to implement automation and AI as part of a workforce planning exercise minimises the risk of having to place people ‘at risk’ and provides new opportunities for those affected.  

An extract from Enron’s Code of Ethics, 2000, said: "we want … a reputation for fairness and honesty…."  

Hedging structures employed by Enron between 1999 and 2001 have since been labelled fraudulent. The hedging transactions were extremely complex and shown to executives in hurried meetings with experts touting the brilliance of the theories. The company fell victim to the ‘groupthink’ mentality and acceptance of accounting structures that were not understood and endorsed by its accountants, Arthur Andersen. Questionable financial dealings and aggressive practice enabled growth of debt to fatal levels (reported on the balance sheet as $13 billion, the actual number was closer to $40 billion). The structures for debt arrangements became complex and debt deals were made to look like revenue. Many of these deals took place between 1997 and 2001, when Wall Street considered Enron to be one of the most profitable companies around. Subsidiary companies with conflicts of interest were permitted. A year after being the seventh largest company on the Fortune 500 list, Enron was known as the largest bankruptcy in US history, owing $67 billion to creditors. Shareholders lost $60 billion of value. 6,000 people lost their jobs, 22,000 workers were affected, and many lost their retirement savings. The directors were convicted of fraud in 2006.  

In this example the actions of leaders and decision-makers meant that social norms became corrupt. 

Using internal communications is one tool to encourage high ethical standards in the workforce and ensure that the values and/or code of ethics are not in contrast to the climate. Beyond establishing a code of ethics, embedding ethical practice within your organisation requires consistent communication, particularly from the board, leadership and management. Making the ethical expectations of an organisation clear to the workforce is vital, but an essential second step is to ensure understanding and awareness of ethical issues and hazards. The UK Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) has found that companies with a code of ethics financially outperform those without.  

Unethical conduct by the workforce poses a wide range of risks for the organisation, from compliance failings and reputational damage to a breakdown in the trust of customers and stakeholders. Having a code alone is not indicative of being more ethical. Organisations with an ethics programme benefit from the confidence instilled in stakeholders. The IBE also found that in organisations with an ethics programme, employees seem to have a better perception of corporate culture.  

As ambassadors of the organisation, the workforce needs to understand and connect to the importance of the ethics and values of the organisation and how they relate to their work. Companies are increasingly developing ethics resources and programmes to bring to life their values and expectations. A failure to train and communicate these values and the code of ethics could explain the gap between principle and practice, and could certainly be perceived as a difference between intention and operation. Communication is also key to developing trustworthiness to suppliers and customers. A reputation of honesty and ethics will contribute to an organisation’s success.

• There is a code of ethics that provides information but has no support from regularly repeated tangible activities; the mere existence of a code is not enough.  
• Communication and messages gloss over ethical failures; this will disengage the workforce and further damage the organisation’s reputation.  
• There is a sense that ‘everyone is doing it’; this can be counterproductive.  
• One-way ‘broadcast’ communication simply tells the workforce what to do (and what not to do).  
• There are single training events that are only open to new starters (and are never repeated or built upon).
• Align the organisation’s mission, values and code of ethics, and communicate widely and regularly so you are seen to have established a position on ethical practice.  
• Be transparent about challenges (both internally and externally), and when unethical events occur do not hide behind the need for ‘confidentiality’. In a UK Governmental enquiry , criticism of hiding behind confidentiality was made by the committee members. While it will be necessary to keep the content and outcome of grievances or whistleblowing concerns confidential, there can still be reporting of the quantities and patterns.  
• Emphasise what the company stands to gain from ethical actions or decisions; this can be more effective than emphasising what the business stands to lose.  
• Communication should be two-way. The key to employee engagement in ethics is to avoid ‘telling’ the workforce the concepts/what not to do.  
• Training and communication of codes and the support behind them should not be one-off exercises; they should use a variety of formats. They should be communicated regularly to existing staff as well as new starters.  
• Suppliers may request a copy of the organisation’s code during tendering processes. Consider communicating the organisation’s values and/or code of ethics to all stakeholders as well as customers, business partners and suppliers.  
• Develop a communication strategy to plan and regularly communicate the legitimate aims of the organisation. Frame messages to emphasise what’s to gain from ethical standards, not just what is to lose from unethical behaviour. Target high-risk areas of business and situations, such as high-pressure and/or competitive environments. Use a range of methods from internal communications/newsletters, workforce meetings, workshops, office merchandising reminders, cartoons, booklets, posters and publish codes in an easily accessible location on the organisation’s website.  
• Connect employees to the impact of their work/decisions to ensure consensus in adopting/role-modelling ethical values and guiding decision-making. Facilitate connections with customers and the wider community. Socialise stories and positive, real-life examples that emulate the code. Use a range of scenarios to encourage debate and discussion so that the workforce can apply the code to their day-to-day work. 
• Ensure that efforts are made to translate values and their application to the workforce before measuring compliance and taking remedial action. 
• Use communication and training to increase ethical sensitivity and how to take a stand, through the exploration of case studies and scenarios that involve ethical dilemmas. Beware of ‘ethics fatigue’ from communicating too frequently, and use innovative ways to bring the code to life, such as new case studies.  
• Use a dashboard to relay information to the workforce on the measurements of embedding the organisation’s values and/or code of ethics.  
• Include an update on the code in the annual report to include any breaches and subsequent action taken, as well as what training has been undertaken. 
• Do not under-resource the communication and embedding of values and codes.  
• Provide the workforce with a resource to seek advice regarding ethical dilemmas.  

For ethics training and to provoke discussions, access the list of statements below. 

Use the decision-making flowchart and adapt it to your organisation’s needs. We recommend that decision-making guidance is issued to the entire workforce to give them confidence and structure in making ethically correct and reputation-protecting decisions.

The spotlight is on business ethics and more so on organisations than ever before. With astonishing political developments, escalating climate issues and economic fallout, there will be an increased focus on ethics and pressure on organisations to follow an ethical approach and consider the consequences of their outputs and operations.  

It is essential to ensure that policies applicable to the workforce are fair, equitable and non-discriminatory. CSR initiatives should include risk assessments of environmental implications (even if in an office environment, such as recycling and waste management/reduction) by an organisation’s activities and supply chain, eliminating forced and child labour, and anti-bribery policies. Legal and compliance requirements dictate that safe working conditions are provided, but ethical practice for people managers requires going further and ensuring that all of the workforce has representation and input into key activities and strategy. Proclaiming an organisational value of integrity is not enough without specific action, and it is necessary for organisations to deliver on their commitment to communities and to champion better work and working lives.  

Rather than acting as the ‘HR police’, people managers can be ambassadors of taking an ethical approach and creating long-term value. This will inevitably mean having to deal with challenging conversations and consistently holding the workforce, at all levels, accountable for their actions and behaviours. People managers must role-model ethical practice and aspire to become trusted advisors. They are best positioned to facilitate an alignment of personal and organisational values and enable the workforce to truly flourish.  

Ethical practice should be woven through the organisation’s people strategy, and demonstrated in its HR policies and practices relating to the employee lifecycle: recruitment, people management, development and exit.  

There should be no doubt that people professionals are expected to stand up for and protect the rights of employees and demonstrate a people-centred approach in their practice. The people profession is expected to make better use of insights from analytics in their evidence-based practice and decision-making. This call on people professionals includes reskilling the workforce, recruiting in a broader and more diverse way, and supporting mobility and flexible working. People professionals will need, more than ever before, to nurture networks of peers across sectors and territories to learn from each other and to keep up to date with developments in the world of work.  

In working according to ethical values and a code of ethics, people professionals can make a significant contribution to improving the lives of the workforce and the experiences they have at work, and to making work more meaningful.

Organisational climate checklist

Flowchart: how to develop and consistently embed codes, speaking up checklist, discussion prompts for workforce training, transparent decision checklist.

The CIPD Profession Map, Ethical Behaviour

A review of unethical workplace behaviour   Gifford, J., Green, M., Barends, E., Janssen, B. and Capezio, A. (2019) Rotten apples, bad barrels and sticky situations: an evidence review of unethical workplace behaviour . London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CIPD podcasts

Ethical workplaces

Marco Alverà: The surprising ingredient that makes business work better

CIPD Factsheet

Ethical practice and the role of HR

Institute of Business Ethics. Publications

Global Business Ethics

The Business Guide to Effective Compliance and Ethics

Corporate Governance, Ethics and CS

Ethical Leadership

Workforce planning

CIPD Podcast

Employee voice

CIPD Report

Institute of Business Ethics. Free speaking-up app

Giving Voice to Values Program

Acknowledgements

This guide was originally written by Tina Russell and Ally Weeks.

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How To Answer “Describe Your Work Ethic” (With Examples)

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You may hear an interviewer ask “Describe your work ethic”, so it’s important to know how to answer so that they can see what kind of person you are and what you will bring to the table.

To help you prepare for this common interview question , we’ll go over how to answer “Describe your work ethic”, provide work ethic examples and answers, and the do’s and don’ts when describing your work ethic.

Key Takeaways:

This question can feel like a curveball because there are so many different ways to describe your work ethic, but overall it is simply telling a company what kind of worker you are.

When you consider that work ethic is defined as the belief that hard work is morally beneficial and a driver of strength, you can see why this value in particular is of interest to hiring managers.

When describing your work ethic it’s important not to lie or exaggerate on what you are saying because they will find out once you start.

How to answer interview questions about “describe your work ethic”

Examples of the best answers to “describe your work ethic”, why do interviewers ask “describe your work ethic”, do’s and don’ts for describing your work ethic, list of words that describe your work ethic, how to answer “describe your work ethic” faq.

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To answer “Describe your work ethic,” you should create a list of traits that accurately describe how you behave in a work environment. To help you with this task, ask yourself some of the following questions:

How do I like to be managed ?

What is my greatest accomplishment ?

What type of work environment do I thrive in?

How do I tackle challenges at work?

How do I get motivated ?

These questions should inspire you to think about your experiences and how you work. Do you prefer management that allows you to work independently? That means you are confident in your abilities and decision-making.

Did you accomplish closing on a big project due to putting in extra hours? You could describe yourself as tireless and devoted. Think about certain keywords that stick out in your mind and add them to your list.

Here are some other characteristics that are indicative of a solid work ethic:

Enterprising

Enthusiastic

Fast-learning

Remember, having specific examples for each characteristic is key to being able to successfully sell yourself and ace the question during your interview. You want to use work experiences to show the interviewer evidence of how you exemplify these characteristics.

This is called the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Response.

Below are some example answers to “Describe your work ethic.” Remember that there is no wrong answer for describing yours, as each individual performs and approaches work scenarios differently.

Traits: driven, efficient example answer

I am driven to find the most efficient processes at work. In my last position, I was able to streamline the entire content production process from start to finish. I utilized tools such as Asana and collaborated with other team members to develop a system that worked best for our needs. Ultimately, other departments took notice of the increased production for my team and asked to shadow our meetings to learn more.

Traits: enthusiasm, passion example answer

I am enthusiastic when it comes to taking on new tasks, and my managers often consider me for new opportunities. At my last job , I took the lead on spearheading a March Madness giveaway for our audience in order to increase engagement and drive conversions. I conceptualized the promotion and liaised with other departments to ensure that all necessary elements were completed. My passion and enthusiasm for the project resulted in my editorial director asking me to launch several campaigns with other verticals within the organization.

Traits: positivity example answer

I pride myself on always having a positive outlook and motivating my colleagues to do the same. After one of our busiest weeks, I decided to organize a retreat for our department. I believe in positive reinforcement and keeping morale in the workplace high, which is why the event was very important to me. We did plenty of activities to build teamwork and create a happy, fun environment. This happened to be the first employee retreat at the firm and is now something that management plans every quarter thanks to my efforts.

Traits: strategic example answer

I have proven to be a strategic thinker that always has long-term goals in mind. I was able to renegotiate our 3-month, $50,000 contract with a vendor into a 6-month, $120,000 agreement. I did this in order to help my team reach our projected revenue for Q4.

Traits: reliable, responsible example answer

I take pride in the fact that my team members and those from other departments can always count on me. When I receive a Slack message, I always do my best to respond promptly. I became a major point of contact within my organization due to the roles I played on various projects. I believe it is always my responsibility to provide resources to my colleagues the best I can.

Traits: trustworthy, committed example answer

My work ethic is centered around being trustworthy and committed. I believe trust is the foundation of any successful endeavor, and I strive to uphold it in all aspects of my work. I am also deeply committed to the tasks I am given. I approach every project with dedication and perseverance.

Interviewers ask “Describe your work ethic to try and find out how much value and dedication you put into your work. They want to know if you are a self-starter or if you require a great deal of guidance to find direction.

Recruiters want to gauge how efficient you will be at completing tasks and if you will make the goals of the organization drive how you handle individual and team tasks. When an interviewer says, “Describe your work ethic”, here are the questions they are trying to find answers to:

Do you hold yourself accountable for your actions?

Do you work well with team members?

Are you dedicated to completing tasks?

Are you willing to go above and beyond?

Are you consistent?

Can your team members count on you?

Will you be a good fit for the company culture?

Every employer wants to hire candidates that will come to work and exceed expectations, so being able to express that you have a good work ethic is a sure way to impress recruiters.

Here are some tips for what to do and what not to do when describing your work ethic:

What to do:

You should practice your answer and provide details when answering this interview question. Below are more things you should do when answering this question:

Do practice. Practicing how you will answer the question beforehand will help you to be concise in your delivery during the interview. You want to be able to clearly articulate your answers to interview questions, and this is especially important during timed rounds with multiple people.

Do consider the position. While you likely have dozens of examples that you could use to describe your ethic, try to keep the position at hand in mind. You want the interviewer to be able to relate your previous experiences to the new role, allowing them to see the value of adding you to the team. Consider the keywords and phrases that were used in the original job posting.

Do provide details. Part of answering the question correctly is being able to provide specific details. If you give a trait and then a very surface-level explanation, this may be a red flag to recruiters that you either did not have the experience or you just are not particularly strong in that area. That is why proving how you demonstrated instances of good work ethic is key to winning over the interviewer.

What not to do:

You should avoid being negative or exaggerating your answer. Below are some more things you should avoid when answering this question:

Don’t over-exaggerate. This is another way of saying to be honest during your interview. Give accurate accounts of your experiences and how you performed. Being truthful will allow you confidently answer any follow-up questions the interviewer may have, plus what you say may later be verified by one of your reference contacts.

Don’t be negative. It should go without saying that you should only discuss positive experiences during your interview. Sometimes, applicants will try to spin their weaknesses into a positive, but this is unnecessary when it comes to describing your work ethic. Choose to convey your best traits and work examples.

Don’t just list adjectives. The last thing your recruiter wants to hear is a long list of adjectives without any type of support . Think back to the preparation stage, where you have your traits and examples readily available and fresh in your mind for the interview.

Of course, having a word bank can provide a good starting point when considering which traits fit you best. Take a look at some of the words below that are commonly associated with work ethic:

Cooperative

Disciplined

Organizational

Professionalism

Responsible

Trustworthy

What are the characteristics of a good work ethic?

Some characteristics of a good work ethic include persistence and determination. Other characteristics include having a positive attitude, being punctual and showing up on time, and being professional.

What does it mean to have a good work ethic?

Having a good work ethic means you take your work seriously and you want to go above and beyond. If you have a strong work ethic, you will often place a high value on your professional success. When you have a strong work ethic, you are often reliable, trustworthy, and responsible.

Charter College – Importance of a Good Work Ethic at School and in Your Career.

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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How to Develop a Good Work Ethic

Last Updated: October 7, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC . Jessica Elliott is a Certified Executive Coach and multi-passionate entrepreneur. She's the founder of LIFETOX, where she hosts mindful experiences and retreats, and J Elliott Coaching, which she provides executive consulting for professionals, teams, and organizations. Jessica has had over fifteen years experience as an entrepreneur and over five years of executive coaching experience. She received her ACC (Associate Certified Coach) accreditation through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and her CEC (Certified Executive Coach) accreditation through Royal Roads University. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 86% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 223,830 times.

Whether you are working at a job or studying at school, developing a good work ethic can be critical to success. Different fields prioritize different characteristics and qualities, but any good work ethic involves good time management, focus, and dedication. If you are looking to develop or improve your work ethic, you can make progress by concentrating on these areas.

Focusing on Your Work

• If you are partially or completely in charge of setting your own work time, you will have to be sure to minimize distractions when working, and to work for a set period of time. Set a specific number of hours (e.g. 6 hours) and treat it like you're in a professional office. Factor in time for breaks and meals, if necessary. [1] X Research source Piazza, C. (2008). Work ethic. In R. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of business ethics and society. (pp. 2254-2256). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Diligently maintaining a log of the hours you work will help you to do this.

• When you make a mistake or don’t complete your work, don’t make excuses. Owning your mistakes or shortcomings and promising to improve in the future shows maturity and a willingness to work well with others.

• Avoid gossiping at work. This will show that you are focused on your job, treat others fairly, and are a good team player. Be personable and wish your coworkers well, but don't get caught up in gossip, oversharing, or office drama.

• Remember that if you tell yourself you need to put something on hold in order to take care of work first, it doesn’t mean that you’ll never get around to it. Reward yourself by relaxing or having fun after you’ve finished your work.

• If you are in school or self-employed, then your hours might be flexible, and you will have to be diligent about making time specifically to do work. Even if an employer sets your work hours for you, however, you can benefit from declaring “focus time” if possible—ask others not to disturb you, turn off all electronic distractions, etc.

• Be persistent if people try to pull you away from your work. For instance, if people distract you by chatting, tell them you have work that you’ve got to finish, but you’d love to catch up with them later.

Managing Your Time

• Another technique to building up to longer periods of work is to push yourself a little further at times. When you feel like you don’t want to work any longer, or are looking for ways to procrastinate, don’t stop immediately. Instead, commit to working a little longer (20 minutes, for example), and then stopping.

• There is some variation from person to person, but generally adults need 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep per day.

• When you are off of work for the day, disconnect completely. Try not to think about pending projects, check your work email, or talk too much about work with family and friends.

Resisting Procrastination

Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC

Consider what's leading you to procrastinate. If you're struggling with motivation at work, try to understand where the root of the problem is coming from. Is it really because you're lazy, or are you just not challenged by or interested enough in what you're doing?

• During this period, if you feel the urge to procrastinate, remind yourself “I need to get this done,” and make yourself do work instead of turning to distractions.

• If you feel yourself getting tired or worn out because of work, stop and rest. If you try to work when you are exhausted, you risk doing less than your best. Not only can this be discouraging, it can make more work for you to do later when you have to correct something or do it over again. Just make sure you aren’t procrastinating, and that you have a clear plan of when and how to pick up with your task after you rest.
• If you work in or study a creative field, procrastination can be a way of dealing with pressures of criticism and/or creative block. If this is the case, resolve yourself to worry about perfecting a project later in the work process. That way, you can get started, make progress, be encouraged, and improve your work later.
• If you work in or study a creative field, you might also benefit from setting two deadlines—one to get a first “draft” of a project, and a second to revise and improve the project. It can also be beneficial to give yourself time between these two deadlines to take a break and refresh your perspective.

Community Q&A

*Be honest with yourself . If you know there are certain times of the day you are less productive, schedule simpler tasks for that time. Using time wisely is the essence of a good work ethic.

• Strive to do your best in all circumstances. Whether cleaning tables or preparing a homework assignment, always do your very best. This attitude will follow you into your chosen career. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Distance learning is a dynamic situation that enables you to develop your own schedule. Keep track of the times of day you are most productive and take advantage of them. These are also likely to be the best times to handle major tasks when you enter your career of choice. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you become overwhelmed, learn how to let certain tasks go. For example, if your coursework is more than you can handle, take fewer classes the following semester. If your job is demanding more hours than you can give, discuss it with your boss. This is great practice for the real world because it is inevitable you will face these same challenges in your chosen career. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Be careful to avoid "degree mills" when you enroll in a distance learning opportunity - some schools issue degrees that are worth little more than the paper they are printed on. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2
• Working full-time and going to college full-time, even through distance learning, can be a huge challenge. If you become overwhelmed, you can take fewer classes to relieve yourself. It is impossible to do your best work when you are overburdened. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Piazza, C. (2008). Work ethic. In R. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of business ethics and society. (pp. 2254-2256). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
• ↑ http://workethic.coe.uga.edu/jver_art.pdf
• ↑ http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ753214.pdf
• ↑ http://blog.online.saintleo.edu/career-advice/How-To-Develop-A-Good-Work-Ethic-In-5-Easy-Steps

About This Article

To develop a good work ethic, set aside time that you can dedicate specifically for work each day and commit to focusing only on your tasks in those time slots. During that time, minimize distractions such as social media, TV, or texting, so that your attention isn’t constantly pulled away. When you’re working, set a specific goal and don’t stop until it’s finished, so you don’t procrastinate and keep putting it off for another day. Once you’ve established a routine, push yourself to work a little longer each day to gradually build up to longer periods of work. For more advice from our Life Coach reviewer on how to resist procrastination, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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A work ethic is a collection of concepts and beliefs that guide a person’s approach to work and professional obligations. Work and diligence are thought to provide a moral advantage as well as an intrinsic ability, virtue, or value to enhance character and individual abilities. It entails a combination of devotion, diligence, dependability, responsibility, and a desire to provide high-quality results.

A strong work ethic is frequently regarded as an important aspect in obtaining success in one’s job and personal aspirations. Desire or resolve to work serves as the foundation for ideals focusing on the value of work or hard work. The social ingrainment of this value is seen to improve character through hard labor relevant to an individual’s sector of work.

Key components of a good work ethic include:

• Dedication: Being committed to your work and putting in the time and effort required to achieve your goals.
• Reliability: Consistently delivering on your promises and meeting deadlines. Colleagues and employers should be able to depend on you.
• Responsibility: Taking ownership of your tasks and being accountable for your actions. This includes admitting mistakes and learning from them.
• Professionalism: Conducting yourself in a manner that reflects positively on both yourself and your organization. This includes dressing appropriately, communicating effectively, and treating others with respect.
• Initiative: Proactively seeking opportunities to contribute, solve problems, and improve processes without waiting to be told what to do.
• Adaptability: Being adaptable and willing to gain new skills or adjust to new situations. It is critical to be adaptable in the face of adversity.
• Time Management: Managing your time effectively in order to prioritize projects and achieve deadlines. This entails efficiently planning and arranging your workload.
• Teamwork: Collaboration with coworkers, being a dependable team player, and positively contributing to the general work environment.

In the workplace, a strong work ethic is highly valued and is frequently correlated with higher productivity, job satisfaction, and career success. It benefits not just the person but also helps to create a happy and efficient work atmosphere for the entire team or business.

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• Determine appropriate debt structures to meet customer needs

Phase II: Finance Training – “Training the Street”

The finance training portion of the program includes coursework in accounting, communication skills, debt  and equity capital markets, Excel, financial analysis, modeling and valuation primarily taught by Training  the Street. The last week includes preparing for and taking the applicable licensing Series 79 top-up exam.

The program is rigorous and thorough, combining the substance of a much larger investment bank’s  training program with the personal attention found in a seminar.

Program Completion

• Developing an understanding of the full breadth of Comerica’s Capital Markets products and
• services offerings
• Successful completion of all finance and credit training coursework and practical application
• Completion of securities licensing requirements
• Participants will be provided time and support to prepare and take the applicable regulatory examinations they must pass to obtain the necessary securities licensing

Position Qualifications Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, economics or similar field
• Two (2) accounting courses (6 units) and one course (3 units) in finance, economics or related
• business classes with a minimum 3.4 grade point average
• Experience preparing financial models and forecasts preferred
• 1 year of experience with Microsoft Office Applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Seeking candidates with:

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Exceptional analytical, problem solving, and technical aptitude
• Time management skills, attention to detail and ability to handle multiple assignments
• Strong work ethic, customer-focus, and commitment to the communities we serve

Capital Markets Development Program

The Capital Markets Analyst Development Program – is an accelerated and challenging career path designed to develop Analysts into well-rounded colleagues that exhibit a solid finance and credit foundation, as well as strong relationship development skills. The program is two years and introduces Analysts to the full scope of Comerica’s capital market product offerings including Debt Capital Markets (Loan Syndications and Fixed Income), Derivatives and Foreign Exchange trading, and Investment Banking. Depending on individual performance, some analysts are invited to stay for a third year and move into one of our Capital Markets operations.

The finance training portion of the program includes coursework in accounting, communication skills, debt

and equity capital markets, Excel, financial analysis, modeling and valuation primarily taught by Training

the Street. The last week includes preparing for and taking the applicable licensing Series 79 top-up exam.

The program is rigorous and thorough, combining the substance of a much larger investment bank’s

training program with the personal attention found in a seminar.

Minimum Qualifications

Investment Banking Analyst Program 

The Investment Banking (“IB”) Analyst Program – is a challenging full time role designed to introduce new and recent college graduates to the foundational concepts and processes of investment banking, with a focus on merger, acquisition and divestiture (“M&A”) advisory services and select junior capital/private placement assignments. IB Analysts work closely with other IB professionals to market the firm’s advisory services to prospective investment banking clients, and to execute engaged advisory assignments on behalf of such entities. Prospects include both existing clients of Comerica Bank, as well as corporations or other entities that may not yet be clients of the broader firm; clients include both privately held and publicly listed  companies, active across a range of industries and geographies.

The base Analyst program is two years in length, with the possibility of a third year for select high performers. The program begins with an intensive training program that introduces new Analysts to the fundamental concepts of financial analysis and valuation. New Analysts gain exposure to the full scope of Comerica’s capital markets and other product offerings, including related areas such as Loan Syndications, Fixed Income, Derivatives and Foreign Exchange. In some special cases (and depending on individual performance), direct promotion to Associate at program conclusion is possible without an MBA or similar graduate degree.

• Two-year program that includes formal finance, analysis, valuation and related classroom and
• on-the-job training
• Professional career development through assessments, coaching, team building and mentoring
• Direct exposure to senior and executive leadership through participation on small, project- and
• client-focused deal teams
• Gain in-depth knowledge of Investment Banking and Capital Markets products and services
• including M&A advisory, junior capital raising, Debt Capital Markets and Loan Syndications,
• Derivatives and Foreign Exchange
• Client Sectors: Middle Market businesses across manufacturing, industrials, business services
• and related fields, as well as clients across Comerica’s national specialty groups including
• Technology & Life Sciences, Environmental Services, International, National Dealer Services,
• Food & Beverage, Consumer, Equity Fund Services and Large Corporates
• Location: Dallas, TX, with project-related travel throughout the United States
• Analysts must pass a background check and complete registration with securities industry
• regulator FINRA by passing the Series 7, Series 79 and Series 63 securities exams; individuals
• must maintain active and valid FINRA registrations for the duration of their employment

The finance training portion of the program includes coursework in accounting, debt and equity capital

markets, financial analysis, modeling and valuation, portions of which will be taught by Training the

Street, Wall Street Prep or a similar third party organization. Analysts will also receive self-study

materials to guide their preparation for the applicable licensing exams (Series 7, 79 and 63). The overall

program is rigorous and thorough, combining the substance of a much larger investment bank’s training

program with the personal attention found in a seminar.

Training Program Completion

• Developing an understanding of the full breadth of Comerica’s Investment Banking products and
• Successful completion of all training coursework and practical application
• Participants will be provided time and support to prepare and take the applicable
• regulatory examinations they must pass to obtain the necessary securities licensing
• At least 1 year of experience with Microsoft Office Applications (Microsoft Word, Excel,
• PowerPoint)
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Exceptional analytical, problem solving and technical aptitude
• Absolute commitment to ethics and integrity

Commercial Banking Internship

Comerica Bank is in business to help people be successful. We are committed to delivering the highest quality financial services by providing outstanding value, building enduring customer relationships and demonstrating leadership in our communities. Our promise to both our customers and our colleagues is to raise their expectations of what a bank can be. Comerica provides college interns the opportunity to experience first-hand the relationship banking environment that has defined Comerica’s strong ties to clients, colleagues and communities for over 170 years.

Portfolio Management Support

• Collect and monitor financial information
• Work with Portfolio Manager and Relationship Managers on client support
• Sales Support
• Industry research
• Preparation of marketing materials
• Prospect identification

Project: Prospect Identification and Marketing Plan Development

• Work with the team to understand the target customer profile
• Leverage resources such as LinkedIn, publications, etc. to identify prospects
• Use industry research to develop value proposition and marketing plan with the Relationship Manager
• Create an introductory presentation for the prospect meetings

Commercial Underwriting

• Observe the process for spreading financial statements and underwriting loans
• Complete a special project to refine key Commercial Underwriting resources

Interns will also have opportunities to:

• Have an experienced Relationship Manager as a mentor
• Observe how new business is generated through referrals, prospecting and networking
• Network with executives within the Commercial Bank division
• Meet with leaders within the Credit organization
• Meet with product partners to learn about Treasury Management, Global Capital Markets and International Trade Finance solutions
• Participate in training opportunities offered by Comerica

Qualifications

• Rising College Senior Status
• Accounting, Finance, Business major preferred
• Overall GPA of 3.0 or above
• Two Accounting courses completed with 3.0 average
• Six months experience Microsoft Office products, Word and Excel
• The ability to work independently as well as in a team environment
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Previous customer service and sales experience preferred

Banking Summer Internship opportunities are located in Southeast Michigan; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Costa Mesa, CA; and San Jose, CA and extend 8 weeks from June through August.

Capital Markets Internship

Location(s): Detroit, MI

The Capital Markets Internship is tailored to students interested in investment banking and other capital markets products. This 8-week internship program will provide students the opportunity to gain experience in Investment Banking, Debt Capital Markets, derivatives and foreign exchange trading. Comerica's strong ties to clients, colleagues and communities for over 170 years provides us the ability to compete directly with the money center institutions while still maintaining the competitive advantages of a Super Regional Bank.

Investment Banking

• Learn Investment Banking services with focus on M&A services
• Leverage database resources and publications to identify prospects
• Work with the team to understand the target client profile
• Learn business development and marketing strategies

Debt Capital Markets

• Preparation of information memorandums and pitch books
• Meet with industry experts throughout the bank
• Technology and Life Sciences
• Environmental Services
• Real Estate
• Equity Fund Services
• Manufacturing

Derivatives/Foreign Exchange Trading

• Experience what is involved with the trading desk for derivatives and F/X
• Learn different market and commodity trading systems
• Network with executives within the Capital Markets and Lending divisions across
• the country
• Observe how new business is generated through referrals, prospecting and
• College level of Junior or Senior Status
• Accounting, Finance, Business or similar field of study
• Overall GPA of 3.4 or above
• Two Accounting courses completed
• Six months experience Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Time management skills, attention to detail and ability to handle multiple
• assignments
• Strong work ethic, customer-focus, and commitment to the communities

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program

Location(s): Dallas, TX

The Comerica Securities Investment Banking Summer Analyst program is targeted towards students interested in investment banking, principally mergers & acquisitions advisory. This 10-week summer internship program will provide students the opportunity to gain experience in investment banking M&A advisory, including basic research, financial and valuation analysis, new business development and potentially project/deal execution. Comerica's strong ties to clients, colleagues and communities for over 170 years provides us the ability to compete directly with the money center institutions and regional and smaller specialist/“boutique” advisory firms while still maintaining the competitive advantages of a Super Regional Bank.

• Learn Investment Banking services with focus on M&A advisory

• Work directly with experienced M&A bankers to: o Leverage database resources and publications to identify prospects

• Preparation of financial analyses, profiles, pitch books, information memoranda and other written presentation materials and analyses
• Consumer and food & beverage
• Environmental services

• Network with executives within the Capital Markets and Lending divisions across the country

• Participate in training opportunities offered by Comerica

• Observe how new business is generated through referrals, prospecting and networking

• College level of Junior or Senior status

• Economics, Finance, Business, Accounting or similar field of study preferred

• Overall GPA of 3.4 or above preferred

• One or more accounting courses preferred

• 6 months of experience with Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Experience preparing financial models and forecasts not required but helpful

• Strong work ethic, integrity, customer-focus and commitment to the communities we serve

• Demonstrated track record of achievement

• Exceptional analytical, problem solving and technical skills and aptitude

• Time management skills, attention to detail and ability to handle multiple simultaneous assignments

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills

Treasury Management Summer Internship

The goal of this internship is to support the activities of the Treasury Management Sales Officers (TMOs) and assist with the onboarding client experience. This position functions as a partner to the TM Sales Officer by participating in internal line of business meetings, TM Sales meetings and external client meetings .

The Treasury Management intern will assist TMOs in the implementation and coordination of adding new services to new and existing customers.  The internship also includes learning to prepare pricing proformas and building client reviews. 

The TM Internship provides a deeper dive into Comerica’s product offerings which assist clients with their cash flow needs.

Treasury Management is aligned with the following Lines of Business (subject to geographic market):

• Middle Market
• Business Banking
• National Dealer Services
• International
• Commercial Real Estate
• Mortgage Banker Finance
• Entertainment
• Municipalities
• Retail Banking

Orientation

• Introduction to Comerica, Treasury Management, organizational culture
• Meet the Treasury Management team – National TM Sales and Sales Associate teams; Service, Implementations, Product
• Provide context for TM Intern responsibilities

Product Training

• Discuss cash flow benefits to clients utilizing TM Services
• Detailed TM product offering overview, including Commercial Card and Merchant Services
• Discover product features and their value to our clients
• Gain understanding of each products’ pricing
• Understand cost benefit analysis of TM services

Documentation and Risk

• Understand the Client Enrollment Form and how if relates to legal agreements and bank risk
• Process risk approvals for TM services with Relationship Managers

TMSA/TM Officer Partnership

• Prepare pricing proposals for prospects and clients understanding how pricing differs across financial institutions.
• Prepare Client Reviews and Industry research
• Participate in client and prospect meetings with TM Sales Officers, including pre-call plan meetings with the Relationship Management teams

Corporate Tax Internship

The Tax College Intern will learn about the various functions with Corporate Tax, which include compliance, information reporting, and tax accounting. The Tax College Intern will also partner with internal business units, in assisting with Finance Transformation (DigiFi) in addressing impacts on Corporate Tax. This Tax Summer Internship position has no direct reports.

Position Competencies Successful candidates possess problem solving and analytical skills, attention to detail, ability to prioritize, planning and organizational skills, manage time effectively, work effectively with teams and has good verbal and written communication skills.

• Learn corporate tax compliance due dates, prepare quarterly estimates.
• Learn to administer other software programs for the tax department.
• Compile tax workpapers for preparation of federal and applicable state/local returns.
• Collaborate with compliance and audit on various projects and processes.
• Perform necessary research to support understanding of related tax compliance or other technical tax issues.
• Enhance and develop communication and problem-solving skills.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by Management.

Position Qualifications:

• College level of Junior or Senior Status; expected graduation December 2024 or May 2025
• Accounting major, MST
• Overall GPA of 3.0 or better
• Two Accounting or Tax courses completed
• Six months of word-processing, spreadsheet and database software experience
• Six months of project coordination/participation, multi-tasking experience

Corporate Accounting Internship

Intern will learn about the various functions within Accounting and Financial Reporting, which include SEC and bank regulatory reporting, internal board reporting, contract review for key accounting considerations, research of accounting changes and assist with various accounting tasks.

Complete financial reports and disclosures for the SEC, bank regulators, and internal uses. Learn how to properly document and tie-out disclosures and report workpapers. Perform review on contracts for key accounting considerations. Complete activities related to the bank’s general ledger system. Perform necessary research to support understanding of accounting changes that may impact the bank.

• Complete financial reports and disclosures for the SEC, bank regulators and internal uses.
• Learn how to properly document and tie-out disclosures and report workpapers.
• Perform review on contracts for key accounting considerations.
• Complete activities related to the bank’s general ledger system and perform reconciliations as needed.
• Perform necessary research to support understanding of accounting changes that may impact the bank.

Minimum qualifications

• College level of Junior or Senior Status; expected graduation December 2025 or May 2026 Accounting Major, MST, Overall GPA of 3.0 or better
• College level of Junior or Senior Status; expected graduation December 2025 or May 2026

Economics Internship

About Comerica Economics Comerica Economics produces forecasts of the national economy, interest rates, and its primary business locations of Texas, Michigan, California, Florida, and Arizona. The Economics Department serves as the Bank's spokespeople on the economic outlook and frequently briefs Comerica's executives and clients on the economic outlook. As a recognized authority on the economy, Comerica Economics is regularly quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Washington Post, and other major media outlets.

Internship Description The Economics Department Intern supports the Chief Economist in preparing economic analysis for external publications, internal reports, and for oral presentations to customers and to Comerica colleagues. The Economic Research Intern is also responsible for collecting, analyzing, and preparing economic data for projects, studies, and reports to management.

The position will require 20 hours/week and a commitment through the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The hours can be flexible during Comerica's normal business hours of 8 A.M. to 5 P.M Monday to Friday. The internship is an immediate opening.

Position Competencies Successful candidates possess a good foundation in economics and a strong enthusiasm to learn more about it. They also possess excellent analytical and communication skills, including writing and data analysis. They have a drive for results and can prioritize, manage workloads. They relate well to team members, internal clients, and external customers.

Reporting Information/Location The Economics Research Intern reports to the Chief Economist, SVP. The position is located at our headquarters in Dallas, Texas, with easy access to DART. Comerica's Economics team follows a hybrid work schedule combining in-person and remote work.

• Managing data for the economic modeling systems, including the US Macroeconomic, US Interest Rate, and State Forecast models using EViews statistical software, Python, and Excel.
• Supporting various Comerica economic publications by managing databases, updating charts, providing additional commentary, and proofreading.
• Additional research projects as requested.
• Graduate student in an analytical field
• Enthusiasm for economics, knowledge of statistics, and econometrics preferred
• Working knowledge of Office suite (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Power BI)
• Excellent communication skills
• Enjoys working in a collaborative team environment

Model Development Internship

Location(s):  Comerica Bank Headquarters, Dallas TX, or Frisco TX

The Enterprise Risk Quantitative Analytics Graduate-Level College Intern will learn quantitative and financial model development. Position Responsibilities

• Support quantitative and financial model development activities including data manipulation, model building and documentation.
• Multiple projects may be assigned.
• Some projects can be geared towards financial data manipulation while others may be more related to model development and documentation.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by Enterprise Risk Management.
• Stress Testing and CELC Loss Forecasting
• PPNR and Market Risk Modeling
• Successful incumbents possess intellectual horsepower, time management skills, written communication skills, have process management skills and the ability to prioritize.
• Graduate students (MS or PhD) in the areas of Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Finance or Engineering
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Background in standard statistical and econometrics regression theories such as: OLS (including weighed least square), time series (autoregression and ARIMA), logistic, survival and ML techniques
• Prefer some experience building quantitative models, exposure to banking or financial models
• Experience using SAS, STATA, Python, R software or equivalent software programs Excellent interpersonal skills
• This internship is scheduled for May -- August with potential extension until December 31st

Travel Travel is not required of this position.

Relocation Relocation is not available for this position.

Trust Analyst Internship

The Trust Analyst Internship is a twelve-week program within Comerica's Trust Department. During the program Trust Analyst Interns are provided structured training, management support in career development, and a diverse experience within Trust to help them succeed.

Trust Analyst Interns will have the opportunity to explore the following areas: Institutional Trust, Trust Alliance, Fiduciary Services & Operations, Risk Management and/or Personal Trust.

Successful incumbents possess strong problem solving and analytical skills, strong attention to detail, demonstrate the ability to meet deadlines, strong planning and organizational skills, manage time effectively, strong teamwork and effective verbal and written communication skills.

Key responsibilities throughout the program include, but are not limited to the following:

• Immerse oneself in the work responsibilities of each area of Trust to learn it's importance and how it supports the Bank
• Learn the technology and systems used by each area of Trust
• Monitor and resolve unit and cash variances as reported by the various accounts
• Review and analyze statement impacts such as trade date vs. settlement date accounting, pending trades, effective dating transactions for statement purposes
• Review and analyze the unit's various exception reports such as failed trades, cash overdrafts, cost and market value out of balances and take the necessary action to resolve
• Produce and analyze ad-hoc customer report requests as needed
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by Trust Operations Unit Manager and team
• College level of Junior or Senior
• Working towards a Bachelor's or Master's degree from an accredited University in Business, Finance, Information Technology, Accounting, Trust related major(s)

Audit IT Internship

Location(s): Farmington Hills, MI or Detroit, MI -- Audit Operational/Financial Farmington Hills, MI or Auburn Hills, MI -- Audit IT

The Audit Information Technology intern will learn to analyze and evaluate the adequacy of the design and operational effectiveness of internal controls.

Start Date: January and May 2024 Hybrid/Remote Flexibility

Position Competencies Successful candidates possess strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills as well as strong organization skills with the ability to prioritize tasks.

Position Responsibilities Candidates in this position will learn to:

• Execute and document audit program tests for financial, operational, and/or information technology audits and express an opinion on the adequacy of the design and operational effectiveness of internal controls.
• Develop work papers that support tests performed and conclusions reached.
• Analyze root cause of audit issues and assist in the development and documentation of practical recommendations.
• Practice active listening.
• Interact effectively with client personnel and colleagues (verbal and written communications).
• Maintain appropriate, constructive, and professional relationships with clients and colleagues by building appropriate rapport and using diplomacy and tact.
• Assist with completion of the annual Audit Plan by managing and completing work within budgeted timeframes, dates, and schedules.

Travel  - Travel required between Auburn Hills, Livonia, and Detroit.

How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications ?

On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below. We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions, with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.

For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.

Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials .

We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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