As a business leader or human resource professional, you know the importance of having a favorable company culture. Today’s workers are more aware of social, performance, and educational career environments than ever before. And those brands that constantly evolve and improve the coworking dynamics will always attract top talent. What you may not realize is the direct correlation between company culture and ethics policies. A boost to your ethics guidelines will directly impact and improve how your employees feel about working with you.

Company Culture Matters

The 2021 Global Business Ethics Survey reported that 21% of workers believed their employers’ had strong ethical culture. Another 86% of employees who claimed to have witnessed misconduct have also admitted to reporting such activities. And it demonstrates that when staff has an active role in monitoring and managing the company’s ethics, the perceived company culture is more favorable. So, as you consider improvements to our ethics policies, you can also bank on improving the overall culture in your workplace.

Improved Transparency Drives Loyalty

Part of a robust ethics policy is the enforcement of transparency, transparency in violations definitions, concerns, investigations, and violation outcomes. When everyone understands what constitutes good and bad behavior and can predict with certainty the outcomes of those violations, they become more confident they’re working with a compliant brand striving for the best. Some mistakes are meant to be teachable lessons. Others will warrant zero-tolerance consequences. But knowing where those lines are will ensure everyone on your team will be prepared to embrace them.

Baking Ethics into Your Culture

Ethics policies aren’t simply rulebooks for what employees should or should not do. Instead, when they’re baked into your company culture efforts, they represent a higher standard, encouraging staff to step up to the better way of performing. It can be inspiring and not the “gotcha” tool it once was. Today’s professionals will look to work with companies that hold themselves and others to this higher standard, and the culture will automatically improve.

Ethics Policies Promote Continuous Learning

You recognize that everything about your company and industry changes. And it warrants an ongoing effort to develop and improve ethics guidelines and positioning. When your teams see how you’re constantly looking to improve company ethics, they will feel your effort to improve the culture, as well. They’ll be confident that they’re working with a brand that embraces change and dynamic new ways of being and doing better. And it’s those brands that always attract rising stars and top talent.

If you’re looking for innovative and insightful ways to improve your company’s culture, consider taking a look at your current ethics policies. What improvements can you make to how you train, coach, and manage your teams regarding ethics? And when you identify those areas of improvement, you’ll be able to boost your company culture. Additionally, adding an ethics hotline can provide another channel for feedback and ethics concerns ongoing. Include your employees in the ethics monitoring process and make them a bigger part of your overall company objectives. Contact Ethical Advocate with ethics hotline questions and let our team help you take the next step toward improving your ethics position and your company culture!