KPI: Integrity Test for Employees

One of the keys to running a successful business organization is having a team with integrity. Integrity, which is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principle, is needed in our relationship with others. It is needed in all areas of life, including business, which makes it a top priority in the workplace. To succeed in this regard, an atmosphere of honest and ethical behavior must be created in the workplace.

What is KPI?

To know how an organization is faring, a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is necessary. KPI is a type of performance measurement that helps in understanding how an organization or department is performing. This helps an organization understand whether they are taking the right path toward their strategic goals. For an organization to be on the same course, the integrity test is quite important. Employers and employees have to be on the same wavelength to achieve goals. They will have to be honest with themselves as well as air their honest views.

Tests have to be conducted by employers before employees get to work in an organization. We are of different cultures and backgrounds and also have different values. So the motive with which we take up a job might be different. Honesty is needed to be on track in an organization especially when it comes to business. Many top organizations, therefore, make it a point of duty to test their employees for integrity during recruitment.

Read also: Nigerian Churches: Another Case of Scam

According to Mr. Fashanu, the Managing Director of a Livestock feed sales company, it is very important to test employees for integrity even if they have the best qualifications for the job being offered. We make it a point of duty to put a question to them about their former employment and past behavior. There’s also an attitude check by the selection personnel.

Nnamdi Emeka, a chef in a popular eatery said before he was given the job, he was asked to provide a referee after submitting his credentials. He said, “I’ve worked in other fast-food companies, including South Africa; the case of providing a referee was always taken seriously. They just need to know if I’m answerable to someone so that the person is held responsible for my actions if things go wrong in the workplace. I guessed that’s their way of conducting an integrity test for their employees.”

For an organization to survive and achieve it’s set goals, a good KPI is required. This should be done from time to time so as to keep up with realizing and achieving the goals. For KPI to be effective, it must be well-defined and quantifiable; it must be communicated throughout the organization and department; it must be crucial to achieving the goal, and it must be applicable to the line of business or department. There are many KPIs to choose from but if you have a better understanding of which ones are specific to your industry, it will definitely be of benefit.

In this regard, training has to be done to keep employees on their toes. KPIs help the company see the effectiveness of employee training. KPI can be determined by creating an exam and monitoring the exam pass rate percentage. A larger organization may conduct a pre-test and a post-test after training to see specifically what was learned. For those offered a job, their honesty or integrity can be tested through pre-employment screening from the employers. This could be in the form of a written test (overt test) which asks about past behavior and attitude, or a personality-based measure of personality traits that are associated with theft and counterproductive behavior.

Integrity has been found to encourage open communications between employers, employees, and co-workers. It leads to effective relationships in an organization, thereby making goals set to be achieved. Integrity has also been found that the level of honesty associated with an organization impacts the livelihood of the business. It can also affect relationships beyond the company’s environment.

However, to create a culture of integrity in the workplace, it always starts and ends with your interactions with others. To build your personal integrity which will help in interacting with others in your workplace, here are some important tips:

• Demonstrate integrity and professionalism in your work at all times: do what you are meant to do and always fight for the course of moving the organization forward rather than pulling it down. Look for opportunities to contribute your own quota in this regard. Make honesty your watchword as you perform your duties effectively.
• Do more than you expect others to do: your integrity can be built when you focus on what you have to do. Always strive to display honesty in the way you relate with others rather than bringing them down with dishonest schemes. This is a pointer to creating a culture of integrity in your workplace.
• Develop your own accountability: as an employee in a workplace, you must take responsibility for the tasks assigned to you, perform the duties required by the job, and also be willing to be present for proper shifts in order to fulfill or achieve the goals of the organization.
• Listen and respect the opinions and decisions of others: the employers and co-workers have ways of moving their organization forward that may be different from yours so you have to consider their thoughts. The employers also have to hear from the employees to be on the right path towards achieving the set goals.

Helen Okafor, a salesperson in an insurance company said there is constant training of the staff by the board of the company before going out to the field every morning. She said many of them have kept their honest views to themselves since their bosses have never given any of their opinions a thought. As for her, they have not really been honest with themselves in moving the organization forward.

It is important to note that when there is integrity in the workplace, the goals set would be achieved with ease. The employees would also be able to voice their opinions and say things without fear of being misinterpreted by their employers. They have to ensure their employees’ voices are heard by taking into consideration their honest opinions.

In the real sense, it’s quite difficult to voice our honest opinions at times but the organization should always create the atmosphere for this to occur.

Do well to share your opinions on this topic in the comments section. Thanks for taking your time in reading this piece.

SOURCES: Wikipedia, Clearpointstrategy.com.