Every human resource professional must improve the organizations they work with and support their moral excellence. The role requires professional accountability for individual actions and lobbying for the profession by participation in initiatives that raise the standing and value of the field. In this case, the HR specialist must decide whether to select the most qualified applicant for the job or not based on ethical considerations. The CEO has not followed SHRM’s ethical considerations, which encourage HR specialists to support using and appreciating humans as workers. It is difficult for the HR director to choose between advising the CEO and keeping quiet.
Ethical Implication
Adverse effects on the management and organizational climate of the organization may result from failing to provide essential advice. According to Bakker and Demerouti’s (2018) research, fostering a positive work environment is critical to raising employee motivation, output, job satisfaction, and well-being. Ultimately, these responses may produce superior outcomes for the organization’s profitability and scalability. As a result of the CEO’s crush on the young woman, there are speculations that the CEO will choose her in this instance, and as a result, stakeholders and most workers feel that there will be partiality in filling the post. The CEO would eventually lose the trust he gained because of his lack of integrity, and the respect he had gained from practically everyone had decreased. This will have a detrimental effect on employee morale. The HR manager’s intervention in shaping his choices will enhance the organization’s ability to retain integrity and confidence in managerial judgments. Having a say in the CEO’s choices would improve the working atmosphere, build community and connection between staff and management, and promote cooperation, teamwork, and better-quality project output, increasing customer loyalty (Purwanto, 2020). Employees frequently function at their best when their physical workspace and working environment suit them.
Consequences
The CEO’s decision to choose the young woman and HR’s inaction would damage the company’s reputation and negatively impact other stakeholders. Additionally, the move would violate SHRM policy and the code of conduct, which mandate that positions be filled based on merit. The act will have unfavorable effects, such as encouraging corruption and dishonesty and sustaining the current tendency inside the company.
Ethical Aspects Associated with the Proposed HR Solution
Establishing a unique ethics program advances corporate interests and attention, and since the company can eloquently illustrate the value of business ethics, employees are more inclined to apply ethical thinking. When the CEO chooses an employee based only on their qualifications, it presents a positive image and demonstrates integrity within the company. Waddock (2017) asserts that employees might be inspired to carry out their responsibilities with integrity if organizational policies and procedures are followed in every facet of the business. Workers at a company that values ethics show a strong sense of morality, enhanced decision-making, high levels of teamwork, and pride in their jobs. In this case, the CEO must show that they have a high degree of integrity by working with the HR manager to choose the best candidate for the open position based on merit.
In their work, Valentine and Godkin (2019) argued that moral decision-making is the cornerstone of influential leaders establishing their companies, promoting integrity, trust, and long-term viability. To guarantee that the corporate principles, policies, and standards are followed, HR, in this instance, should step in and persuade the CEO to forego taking legal action against his conduct. However, letting the CEO appoint the young lady to the open post will violate the company’s moral principles, raising the prospect of legal action.
Legal Deliberations
According to the Professional Code of Ethics, all duties must be completed to the best standards feasible, using professional knowledge and competence and exercising sound judgment. Any organizational leader should base decisions, particularly those made during the recruiting process, on the ethical code of conduct, as argued by Swanson (2022). In this situation, the CEO let his actions be guided by self-interest and intended to offer the position to the young woman because he had a crush on her, disregarding the ethical code of conduct in the first place. Once the young woman is employed, the CEO attempts to make approaches, running the danger of becoming a victim of sexual harassment. The rights that shield workers from harassment by their superiors are violated by sexual harassment, which is a significant crime that employers may become victims of in the modern era. Such behavior creates an uncomfortable environment, which damages the organization’s reputation and results in low morale, stress, and absenteeism among employees.
HR Practitioner’s Mandate
Every HR professional mustEvery HR professional must assist their organizations in avoiding litigation, penalties, and legal costs by ensuring that all leaders follow company ethics and standards while filling open positions. Emphasizing merit-based hiring is essential, and HR managers may make this happen by engaging in thorough consultation and negotiation. The CEO should be approached by the HR manager, who should lay out the adverse effects of his choice on the whole company.
Solving the HR Challenge Basing on SHRM Behavioral Competencies
In this instance, the HR manager should implement the suggested SHRM behavioral techniques, encompassing thorough consultation, a critical assessment of the circumstances, relationship management, communication, ethical conduct, and cultural efficacy. The HR manager can persuade the CEO to operate in a certain way, emphasizing ethical behavior and communication. This can be accomplished by using relationship management to keep the HR manager and the CEO on good terms. We need to know what success looks like to advance in our careers (Rehman et al., 2021). A successful settlement in this instance, and consequently a solid corporate culture and favorable company image, requires all these abilities.
References
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2018). Multiple levels in job demands-resources theory: Implications for employee well-being and performance. In Handbook of well-being. Noba Scholar.
Purwanto, A. (2020). The role of job satisfaction in the relationship between transformational leadership, knowledge management, work environment, and performance. Solid State Technology.
Rehman, K. U., Mata, M. N., Martins, J. M., Mariam, S., Rita, J. X., & Correia, A. B. (2021). SHRM practices employee and organizational resilient behavior: Implications for open innovation—Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(2), 159.
Swanson, R. A. (2022). Foundations of human resource development. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Valentine, S., & Godkin, L. (2019). Moral intensity, ethical decision-making, and whistleblowing intention. Journal of Business Research, 98, 277-288.
Waddock, S. (2017). Integrity and mindfulness: Foundations of corporate citizenship. In Perspectives on corporate citizenship (pp. 26–38). Routledge.
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