Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Ethics Playing Cards
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6
A colleague asks you about going for a position in a different department. You have heard the position is likely to be filled by someone else. What advice do you give them?
Case Studies
- You are aware that a neighbouring department has a particular way of doing things that does not accord with standard policy. Why might this be a problem when it comes to recruitment?
Discussion
Equity and fairness is vital for the internal health of an organisation. If recruitment processes are not fair and transparent they can produce resentment and loss of confidence in those and other processes
- How honest should you be if you’ve heard office gossip about a particular position? Are you perpetuating a lack of confidence in the situation or just telling it as it is? Ultimately it is up to management to ensure that appropriate processes are followed.
- It is very easy for an organisation to simply perpetuate itself as people, if left to their own devices, will tend to recruit and promote other people that look and sound like themselves – whether this is conscious or unconscious. This can have a negative impact on representation and diversity, and can lead to groupthink, especially when we hire in our own image, and staleness in attitudes and approaches to situations.
- Should everyone be treated the same to ensure fairness? Or does this approach risk missing vital context that matters?
- Variation from standard procedure can all too easily look like favouritism or exceptionalism so if it is justified, it must be done carefully.