Ethical Recruitment eh!!
By Sanjay Patro.
Last week I had a virtual run in with some virtual colleagues over the issue of having an ethical stand in recruitment.
The discussion was amongst four individuals - virtual HR GOD, virtual DEVILS ADVOCATE, virtual DAMSEL IN DISTRESS and finally a group of virtual standby spectators (taken together as the final individual) who partly cheered the GOD and others who applauded the advocate’s bitchy stand!! The story unfolded as below...
DAMSEL IN DISTRESS from INDIA (DIDI) starts the ball rolling - "Hey guys - is there any place for ethics in recruitment?" she asked swinging from side to side - hoping to catch the attention of the World Wide Web (www).
High on speed and extremely volatile on issues pertaining to ethics, GOD changes gear and moves fast to DIDI's rescue - "Sure. Why not my child?" he questions knowingly, and proceeds to deliver his sermon on ethics, its virtues and the punishment for not following his ten commandments. By the end of it GOD is happy to have released his sermon and a motley group of the spectators applaud. Some of them start the ritual dissection of the GODS sermon analysing the articles, prepositions and tenses to examine the philosophical, evangelical and moral meanings of each word, phrase and prose that GOD just delivered.
The DEVILS ADVOCATE (DA) who is cringing in his black robe all this while can contain it no longer and releases his imp in the guise of a case study. Humans give in to the excitement of a revolution in making almost instantaneously and swear by the imps case study observations. God promises a duel to the end and the virtual Mahabharat of HR starts. Conch shells are blown, swords drawn and arrows fly - all at virtual targets.
The DA uses his armour of wit against GOD’s arsenal of morality till finally DIDI can take it no more. STOP IT she yelps in distress. The pair of you can have your closing statements now and the final decision shall be mine, she says swaying her hips valiantly at silencing the forces that run the HR in the universe.
GOD blinks first and commences on another long diatribe. He partially gives in to the DA but closes his monologue swearing by the victory of good over evil and that finally let the childhood values of high morality prevail.
The DA swishes his black robe in the air and makes his closing remarks – DIDI, your honour, I just wish to bring to your attention the biggest corporate on Earth and its recent recruitment standards. India – the biggest democracy on the globe after a herculean election mania churned out a majority for the congress. But look at the council of ministers and take your decision if ethics has any place in recruitment in the biggest organization of the globe.
Next, look at the mightiest democratic organization of the globe – the US of A. After a prolonged duel of the equals and the unequals, woman and man, white and black, each maligning the other to no extent and literally damning their opponents to the fires of hell …. They recruited each other and are living happily till they switch organizations yet again!! Once again, DIDI, your honour, take your decision if ethics has any place in the mightiest organization of the globe.
I rest my case your honour.
The author is the Director for Trainers 'n' Mentors - A skill based corporate training venture. Check out their activities at http://www.trainersnmentors.com
1 comment:
Well, its quite an interesting way of putting it.
'Whether ethics has a place in recruitment or not' is one thing and whether there SHOULD be a place for ethics in recruitment and all other aspects of business is yet another.
I believe that ethics is not about what is popular or what is prevalent, it is about what is right!
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