Data Dome Workforce Trends and Assessments

The new Hudson Survey shows that there is a considerable gap between policies and reality. While nearly a third (31%) of U.S. workers have witnessed co-workers engaging in ethical misconduct, only 52% of them reported it. This despite that 78% say their companies clearly communicate what they consider unethical and ethical behavior in the workplace. Other key findings:

• Government workers are more likely than their entrepreneurial and private enterprise counterparts to report that they have seen coworkers engage in unethical or illegal behavior (38 percent compared to 29 percent and 31 percent, respectively).


• On average, those making less than $40,000 annually are less likely to feel their company’s leadership behaves with honesty and integrity – 65 percent compared to 74 percent nationally.


• Men under the age of 40 and African-American workers have witnessed significantly more ethical misconduct by co-workers (42 percent and 36 percent respectively).


• Only a quarter (26 percent) workers over age 50 have witnessed unethical behavior, and nearly eight in ten (77 percent) believe that their leaders behave with honesty and integrity.

It would have been interesting if they would have added questions in this survey regarding perceptions toward whistleblowers. I am also curious about why there is no breakdown of the kinds of abuses workers witnessed.

In any case, the rise of unethical behavior and the unwillingness of half the workforce to report it when they see it is a problem.

What Can You Do?

Conduct your own survey to pinpoint issues of cultural vitality, integrity, ethics, and safety.

Use pre-employment assessments.

• Select Pre-Employment Screening System identifies hourly customer service, call center and entry-level sales/service providers with stable work-related personality characteristics and productive work behaviors.


• E-Net Hire Workplace Attitudes analyzes up to 16 positive and negative behaviors you select as being important to the job.


• Orion Opinion Survey measures specific job-relevant attitudes – customer service and safety versions are also available.


• Intercept Oral Fluid Drug Testing is a user-friendly oral drug screening protocol that can be administered right in your office during the interview.

Call us at 404-814-0739 for a complimentary consultation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005 at 3:31 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.