Integrity is a rarity to get in this fast-paced world. It is an ideal quality to have if you want to excel in all walks of life. Integrity is something that is rare but it is possible to find it or develop it in you. What is integrity? It is an action that you take when the odds are all against you. When you are making the right decision even when you know it will cost you something, that is when you know that you have achieved this quality. Here, let’s know What Does Integrity Mean to You?
If integrity has a face, what does it look like?
- Integrity puts others first and is helpful without having any agenda.
- They put a value on relationships and do things to make the relationships better.
- Puts value on honesty and openness.
- Owning up to your mistakes.
- Maintaining a grateful attitude.
- Being reliable and trustworthy.
- Deal respectfully to everyone.
- Being adaptable to the environment around you.
- Have patience with those around you when needed.
- Always strive to bring unity in the workplace.
- Overcome conflict tactfully and prudently.
- He/she values others’ time as well as his/her time. This means they are always punctual and meet deadlines without fail.
- Excuses are not on their lips. They are genuine and caring towards everyone including themselves.
- They have a sense of responsibility and take care of business with professionalism.
Why is having integrity important?
Integrity is a quality that an interviewer looks for because this sets apart a good candidate from the rest. Those who value this quality and make an effort to inculcate the habits of integrity in their lives make better partners, employees, and managers. Working under or for a person full of integrity makes you more in love with your job. This quality makes a wrong right without any bias or partiality. If an employer hires someone with this quality, an employer will certainly benefit greatly. He/she does not have to worry about the work being done. Not only that he/she may give extra service too. An employee with integrity will make sure a business is running with excellence.
How to answer if you are faced with the interview question what does integrity mean to you?
When you are faced with such a question, it is important to note these points before you answer.
Point no 1:- How does integrity look in the place of work.
The quality of integrity is displayed in so many ways in the workplace.
One can see them in these ways:-
- You are an exemplary role model of keeping your promises and lending a helping hand to the staff whenever possible. Meaning others can rely on you with their eyes close.
- You are extremely punctual in the work or work meetings etc.
- Your boss can rely on you with sensitive topics or keep you in charge of places that carry valuable items as you have earned their trust.
- You are always tagged with the words faithful one, kind, and eager to always help out.In short, having a strong work ethic.
Point no 2:- when this question is asked your hiring manager wants to see your values and principles and what is it that makes you thrive as a person.
- They want to see if you are a person that values honesty.
- How you maintain your relationship.
- How do you judge a situation Eg:- critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
The caveat to this question is to have an example of a real-life work situation you may have encountered where you had to take a bold decision or some incident where you did not participate in some toxic workplace situation. This type of answer will win you points. But just saying what integrity means to you without giving a real-life work situation will make you look superficial and a bragger.
Some tips on how to answer this question:–
- Always remember that while answering such a question, it is okay to be a little philosophical in your answer.
- Be enthusiastic and only speak about real occurrences.
- Don’t make it sound like a humble-bragging. That’s the last thing your interviewer would like to listen to.
- Make the answer passionate and refreshing.
- It should inspire your hiring manager to follow your example.
- Have a positive outlook on the story.
- Don’t look down on those who don’t follow your principle while you are narrating it.
- It is very important to keep a positive vibe to your experience.
Here is some sample answer on how to give a proper answer using your workplace situation that you may have faced.
Sample Answer 1:- When I was working as a kindergarten teacher in a reputable school, I had encountered a situation if left unreported, the school’s reputation would be affected. I felt it was my duty to do so even if it cost me to become unpopular among my peers. I needed to do the right thing. So, I did not budge and reported the incident to the principal. I was relieved to know that the offender was fired from the job. I believe that we are hired to be the guardian of the organization in which we work and anything that tarnishes its reputation should not be tolerated. It is our basic duty to do so.
Sample Answer 2:- As an assistant in a reputed organization, I was trusted to handle large valuable items. My manager trusts me and he only lets me have the key to the room and he would never trust others with the same responsibility. I earned his trust over the years and till the day I worked there, there have been just showers of praise for my integrity and honesty. I am told that till today they use my name as an example of faithfulness and integrity to teach the new hires or the juniors.
Sample Answer 3:- The last job where I worked, I had to deal with a very toxic environment. It was full of office politics and one of the most well-known habits over there was stabbing behind each other’s back. Most just follow each other blindly without caring for one another. Hurting each other and making a mess of the workplace. When I joined it was very hard for me to adjust to such an environment. I believe in unity and giving grace to others. This means I don’t enjoy gossiping about my teammates or staff member. I earned the reputation of being a holy angel but that didn’t bother me to adapt to their toxic ways. I stood my ground and supported and helped anyone and everyone. Soon, I noticed some colleagues made some changes in their behavior and acted more like a professional. I realized that they just didn’t have anyone to model to and so, I dedicated myself to learning and even work harder along these lines to set a good example to my colleague. It did work and I am glad I took that route. For me having integrity is a quality I would never trade for anything.
Sample Answer 4:- In a day job as a cashier, there is always a situation that tests your integrity. Once at my job, one of the customers while giving cash, his thick 24-carat gold bracelet fell on my counter. The customer was oblivious of it. I don’t believe in taking what’s not mine. I maintain very strict work ethics so needless to say I returned them and I still remember the look in his eyes, he was so surprised that I made it known to him right away. He offered to give me a huge tip which I refused because it was not there in my company policy to receive tips from a customer. My manager was not around when this happened. I could have taken the tip but the only person who would know is me, I could never bring myself to such a low position of self-condemnation. Therefore, when a decision of integrity arises, I don’t have trouble taking the right decision with pleasure.
Sample Answer 5:- I love to work and I make sure that I am always up and ready to take the day’s challenges with eagerness and enthusiasm. This is just me as a professional. To do that, I plan for the next day, a day ahead. I make sure I am office-ready the next day. For me to be the most productive in the work, I need to take care of my physical health and mental health. For that, I take kickboxing as an exercise and maintain a diary as writing gives me perspective on what needs to be improved and things that need to be appreciated. I balance my work- life this way. I try to display excellence in everything I do. And this is how I maintain my integrity in my work-life.
Sample Answer 6:- One thing I am passionate about is fostering unity and collaborating with different cultures to bring a positive change together. I value people who can bring out an old idea with a fresh perspective. As I was the project head in my previous organization, I worked with people of diverse backgrounds. It is instilled in me to always value those different voices and build worthwhile together.
Conclusion
Noone has fully achieved all the facets of this quality. There is a lot to learn and more to explore in this area. You have to be aware that the interviewer’s question to this is to know how your work ethic is. In short, your hiring manager wants to see your work life in a nutshell. So, make the best use of it by collecting examples from your past of the good works you have done to make a situation better in your workplace or in the lives of the people you work with. Such answers will earn the trust of your hiring manager and he/she will feel bolder to give you a chance in the hiring process. Your interviewer wants to see the leadership side of you and the way you cope with stress or how you solve problems. Your answer will help them analyze your EQ and other skills that are needed to do the job. So frame the best answer and impress your interviewer.
