What Is Integrity? (With Examples)

Integrity is one of the most highly sought-out characteristics in potential employees, but it can be difficult to decipher what it means to display integrity in the workplace.

Keep reading to find out what integrity is, how it shows up in the workplace, and how and why you should display integrity at work.

Key Takeaways

• Integrity commits to ethical behavior, no matter the situation or the emotions surrounding the situation.

• People with integrity are enjoyable to work with and highly sought after by employers.

• You can practice showing integrity at work so that it becomes more natural and easier for you to display integrity under pressure.

What Is Integrity?

Integrity is defined as a firm, unwavering commitment to ethical behavior. It does not depend on the situation, the people you’re interacting with, or even your own personal (temporary) feelings. It means that you have a clear sense of your moral values, and you stick to them at all costs, regardless of who’s watching.

To have integrity means that you are honest, considerate, and empathetic to the lives and perspectives of others. It also means that you are able to stick up for yourself and your own perspective in a kind and professional way.

It’s obvious that kind, empathetic and considerate people are the ones you want to work with. This is why it’s such a highly sought-after trait. If each person on an organization’s team acts with integrity, it is a much more pleasant and productive work space. Each person feels supported and respected by the other.

It goes back to the golden rule: treat others how you would want to be treated if you were in their place. In business, that means respecting coworkers, employers, and all stakeholders, as well as the organization and its aims.

Learning to act with integrity is simple, and practicing it can have a profound impact not only on your professional life, but on your personal life as well.

Integrity at Work (Examples)

Let’s explore some scenarios of what integrity might look like in action.

Characteristics of Integrity

Displaying integrity really comes down to sticking true to what you think makes a good person and a good worker.

No matter what level you’re at or what position you hold within your organization, you can practice these characteristics of integrity to earn the trust of those around you.

Becoming familiar with these characteristics and learning to implement them in your daily life will help you earn the trust of your team and foster the healthiest, most creative possible work environment.

Read over these character traits and perhaps think about what they mean to you. You are already coming to this article with a unique worldview in which you have most likely thought about these traits and their value. Now’s the time to continue that project into the professional realm. The following traits are considered attributes of deep integrity:

• Respect. Respect for your team members — and for yourself — is absolutely a requirement in all circumstances. It doesn’t matter whether someone is “higher” or “lower” ranked than you, and it doesn’t matter how they affect your bottom line, everyone deserves basic respect.

• Empathy/Consideration. It can be easy to get stuck in a world of self-interest when we make decisions, but it’s crucial to remember that our lives exist among many other lives that are equally important. Each person you interact with in your work has their own life story, their own trials and tribulations. Listen actively and resist the urge to pass judgment.

• Honesty. Truthfulness is the path of least resistance. Be honest with what you’re doing and how it’s going. This will make your life — and the lives of those around you — much easier.

• Sincerity. In the same vein as honesty, practice being a sincere person. People are very good at sniffing out “fakeness”, and very averse to it. On the flip side, people love others who come off as “real”, and even (appropriately) vulnerable.

• Humility. You don’t know everything, and you don’t (and can’t) do everything perfectly all the time. Accept help from others, and be willing to apologize and own up to mistakes if necessary.

• Helpfulness. In your company or organization, everyone is working towards common goals. Show that you are eager and willing to help out for the common good, and those around you will know that you are someone they can depend on.

• Accountability. If you say you are going to do something or be somewhere, follow through on it. Keep those involved in your commitments in the loop, especially if you are struggling.

• Punctuality. Show up to work, meetings, and other obligations on time and ready. Turn in projects and other documents by the agreed upon dates. Other people are depending on your work; show them that you understand this.

• Consistency. A person can only be described as possessing integrity if they are consistent in their moral and upright behavior. It’s one thing to make the honest and fair choice only when it happens to benefit you or your favorite coworkers. It’s quit another to uphold the same principles when a fair outcome means that you or someone you like won’t get exactly what they want.

How to Grow Your Integrity

Here are some practical guidelines for displaying integrity in the workplace:

1. Speak kindly and professionally with all team members, clients, and stakeholders. When communicating at work, act like the mature professional you are. Don’t gossip about others or make fun of them. Don’t condescend to or speak over others. Absolutely no harassment or speaking in ways that make others uncomfortable. A smile and a kind tone will take you very far.

2. If you have concerns, bring them up directly and empathetically only with those involved. Don’t complain to coworker A about coworker B’s shortcomings. Instead, give coworker B the chance to learn and grow — and to give their side of the story — by bringing it directly to them instead. Maturely and respectfully managing conflict is one of the biggest tests of integrity.

3. Remember that you aren’t the center of the universe, and you aren’t always right. Of course your perspective matters, but it isn’t the only one that matters. Be willing to take others’ suggestions and help. Similarly, if someone comes to you with a concern, be willing to hear them out without getting defensive. You can learn a lot by paying attention to what others are telling you.

4. Help out, but set clear and reasonable boundaries. Offering help when you have extra time and energy shows your character as a team player. Just be sure to set clear and reasonable boundaries around what you’re willing to do, and don’t take on anything you don’t think you’re actually going to be able to do.

5. Don’t lie, steal, or behave dishonestly. This one sort of goes without saying, but showing integrity means you aren’t acting in a selfish, dishonest way. Don’t take advantage of the company or its people to benefit yourself. Don’t lie about the work you did or didn’t do. Don’t take money or supplies from the company.

6. Follow through on your commitments, and be honest when you are struggling with them. Honor your word. If you agree to do something or take on some responsibility, make it an earnest priority in your life. Consistent work ethic is an incredible show of integrity. If you are struggling with a task or responsibility, let the people involved know what’s going on so you can work something out as a team.

7. Take responsibility for your mistakes. Be willing to admit when you’re wrong, or when you’ve made a mistake. Show that you can hold yourself accountable. When necessary, apologize and explain how you will make things right.

8. Respect others’ time. Show up on time and turn things in on time to be courteous and build trust with others. Respond to communications in a timely manner. Be sure to also mind and respect the free time and non-work obligations of others by not expecting them to be available and working 24/7.

9. Be human. You’re not a smiling work robot. You don’t have to fake an overly positive affect, especially not as a means of trying to force positivity on others. Be gracious and pleasant, but not at the cost of being a real person.

10. Show self-respect. Lastly, remember that you are just as deserving of respect and consideration as those around you. Be able to kindly stick up for yourself, your ideas, and your values.

Benefits of Integrity in the Workplace

Showing integrity as an individual and promoting it as a workplace culture brings a variety of benefits:

• It encourages ethical decision-making.

• It creates a positive work environment.

• It builds better leaders.

• It produces a culture where diversity is valued.

• It fosters trust between coworkers and leaders.

• It makes for strong teams.

• It helps protect a company from easily avoidable wrongdoing and scandal.

Final Thoughts

Integrity isn’t exactly a soft skill you can add to the skills list on your resume, but it’s a key ingredient to an upright and moral life. It’s easier to respect yourself when you follow a consistent code of ethics, regardless of what the situation is or who happens to be watching.

From the perspective of employability skills, a team made up of people who have integrity will notice more effective communication, a more positive attitude around the office, and the ability to solve problems without a host of unnecessary issues like finger-pointing and mistake-hiding holding up a project.

Maintaining your integrity isn’t always straightforward, but even the attempt to display the qualities associated with integrity will improve your relationships and simplify your life. You’ll have peace of mind that you’ve got nothing to hide and that you did the right thing, no matter the outcome.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.