Right, Wrong and the Torment of a Bad Choice ~ August , 2009
A recruiter's client was so excited about two candidates that they had a difficult time making a choice. They finally decided that they wanted to hire both candidates. The problem was that this company couldn't afford to pay two commissions, causing a moral dilemma for the firm. Recruiters make their living from placing individuals for a fee, and many operate on the premise that, "If you don't pay me, you can't hire that person." Fair compensation for a job well done.
But, should a client's inability to pay a second commission stand in the way of an earnest candidate getting an ideal job, especially in this economy? Or is allowing the company to hire a candidate without paying a commission setting a precedent that could harm not only the recruitment firm, but the industry? What's the "right" thing to do?
The dilemma set me thinking about the special circumstances of moral and ethical questions in the recruitment business, as opposed to the more spiritually-oriented quandaries we deal with on the personal side of life. New York 's Center for International Leadership president, Zygmunt Nagorski, says of moral challenges in business: "Material rewards are swift and sometimes enormous in our society. Their dark side is not a potential social punishment. It is simply contending with an inner torment."[1]
When you're in a moral business dilemma, the question is: Can you live with the internal torment of making a choice that is, on some level, wrong?
Moral dilemmas make for lonely decisions
Moral dilemmas in businesses somehow seem less than black and white. They force you to make choices in one of two contexts: trying not to do harm; or doing or leaving undone something that is good. Often, you're choosing between two actions that can both be justified, as in the firm's dilemma, above. Some examples of other moral dilemmas common in business are:
- You just took a job and a better one came along, should you sacrifice your professional growth to stand by your commitment?
- Is the social responsibility of business to increase its profits, as Milton Friedman said, in which case you'd put shareholders first in every case? Or, should your business have a social conscience as well?
- What should you allow into your products? Is it okay to use materials that you know have some toxicity? How do you balance profits with the environment and with safety?
- Should you sacrifice jobs to save the company?
- Should you drive a mortal blow into the heart of your competitor if you can, or does concern over the hurt you'd cause to those employees weigh in?
- If you're doing business globally, how much do you compromise your services to the demands of a foreign country, as many see Yahoo and Google having done in China ?
- How do you decide when the ends justify the means?
Making these kinds of decisions can be lonely indeed, and the test is always whether you're able to live with yourself after making your choice.
Getting to the "right" choice
There a few ways you can help yourself get to the right decision - one that won't torment you for months or even years.
Get prepared. Many business schools offer and even require courses in business ethics; and ethics are included in many leadership programs. These courses create awareness of the types of ethical issues you may face in business and many add analytical and reasoning skills training. Take advantage of these courses.
Ask others. Seek out a mentor whose ethics you respect and ask their advice. Or, initiate dialogues with diverse people to gain various perspectives on a particular dilemma.
Test yourself. As you make your choice, ask yourself these questions:
- Will I be free of guilt if I make this choice? Can I live with this choice?
- If my decision involved my family or close friends would I make the same choice?
- Would it be okay if someone made the same choice and it affected me?
- Would an ethical person I respect make the same choice?
Over time, you'll become conscious of the decisions and choices you make and understand what living with your choice will mean to you. This, more than anything, will help resolve moral dilemmas.