How to answer ethical questions
For this question, we asked our friendly careers guru and acclaimed career advisor Claire Leslie for her insights, based on her experiences helping thousands of students prepare for competency and strengths-based interviews. Over to you Claire...
Firms may ask ethical questions to gain a greater insight into your character. Alternatively, they may simply want to test how you react under pressure and deal with difficult questions. There are not necessarily “correct” answers to all ethical questions, but remember, professional ethics are absolute and firms want to ensure their employees always act with integrity. Below are some examples of the types of ethical questions you may face, including some that I was personally asked during interviews.
Q. When have you acted ethically?
Q. When have you done something ethically questionable?
Q. Is it ever justifiable to lie?
Q. Would you support a client’s lie or mistake if to do otherwise would mean the firm loses the client?
Q. Should your client pay a bribe if necessary to get the job done?
Q. Would you ever pay a ransom?
How you can demonstrate ethics?
Of course, answers to ethical questions will very much depend on the nature of the question. If you’re asked whether you’ve acted ethically in the past, you might be able to talk about times you’ve acted honestly, or highlight charitable initiatives that you support (these could relate to, for example, sustainability, animal cruelty, poverty and a range of other causes and values). As mentioned, for questions around professional ethics, don’t forget that professional ethics are absolute. There is no leeway!