Do you think that a mismatch between your values and those of your company can overcome, particularly if they're not of an ethical/moral nature?

11 Comments

1. Heather (she/her)November 12,2023 at 11:19AM UTC

   I think it depends on a lot of things. How highly to you value your own values? Are they things you can't compromise on? Will you be able to truly be successful and productive in an environment that goes against the things you believe to be right?

   Most people can put up with mismatched values for a while, and if you are desperate for a job that's sometimes what you have to do, but I don't think anyone is doing their best work in an environment that they know isn't aligned to the way they want the world to be. If you're staunchly on one side of an issue and find that your company is donating money to the other side, it's going to be hard to reconcile that well.

   I also think younger generations are putting increasing emphasis on finding work that does align with their values, so there may be a big shift coming in the way that companies choose, align to, and publicize their values that could make it easier for people to avoid "mismatch" situations when possible.

2. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 1:04PM UTC

   If you are someone who is driven by values and works hard to keep your decisions and life in general in alignment with your values then I would think it would be important to keep all aspects of your life true to the values you hold dear.

3. April LineNovember 12,2023 at 1:43PM UTC

   I think it depends on who you are and the nature of the ethical difference.

   I think i require more ethical alignment than most people, a lot of folks just blind eye things that don't sit right, like they have great attitudes of, "i am not paid to care about that, i am paid to x."

   My scruples are super-aggressive. And i'll speak up if i see something not right. So sometimes (usually) esp as a woman, i get in trouble for doing so.

   On the other hand, the values/ethics alignment thing is how nonprofit orgs continue to pay their worker bees PITTANCE, even tho many of the orgs could afford to properly compensate.

   This is a thing i am thinking about and working through, too. It feels like a me problem. How to i stop being so convinced that i need ethical alignment in order to be happy at a job?

   I am glad you asked this question, and when i started commenting, i thought i would have a more meaningful contribution. Looking forward to what others say.

4. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 3:04PM UTC

   The only one that can answer this is you. This all depends on the nature of the difference in values and whether or not you feel like they are trying to "indoctrinate" you to believe as they do. If you can do your work without compromising your values and ethics and ignore the rest, then do that. If not, look for work elsewhere.

   As one in senior management for a company that was eventually caught by the SEC for shady accounting practices, I was thankful that I stood my ethical ground when they asked me to do something I felt would be dishonest. The marketing manager (a peer) made the call and did what I was asked, but I never felt right about it. I was eventually demoted, and a few years later, I was laid off. Later, the SEC got wind of what happened, and long story short, two of the top three executives did jail time and had to repay millions of dollars in bonuses. I was happy to be long gone from the company by that time, but I never lost sleep over having betrayed my values for a company, as I could have easily been one of the ones in jail.

5. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 4:25PM UTC

   Not for the long term.

6. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 10:08PM UTC

   If it's just a job to you and you dont feel much connection then no take the paycheck and don't think too much about it.

7. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 2:00PM UTC

   Yes, and no. If you're asked to be part of the unethical / immoral events and culture, then yes.

   If you need a job to feed your family, or for the health insurance, or for basic life needs, and you are not being asked to take part in the unethical / immoral events, then I think it's just a job and as long as people aren't being hurt, I would suck it up. That's just me.

8. Elizabyth HarringtonNovember 13,2023 at 2:54PM UTC

   I personally will not work with a company that has values that are very different from mine. I am a very upfront, honest and ethical person. I know from experience that I can't work in a company that is unethical to customers or employees. It's a hard nope for me.

9. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:05AM UTC

   I just had to deal with this question and opted to not move forward with an application, but that was before losing my job.
   Now . . . for me the question is how much, how well, and for how long I could fake it if necessary because I'm a terrible actress.

   I've liked posts on LinkedIn I'm not going to go back and unlike because I think I'd be setting myself up to fail if an employer monitored people's LinkedIn likes, etc, to see how much they align with the company's values.
   Would they have people drive by our houses to see what, if any, political signs were in the yard?

   The thing is (with the role in question with a Christian organization that is even more conservative than I realized when I applied) I could quietly sit through a chapel service and consider myself a "respectful visitor" in someone else's religion even if I disagreed with what i was hearing, but I could not participate if asked without it being obvious I didn't believe as they do. While it wouldn't be easy (due to friends and family) I --in a work setting--could be quiet while people condemn non-Christians or LGBTQ, but I could not in any way join in with that BS. I'd also have to weigh what affiliation with said organization would/could do to my professional relationships with people they clearly view as inferior. Could MY people respect the need for a paycheck or would my willingness to get the paycheck with that company raise questions for them as to who I really am?

   Plus I just could not get past seeing the word "fornication" on the statement of faith employees are required to sign. I consider my (currently nonexistent) dating life NONE of my workplace's business at all. What the YUCK?

10. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:15PM UTC

    What a great question! Thank you for starting this thread.

    Seems like a very relatable space for us all. My personal values/morals / integrity continue to be challenged everyday in the workforce.

    Because there will ALWAYS be something (including people like friends, family, etc.) you don't agree with: good, bad or different, you just have to know what your boundaries are ( stick to them) or learn to walk away/ let it go.

11. Vivian HwaNovember 22,2023 at 3:18PM UTC

    Tough choice, fake it and ignore it? Or bring your unique and different perspective to the workplace and see if you can see a shift or make allies? In the context of a workplace full of men and white people, sometimes I do feel like a POC woman is what they need to hear from. Not saying that sexism and racism was their value, but that working on sexism and racism is a stronger value and priority for me and I can do the hard work to convince them to do the same. It's really tough, but worth it sometimes.