Contingencies Online - July/August 2009

Interviewing With Integrity
“WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL INTEGRITY STATEMENT?”
Does the question catch you off guard, or are you prepared with a solid
and concise response? The actuarial community places particularly high
value on ethics and integrity. While it can be a sensitive topic, it de-
serves candid and comprehensive discussion. Today’s workplace has
been defined by Enron, Sarbanes-Oxley, and the cry for transparency.
As never before, the actuarial community seeks and demands leaders
with courage, sound judgment, and unwavering values. In return, lead-
ers expect their employers to hold true to the same values.

According to the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide, hiring managers rank ethics and personal integrity among the most important attributes in a candidate. However, recent research uncovered that just 5 percent of employers include ethics questions in their interview processes. Today, the interviewing and hiring process is a two-way street. Potential candidates should be scrutinized more than ever, looking beyond technical skills and credentials to ethics, integrity, and overall values. Likewise, candidates should analyze an organization’s moral code and mission statement before agreeing to

come onboard. The ultimate winners are those companies and candidates that are appropriately matched based on their professional and personal codes of ethics.

Defining
Professional Integrity

The Code of Professional Conduct, ad-
opted by all five U.S.-based actuarial or-
ganizations, clearly outlines expectations
of professional integrity. Precept 1 states
that “an Actuary shall act honestly, with
integrity and competence, and in a man-
ner to fulfill the profession’s responsibility
to the public and to uphold the reputation
of the actuarial profession.”
Additionally, the American Society
of Pension Professionals and Actuaries,
the Casualty Actuarial Society, and the
Society of Actuaries all have a candi-
dates’ code of conduct to ensure that
those pursuing accreditation follow
the same ethical code as designated
members.

Not surprisingly, job candidates also evaluate a potential employer’s moral code. A distinct corporate brand conveys what a company stands for to its customers, rating agencies, state insurance departments, and current and potential employees. Moreover, it serves as a recruitment and retention tool. A company’s corporate brand should distinguish it from other

16 CONTINGENCIES JUL/AUG.09

organizations by emphasizing character, strengths, and personality. That same brand should also influence the decisions, attitudes, and actions of employees, by promoting corporate citizenship, community and professional leadership, and volunteer involvement. (According to Carol Sears, a member of the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline and principal of the Actuarial Consulting Group, getting involved in volunteer work is one of the best ways for actuaries to stay sharp. It also provides both individual and professional benefits.)

Woven into a brand is the company’s corporate culture, which can be seen in every statement of work or actuarial opinion issued by the company and is daily evident in the elevator, the cafeteria, and the conference room where respect, courtesy, and open communication are the norm.

Exhibiting Professional Integrity As with personal integrity, professional integrity can’t be turned off when it’s inconvenient.

“Since word-of-mouth references usually include questions about the ‘trust factor,’ the best way a candidate can bring integrity to the interview is to build a reputation for it over his or her whole career,” says Cliff Lange, chief financial officer and chief actuary at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Co.

Whether you’re an employer or a current or potential employee, you need to be cognizant of what your actions tell others. How can you demonstrate integrity both in and out of the interview room?

If you are an employer, you should: Employ leaders who exhibit integrity by being consistent, honest, open, and transparent and who are highly skilled at managing people, as well as building strategic relationships both internally and externally;