Users Guide to the Principles for Professional Conduct
| Index to Ethics Guide |
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Principles for Employer Professionals
1. Refraining from Improper Influence
“Employment professionals will refrain from any practice that improperly influences and affects job acceptances. Such practices may include undue time pressure for acceptance of employment offers and encouragement of revocation of another employment offer. Employment professionals will strive to communicate decisions to candidates within the agreed-upon time frame.”
(Intent / Rationale / Scenario / Resolution / Resources)
Intent
Students should be afforded the opportunity to make employment decisions
that are based on a rational evaluation of their needs and
preferences.
Rationale
This principle calls on two of the three fundamental Principles
precepts, namely an “open and free selection of employment opportunities”
and “informed and responsible decision making by candidates.” It
reflects a core value of the career services profession, noted in
the Principles introduction as “helping students choose and
attain personally rewarding careers.” While Principle One cautions
against unduly influencing students by “imposing personal values
or biases,” this employment principle takes a similar stance by
proscribing actions that will interfere with a student’s right to
conduct a free and clear appraisal of his or her needs while considering
an offer.
Beneath this all is the respect for the human right of autonomy,
i.e., being able to function independently of the control of others.
Individuals whose autonomy is being respected by an employment professional
will be provided with valid and complete information about the organization
and position, and will be given a reasonable amount of time to make
a decision about an offer. On the spot offers requiring quick decisions,
signing bonuses that will be revoked quickly if the offer is not
accepted within the tight timeline, and arbitrarily long delays
in letting the student know about the outcome of an interview, violate
the spirit of this principle.
Scenario
An organization employing interns makes an offer to an exceptional
rising senior at the end of the summer. The offer is for a full-time
position effective immediately following graduation. As the organization
is desperate for students with this background, a generous signing
bonus is included. However, the employer stipulates that the student
must give an answer before the end of September, at which time the
bonus and offer will be withdrawn.
Resolution
This sort of offer violates the Principles. The employer’s
need and urgency are understandable. For the student, the appeal
of not having to worry about job searching is considerable. However,
this offer places unreasonable pressure on the student to relinquish
the right to explore a full range of opportunities provided through
the school’s recruiting program. And, from a practical standpoint,
organizations that engage in this practice run the risk of bringing
in employees who soon discover that their decisions were not sufficiently
thought-out and that they could be much happier elsewhere. In this
instance all parties lose.
Kaplan, Rochelle. "A Legal Look at Offers and Acceptances." Spotlight, May 3, 1999.
Kaplan, Rochelle. "Playing the Hiring Game: The Ethics of Offers and Acceptances." Journal of Career Planning & Employment, Winter 1998.
NACE Principles for Professional Conduct Committee. "Exploding Offers." Spotlight, October 15, 1999.
NACE Principles for Professional Conduct Committee. "Playing Fair." Job Choices 2002.
Principle
2. Knowledge of the field, industry, and
organization, possession of requisite skills
