Recruitment consultants are the least likely group in the City to blow the whistle if there is unethical behaviour going on in their company, according to a survey.
Website hereisthecity.com asked readers what they would do if they discovered that a close work colleague was involved in unethical behaviour that was likely to bring their firm’s name into disrepute, and damage the business.
Overall 83% of respondents said that they would blow the whistle if they came across such activities.
The most ethically-sound respondents came from US investment banks, where 93% of respondents said that they would blow the whistle.
This compares with the 51.3% of recruitment consultants who would blow the whistle, making them the most likely to turn a blind eye to misdemeanours.
Just over one in 10 (14%) recruiters said they weren’t sure what to do, while 35% said they would keep quiet.
Citigroup staff were the most trustworthy respondents, with 99.3% of staff confirming that they would blow the whistle on a close work colleague. None said they would turn a blind eye.
John Harker, Citigroup’s head of HR for EMEA, said: “We are pleased that so many of our people feel empowered to escalate practices or behaviours that they believe are inconsistent with our shared responsibilities to our clients, each other and the franchise.
“This empowerment is integral not only to our governance model, but moreover to our company’s culture around the world.”
