Starting a career in the corporate world often involves navigating difficult situations, especially when personal values clash with a company’s practices. Whether you’re stuck in a job that doesn’t align with your values or striving to make a change from within, this post offers insights on navigating those tricky waters.
“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.”
Potter Stewart, Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
My first job out of college was working for—truth be told—the only company that would hire me with the degree I had and my very minimal work experience. I was grateful for the role and even for the paltry, genuinely insulting paycheck. The people I worked with (that is, the other entry-level grunts) we mostly lovely, interesting people who, like me, were doing work that they weren’t necessarily passionate about, but for which they were appreciative.
The problem for me was at the C-Suite level. From my perspective at the bottom of the pyramid, they seemed to be an opportunistic, money-obsessed bunch whose business practices were exploitative of both workers like me and the clients we served. They preached a mantra of world-change, outrageous customer service and leader development that was frankly at odds with their daily practices, which felt monopolistic, mercenary and underhanded.
In hindsight, I feel a perverse pleasure in pointing out these flaws; I feel vindicated because I no longer work as a cog in a machine so indifferent to my wellbeing and that of others. But at the time, it was painful. I needed the line on my resume to demonstrate continuing work history, and most importantly, I needed the money. When we find personal values and ethics at odds with those of our employers and the institutions they serve, the results can run the gamut from anxiety to self-disgust and even to shame. So what do we do? Where’s the line between our ideals and our real life – between what we believe and the practical requirements of the day-to-day grind? Here are some steps to consider and questions to ask when you’re no longer sure your company’s vision fits your own.
Quit if You Can; Go Easy if You Can’t
In a more perfect world, this piece would be two thirds shorter, ending soon after the following words: if a company’s ethics are in opposition to your own, you should quit.
Doesn’t that sound like nice advice? How crisp and clear-headed; how ideologically honest. And yet, we don’t live in that imaginary more perfect world. We live in this one, where things like health insurance and car payments and utility bills exist. Kids’ activities, school tuition, food and, if you can swing it, bonus lifestyle choices that make things just a little more fun: vacations, dinners out and so on. It all piles up, and all of it requires money.
It’s expensive to be a person in 2024, and those expenses only compound when we also have to look after children, partners or aging parents. So while the idea of fighting the power by putting your morals first seems appealing, we all need to eat. As much as I would have loved to confront my bosses and deliver an Erin Brockovich-style monologue about their wayward abuse of power and their ill treatment of the common man, I had to wait until I had a better opportunity in the works. It may feel like putting your principles on hold, and that stinks, but consider reframing things: I’m doing what I have to do until I can do what I want.
Be Strategic While You Wait
So, the truth is that you may be stuck with your company for a while. What’s more, it is exceedingly unlikely that you’ll ever land with an organization that matches you, ethic for ethic. As with any job, you’re going to disagree with the people in charge; you’re going to find certain choices unwise or imprudent, and you’re occasionally going to be expected to hold your nose and put the company’s best interests in mind. Again, this is a bummer, but it’s normal.
When I was working for bad people, one way I found solace was to use my time wisely. I gave the company my very best efforts and did my work extremely well, but I did not heed their continual calls to “work for the role you want rather than the one you have.” Or at least, I didn’t heed them in the way the bigwigs expected. The role I wanted was with another company, and that was what I found myself working towards. I did enough to know I would earn a good reference when the call came, but with my remaining time and bandwidth, I took steps toward achieving my goals. For you, that might mean enrolling in training programs after work, or maybe it means reading up on a different industry and its practices. Consider reaching out to valuable contacts or cold calling leaders in other organizations who might be amenable to an informational meeting—one where you learn about their work and, in the process, situate yourself as an interested party and potential future hire. In the meantime, treat your current job like what it is: a training ground and a steppingstone to the next great thing. And make sure your employers will miss you when you’re gone.
Do all the Good You Can
I’ve been talking so far about a sort of nuclear option, where you hunker down until you can get the heck out of dodge. But of course, it’s possible to be a force for good from within. If you’re locked into your current role for the foreseeable future, contemplate whether or not you can use your influence to push for institutional change. Start small, with the practices of your colleagues and your wider team: are their little adjustments you can make together that alleviate your ethical concerns? Or is there a trusted supervisor who values your opinion? Can you leverage your connections to make the voices of you and your fellow rabble rousers heard?
It’s also important to think holistically about your daily life as well as what counts as “your work.” Each time you enter the office or hop on a Zoom call, you’re not only working for someone – you’re also working with someone. Multiple someones, in fact. Spend some time assessing the ways your position impacts your colleagues and team members, and make the effort to ensure that that impact is positive.
Think, too, about the people you’re serving, who are just that: people in need of help, in need of meaningful assistance and support. It may not seem like much, but in matters of morals and values, your company’s high-level actions don’t have to affect your personal choices as you move through the world as an ethical being.
Know When to Take a Stand
Perhaps all of this sounds a little too realistic or even a little cowardly. There are some lines that, once crossed, cannot be overlooked, and in such instances, it may be time to be brave. It can be scary or, practically speaking, financially unwise – but when the moment comes, I think you’ll recognize it. Ask yourself: will I be able to live with myself if I don’t take a stand? If the answer is no, then it’s time to take the leap, make the sacrifice and stand on your principles. It may hurt in the short term, but doing the right thing is always the right thing to do.
Andrew Forrester is a writer whose work has appeared in Parents Magazine, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. Andrew also teaches English and creative writing in Austin, Texas, and has a Ph.D. in English literature from Southern Methodist University.
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