How to Screen Candidates for Ethics and Honesty

December 11th, 2016

Hiring honest and ethical employees is important no matter the industry, but it is especially vital in the world of healthcare. With quality patient care as the primary goal of your organization, your staff needs to be trustworthy and empathetic in nature. Trying to determine whether a candidate possesses these attributes from a résumé or during an interview takes a measure of effort.

With a medical office team known for its honor and morals as your goal, here are a few tips on how to screen candidates for ethics and honesty.

Consider an Integrity Test Before Interviewing Candidates

When combined with a thorough vetting of their résumé, this early screening allows your HR team to focus on interviewing a smaller set of applicants. Most integrity tests feature a collection of ethics-based scenarios with questions asking how someone would react in a certain situation.

Since a dishonest person can simply answer falsely on their test, the interview process plays a more important role in truly screening candidates.

Verifying Honesty During the Interview

The interview offers the best chance to gauge a candidate’s ethical standards. Behavior-based questions – including hypothetical scenarios similar to an integrity test – offer a great chance to analyze their honesty in real-world situations. It is important to observe their body language when answering these pointed questions.

Ask about any ethical training or coursework in their career. Was it a requirement or it this an area of interest to them?

Additionally, pay attention to how they answer when asked about their work history. Are they embellishing their accomplishments? Do they seem less than forthright? Body language along with their manner of speaking offers insights.

Reference Checking is Vital

Don’t skimp on checking a candidate’s references before any job offer is extended. Verify the accuracy of their educational and professional history – any discrepancies are a red flag. Consider performing this task after the initial integrity test and before interviews begin to further narrow down your candidate list before interviews start.

Implementing these ideas helps you employ an honest and trustworthy medical team.


When you need additional tips on building a great medical staff, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s top healthcare staffing agencies, we also provide great candidates able to make a difference for your organization. Connect with us at your earliest convenience.

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