| Picture back to when you were in elementary school. | | | | cultures or traditions with them. As we become more |
| It is a warm summer day, everyone is outside playing | | | | of a multi-cultural society some of the traditions that |
| on the playground. Some children are playing on the | | | | were predominate during the early periods of |
| swings, some on the monkey bars, while others | | | | American history are not so clear today. In early |
| decide they want to play kickball. After choosing | | | | years, Italians only married other Italians, Germans |
| captains, they start to pick who is going to be on | | | | only married other Germans, so on and so forth. |
| their winning team. The captains quickly pick their | | | | Now, cultural or traditions are not a factor. |
| friends, which goes by quick and then there are the | | | | I view cultural values as a great way to understand |
| few geeks or nerds left to pick from. Being not so | | | | someone's values. It brings into light some of their |
| popular growing up, I was one of the last few kids | | | | personal values and the potential employees up |
| to be picked. It wasn't that I didn't know how to | | | | bringing. I was raised in two different parts of the |
| play kickball but I wasn't an outgoing person in my | | | | country. I was born in Western Pennsylvania and |
| childhood. | | | | raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. Both parts of the |
| But how does personal, organizational, and cultural | | | | country have different cultural values. In Pennsylvania, |
| values come into play with my position as a manager | | | | cultural values were placed on tradition. My |
| and recruiter for a banking call center? How can past | | | | grandfather on my dad's side of the family was a |
| experiences help or hinder future events? | | | | skilled craftsman. He was very handy in his trade for |
| Personal Values | | | | which he used to provide for his family. He built his |
| As the years went by I started to open up and | | | | own homes. He worked very hard everyday in |
| began making friends in high school. I tried to be with | | | | manual labor. On the other hand, being raised in |
| the "in crowd" at the same time trying to be nice to | | | | Florida, the cultural values were different in the |
| the other not so popular students. Often times I felt | | | | respect of not keeping traditions. They wanted to be |
| a "gut" feeling about doing the right thing, other times | | | | different and on the leading edge of new things. |
| I went with the popular decision; right or wrong. But | | | | These were not the same values I was use to being |
| as I was growing up, I started to realize that the | | | | exposed to in Pennsylvania. |
| right decision was always the best for me. It helped | | | | As an adult, I enjoy learning about different cultures |
| me become ethical not only in my personal life, but | | | | and the values they place on individuals. It gives me |
| also in my professional life. It started to define my | | | | an insight to what type of person they were in the |
| personal values and has guided me through tough | | | | past and hopefully what type of employee they will |
| decisions, popular or not, for which I haven't | | | | be in the future. But is cultural values a good tool to |
| regretted. | | | | use when hiring? |
| Personal values are something I believe is learned. It | | | | Based on reading of The Role of Literacy in |
| goes back to the continual debate over nature | | | | Individuals and Nations (Berryman, 1994), some |
| versus nurture. I believe my values came from both. | | | | cultures view experience and education in different |
| I grew up in a two-parent home with an older sibling. | | | | ways. Emphasis on continuing education or continual |
| Both of my parents worked for a living and I learned | | | | heritage depends on your cultural. It could also |
| most of my values from them. They brought me up | | | | depend on whom you know in the company that |
| to be respectful, hard working, and honest and most | | | | could help you get hired or promoted. For example, in |
| of all treat everyone the way you want to be | | | | the former USSR, only gifted students were given |
| treated. I learned not to take money for granted | | | | the opportunity to continue their education passed |
| because we didn't have much. I wore hand-me-down | | | | the eighth grade. Those whom didn't display |
| clothing from friends and relatives. It taught me that | | | | exceptional intelligence either went into the military |
| money isn't what makes you happy but you need to | | | | academy or continued a trade or skill needed in the |
| like yourself for who you are and not what you own. | | | | economy. This is opposite of our own culture and the |
| Now as a hiring manager for Compass Bank, I look | | | | opportunities provided to everyone. |
| for similar values in the potential employees. I ask | | | | Ethical Dilemmas |
| them questions about their childhood, past | | | | As I stated in the beginning of the paper, I still have |
| experiences that changed their values and what are | | | | a difficult time trying to hire candidates for open |
| they looking for in their career. I also like to share my | | | | positions at Compass Bank. We try to hold regular |
| values of who I am and how I advanced my career. | | | | job fairs each month with the Maricopa Department |
| Finally I ask them what are some of the values they | | | | of Economic Security. During these job fairs, I have |
| are looking for in an organization? | | | | the opportunity to speak to individuals from all walks |
| Organizational Values | | | | of life. Most of them are middle to late age workers |
| Every organization, big or small has a set of | | | | who lost their job because they couldn't keep up |
| organizational values. Some of these values are in line | | | | with changing technology. I spend about fifteen |
| with our own values and clearly defined, other are | | | | minutes with these individuals to see if their personal |
| vague. | | | | values and past work experience will be a fit for our |
| In the paper Finding Talent: A Study of Contacts and | | | | organization. It is a very difficult ethical dilemma trying |
| Careers (Hines, 2003) shows four different methods | | | | to look past maybe the way they are dressed or |
| used on hiring employees from entry-level to | | | | how many jobs they had in the past. But my |
| executive positions. Each of the individuals | | | | personal values help guide me in those decisions. I |
| interviewed stated they don't follow their | | | | usually will get a gut feeling that someone isn't telling |
| organizational values when interviewing and hiring | | | | me the truth or they won't fit into our organizational |
| employees. For entry-level positions, 80% use job | | | | culture. It is hard to see these individuals sitting in |
| postings in the newspaper or the Internet, career | | | | front of me knowing they need a job to support |
| fairs and employee referrals. For middle to upper | | | | their families. It tugs on my emotions but knowing I |
| management, more then 50% say the hire based on | | | | had the opportunity to let them know not to give up |
| word of mouth and not so much of past experience. | | | | and share the same experiences I had when I was |
| And even others stated they try to hire previous | | | | out of work helps them to continue their pursuit to |
| employees they worked with before at other | | | | work. |
| corporations. Are these personal values of these | | | | Conclusion |
| individuals? Does the organization stand behind these | | | | In conclusion, our personal, organizational and cultural |
| types of values? Or does cultural values come into | | | | values play a big part in our everyday lives. By trying |
| play? | | | | to align your personal values with your organization |
| Cultural Values | | | | values and not so much the cultural values, it |
| Cultural values are a part of what makes up the | | | | provides a road map to help guide you with ethical |
| world. The United States is called the "melting pot" | | | | decisions. Until someone writes a book that is 100% |
| since it became independent from the British in the | | | | accurate on hiring the right person for the job, we |
| 1700's. Many individuals came to America looking for a | | | | will have to depend on our values. |
| new beginning at the same time they brought their | | | | |