Employers in Hong Kong now view a candidate's ethical behaviour as a non-negotiable when they recruit.

This desire for ethically sound candidates is apparent across all industries, although it is most obvious in the banking sector. This is in response to new guidelines released last year by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).

Since the guidelines were announced, employers have increased their focus on ethics when recruiting. At Hays, we've answered many questions from employers on how they can best assess a candidate's ethical values.

The HKMA's guidelines make it very clear that it is the bank's responsibility to employ ethically sound people. But it's not only banks that are now considering a candidate's ethical behaviour when they recruit. The trend has been apparent across most industries and sectors since the global financial crisis.

Employing ethically sound staff can be achieved through a few simple strategies. It starts with identifying not only the technical skills you want in a candidate, but also their integrity and standards of business conduct. Your job specification should also address ethical expectations.

Find out more of these strategies next week.

Marc Burrage, regional director, Hays in Hong Kong