Students should consider companies’ business ethics when searching for jobs, the head of one of the world’s largest accounting firms said at a speaker series hosted by the W. P. Carey School of Business Thursday afternoon.

“When people make a decision about the company they’re going to start their career with … I think it’s fair to ask about their commitment to good ethics,” said Sharon Allen, chairman of the board for accounting firm Deloitte LLP.

Allen said companies with good ethics see a return on their investments by attracting more talent.

After the recession, businesses lost Americans’ trust, which raises the importance of practicing ethical business behavior, Allen said.

“Through our decisions and actions, it’s up to business leaders and future business leaders to make things right,” she said.

Allen, who was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world in August, said one way to recover the trust of the general population is by being greedy — about ethical behavior.

“Being greedy can sometimes be perceived as wanting too much … but in our view, you need to be greedy when it comes to good ethical behavior because we have a long ways to go to regain the trust that we have lost over the last few years,” she said.

A business can practice better ethics by working closely with clients, Allen said.

“When a business is close to clients, it’s far easier to see how business decisions affect the people that make business possible,” she said. “We form relationships built on trust and sustained on good business values.”

Business leaders can ensure their employees make ethical decisions by setting an example, Allen said.

“Corporate culture has a powerful effect on the norms and behavior of their employees,” she said. “It’s up to business leaders to address the influences that shape ethical decision making.”

W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Robert Mittelstaedt said one of the most important decisions his students make when beginning their careers is choosing the companies they’ll work for.

“Trying to sort out whether it’s an ethical company or not may have a lot to do with you casting your future in a sense,” he said. “When somebody looks at your resume and sees that you 10 years ago worked for a company which has just recently been convicted for fraud or insider trading, they’re going to have a different opinion of you.”

Mittelstaedt said businesses that operate unethically eventually get caught.

“One way or another, their customers figure it out or the law figures it out,” he said. “In the long run, ethics in business is the only answer.”
Finance sophomore Samiah Khan said it’s important for big businesses to have an ethical standard.

“I know that a lot of companies are really cutthroat — in the business field, it’s like that a lot,” she said. “It’s good to hear that ethics and character count for something.”

Reach the reporter at salvador.rodriguez@asu.edu