The SHRM Code of Ethical and Professional Standards in Human Resource Management has six core principles, in a numbered order, and items test both the order and which guideline lives under which principle.
The six, in order
- Professional Responsibility
- Professional Development
- Ethical Leadership
- Fairness and Justice
- Conflicts of Interest
- Use of Information
The count is six. Eight is Kotter's step count. Ten is the UN Global Compact's principle count, and that is the usual confusion.
The order traps are all near the top: Professional Responsibility is first and Professional Development second, not the reverse. Ethical Leadership is third, not first. Fairness and Justice is fourth, not first. Use of Information is always sixth.
Ethical Leadership
Its core statement: HR professionals "are expected to exhibit individual leadership as a role model for maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct."
Its guidelines include acting ethically in every professional interaction, questioning pending individual and group actions to ensure decisions are ethical, seeking expert guidance if in doubt, and championing the development of others as ethical leaders through teaching and mentoring.
Fairness and Justice
HR professionals are ethically responsible for promoting and fostering fairness and justice for all employees and their organizations. Its guidelines include treating people with dignity, respect and compassion to foster a work environment free of harassment, intimidation and unlawful discrimination, ensuring everyone can develop skills, and assuring inclusiveness and commitment to diversity.
Sorting the guidelines
The commonly swapped pair: "disclose to relevant stakeholders any actual or potential conflicts of interest" and "refrain from using one's position for personal, material or financial gain" both belong to Conflicts of Interest, not Ethical Leadership.
The dates
The Code reads "As Amended 04/24/23." The original code dates to 1972, with a modification in 1989. Do not flip those: 1989 is the modification year, not the original.