Powering Ethics in HR Recruiting

by Jordan Smith, Recruiter/Vendor Relationship Manager

Two years ago when I began my job search I wanted to make sure I chose to work for a company that I could see myself at for the long-term. I had recently moved from my home state of South Dakota down to the Phoenix desert and quickly learned that, while there were numerous job opportunities in the area, they weren’t all with companies that focused on ethics as a key component of their culture. When I stumbled across the job posting for ON Semiconductor, I wasn’t sure if you pronounced it like you were turning “on” the power or even what a semiconductor was, but almost immediately, I noticed that ON Semiconductor had just received their third consecutive award for being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies®. This was something that really resonated with me, and made me excited about the opportunity and culture that was in place.

Fast-forward through the interview process and getting the job, thankfully, I quickly realized that ON Semiconductor didn’t just “talk the talk”, but they really “walked the walk” of having an ethical culture. From executive leadership to direct management, I felt comfortable with how situations were handled and that the company was making decisions that reflected the importance of ethics to me and empowered me to make ethical decisions in my role.

Working in Human Resources (HR) presents a unique opportunity to take advantage of ethical and moral decisions that directly impact our employees and those who interact with our company externally.

 As a recruiter, ethics goes into my decision making every day. While I review candidates who have applied for career opportunities at ON Semiconductor, I am responsible for reviewing their credentials - not their name, ethnicity, gender, or age. When it comes time to extend offers, it is also my responsibility to extend an offer that is fair based on the candidate’s skill set and in line with local market rates, nothing else. I’m blessed to work with an awesome compensation team with whom I partner to ensure we are doing everything we can as a company to be ethical in our practices

On a daily basis, I get asked a lot of questions from prospective candidates. My favorite question is, “What do you like about working at ON Semiconductor?” Without a doubt, my answer is always that I enjoy working with the people who make ON Semiconductor what it is. Being a company as large as ON Semiconductor is, it says a lot that we have offices and cubicles filled with individuals of high character and ethical values. It speaks highly to the high bar our hiring managers maintain when reviewing candidates. Yes, we want the best and the brightest, but we also want individuals who represent our company in a way that coincides with our values and ethical culture.

I am incredibly blessed to work at a company where I am empowered to make ethical decisions and see actual growth within the company culture, rather than just “talk.” I am excited to think about the resources or programs that will be in place in the coming years,  and I am grateful to be a part of the ON Semiconductor community.

Learn more about ON Semiconductor’s commitment to an ethical culture in our 2019 CSR Report.