By: Grazyna Sotta

Does being secretive make your life easier, or get you into trouble? One of the lessons we can learn from recent occurrences related to wiki leaks or the financial crisis is that transparency is a good thing. Corporate transparency makes it easier to discover flaws and correct them. Transparency is healthy.

Companies demand it from employees. We’ve heard about candidates getting their Facebook accounts reviewed during the recruitment process. About employees getting fired for opinions shared in social media. As we’ve heard of  individuals getting signed because of what they do online. As with all practices, there are pro’s and con’s, but think about some of the intrusive questions that may be asked in interviews. Legal or not, is it ethical to dissect the private sphere?

Your employer brand is always observed by the environment. Companies such as Zappos really got it and see transparency in dealing with employees, suppliers, investors and customers central to their business. Over two years ago, Zappos shed 8% cent of its workforce. The CEO, Mr Hsieh, communicated the details through e-mail to staff and on his blog on what was happening and why rather than hiding it under the vague “strategic change”. A client who believes the company is ethical, transparent and treats the employees well will be a more loyal customer who believes in the people behind the product or service they use. The closer individuals get to the core of your employer brand, the more scrutiny you will experience. With that in mind, consider the impression a candidate may have, when they’re asked for their marital status, family and age? It might not mean anything, but asking these questions might have the candidate question YOUR ethics. And share it with the people they know… which in the age of social media is just downright dangerous. At the end of the day, an employee can be terrible at researching the internet at the age of 23 and excellent at social media at 50 – based on factors such as interest or ambitions. Is having children a burden or does it make you more focused, dedicated and loyal? And is making this differentiation ethical?

And it only gets “worse”. Employees watch your every move, observe how you treat them, their colleagues, your partners and clients. They might not tell you, but they see it, take it in and process to the best of their abilities. The more you hide, the more you leave to the coffee break hush-hush and free interpretation.

And before employees start jumping with joy and feel entitled to withhold information – this works both ways. Any company is its people and the culture starts with each and every employee. As a leader, you set the groundwork and introduce it; as an employee, you see it through and implement it. By being open, you set the groundwork for a transparent team, department and organization. Continuing the vicious circle and hiding the uncomfortable truths under the rug is only a temporary solution and there’s always a chance someone will take off the lid. The choice is yours – you’ll either have a Pandora’s box or a clear conscience.