As many of the lockdown regulations and restrictions were handed down to us by government since the Covid-19 pandemic hit our shores, it raised many an eyebrow and were fairly questionable. Some as you may or may not fondly remember included being forbidden to buy open toe sandals, sell hot food or jog whenever you desired. As a highly active democratic society, it came as no surprise that many of these lockdown rules were blasted on social media and the like and petitions drawn up in protest, lots of people sharing the sentiment that we were starting to mirror a “nanny state”.

There appeared to be a veil of secrecy around who and how and what evidence backed up the formulation of the lockdown laws and it soon became evident there were opposing views amongst the ministers themselves in particular the quite controversial cigarette ban. The latest court ruling which has now deemed many of the Level 3 and 4 regulations as “unconstitutional” and “invalid” highlights once again the age-old ethical principle of being transparent. Perhaps if our dear government were more open to legal consultation and dare I say, even public participation, they might not be in this public legal spat right now.

With many people currently working remote, it calls for a level of trust between bosses and their employees. Employers expect you to log in proper business hours and avail yourself to video meetings as arranged. If you are given a specific task to fulfil or project to complete, the same level of delivery should be maintained irrespective if you’re working in your pj’s. In our industry of recruitment, Datafin consultants are held to account by clients expecting them to be open about whether a candidate might have bad references or did not fulfil all the qualification or skill requirements. In turn, our candidates expect us to be frank with them about their chances for a role they so sorely want or any negative feedback about an interview they had been to which often provides them with valuable constructive criticism.

Trickery is a dangerous game and leaves you open to scrutiny and distrust. If there’s a lesson we have learnt and can re-lean right now given the current debacle around the lockdown regulations, it is this – be as transparent and as open as possible. It’s key to gaining trust and in the working environment not only establishing connections but maintaining them. Many new clients and candidates have been referred to us by existing ones and we believe this is because we engage openly and honestly. So, whether you are compiling or updating your CV or providing feedback around a project or staff negotiations, play the card of transparency and you will be sure to trump your chances en route to success.