/ / THE FORMAL STANDARD
SPORTIFIED COMPANY
CERTIFICATION
The formal credential for organizations that meet the Good Sportsmanship standard
— and can prove it. Recognized by customers, employees, investors, and partners.
THE FIVE CRITERIA
✦
AUDITED ETHICS AUDIT - WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
A completed, scored audit showing baseline measurement against all four Good Sportsmanship principles.
✦
PUBLISHED ONE-PAGE CODE OF CONDUCT
Signed by all employees. Visibly displayed. Not in a binder — on the wall.
✦
DOCUMENTED TRAINING CADENCE
Minimum four ethics sessions per year, led by line management — not an annual HR checkbox.
✦
MEASURED METRICS DASHBOARD
Three metrics per principle, reported to the board or equivalent governing body quarterly.
✦
LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY - DECISION LOG
Minimum four documented hard-call entries per year with visible executive participation in ethics conversations.
"THE CERTIFICATION IS NOT A TROPHY. IT'S A STANDARD. AND IT CAN BE REVOKED." - JAKE SHANNON
THE PROCESS
1
SELF-ASSESSMENT (3 - 9 MONTHS)
Complete the Ethics Audit, Code Builder, and a preliminary self-rating against the five criteria. Most organizations spend 3–9 months at this stage depending on starting point.
2
APPLICATION PACKAGE
Submit your self-assessment, evidence documentation, and leadership references for review.
3
DOCUMENTATION REVIEW
A trained assessor scores the package against the five criteria. Gaps are identified. Additional evidence may be requested.
4
SITE INTERVIEWS (MID-SIZE+ COMPANIES)
Cross-section interviews with leadership, mid-level managers, and frontline staff. Verifies that documented practices are real — not paperwork.
5
CERTIFICATION DECISION
Full certification, conditional certification (with remediation path), or denial with a written explanation and re-application window.
6
ANNUAL RENEWAL
Certified companies submit annual reports. A subset receives re-audits. Standards drift after leadership changes — the renewal cycle catches it.
WHY IT MATTERS
🏅
REPUTATION & BRAND
A verifiable signal in a market saturated with unverifiable claims. Proof, not promises.
👥
TALENT
A top-five factor in candidate decisions for ethics-conscious hires at mid-career and senior levels.
🤝
CUSTOMER TRUST
B2B buyers cite the certification as a tiebreaker in vendor selection — especially in trust-dependent industries.
💼
INVESTOR INTEREST
Showing up in due-diligence checklists of ESG-aware capital and large-enterprise procurement teams.
🔗
INTERNAL COHESION
The discipline required to maintain certification creates a cadence that pulls leadership attention back to the work that matters.
/ / START THE PROCESS - FREE
BEGIN YOUR
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Enter your info to access the initial self-assessment and understand where
your organization stands against the five criteria.