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Are your company values corporate jargon?

2 min read

Many view company values as corporate jargon. They have a reputation of being a ‘nice to have’, something to post on the office wall or website, but never rethought, discussed, or instilled within the team.

Your company’s core values shouldn’t be a list of generic bullet points under buzz words like ethical, (though every company should be) or authentic (don’t say it, simply be it by acting and communicating in authentic and transparent ways).

Instead, they should be connected to why the company exists (its uniqueness and DNA); as well as what drives its people day-to-day.

The value in company values

When a company’s values are genuine and based on the collective attitude and beliefs of its people, they feel authentic and organic. Which in turn, will help people feel more connected to their work.

They’ll act as a set of guidelines to coach, inform and inspire the way things are done; empowering autonomy and independence in decision-making.

If company values are unique, they’ll also set you apart from your competitors. So, make sure you describe them in a style that represents your brand’s distinct tone of voice and personality. It’s worth asking whether your values could easily be describing another company. If so, revisit and refresh them.

At Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer, their focus is to live, breath and deliver ‘WOW’. They seek to provide the best customer experience by WOW’ing through their service. A unique value to their commitment.

According to Zappos, everyone from the CEO to the front line, understands the link between its culture of happiness and the company’s daily performance. 

How to make sure your company values work for you:

  • Make sure leaders embrace your values: Support them in doing so and hold them accountable.
  • Talk about them often: Make them a key part of everyone’s development and onboarding.  
  • Prioritise values-based recruitment methods: Be strategic about how you express and measure values throughout the recruitment and hiring process.
  • Align company culture activities: Ensure initiatives and activities reflect the core beliefs and values of the company and its people. For example, if giving back is important, encourage and support volunteer work or charity fundraisers.

When new hires and existing employees feel connected to your company’s values, it translates to improved co-worker relationships, better job performance, and higher retention.

HappyHQ helps companies easily recognise, implement, and sustain important culture changes. We help companies unlock their happiness potential by taking the science behind workplace happiness and human motivation and applying it in practical ways.

To find out more about our methodology, click here.

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