What are corporate values?
Corporate values are an essential part of an organization’s culture. We can think of them as the intangible elements that define the philosophy or personality of a company, or, in other words, “the way we do things here.”
It’s also well known that an organization’s culture and its values significantly influence the actions of its members, just as an individual’s personality, principles, and values explain and shape their everyday behavior.
What is the purpose of having corporate values?
Defining your company’s values not only establishes a corporate culture but also influences how employees and customers perceive your company. Additionally, it can help guide your workforce in theirdaily tasks. Here are some other benefits:
- Aids decision-making: Every person in a company must make decisions at some point. If corporate values are clearly defined, these decisions can be made with these values in mind and for the good of the company.
- Attracts top talent: When recruiting, having well-defined company values will help attract candidates who share the same perspective and, therefore, better fit your team.
- Creates opportunities for clients: Apart from employees, defining your values also increases the possibility of attracting suitable clients by being open and honest about who you are and what you represent.
- Boosts motivation: Company values are also essential for motivation. Offering clear guidelines to employees means they know what to expect and what is expected of them, leading to overall job satisfaction.
Communicating your corporate values
As we have seen, having defined corporate values is essential for shaping an organization’s culture. Part of this process also involves communicating them. If culture determines behavior and values shape culture, it’s important to be mindful of what you put across. Below are some things to take into consideration.
1. Clearly define values
Your values cannot be communicated effectively if they are unclear or subject to individual interpretation. Ensure corporate values are well-defined, and if it takes time to explain them, consider rethinking them altogether.
2. Use e-learning and training platforms
Leverage the advantages of e-learning and training platforms to effectively transmit your corporate values. Make your mission, vision, and values part of the onboarding process for new hires to ensure they understand them from the start.
You can also create situation-based videos for each corporate value to give context to your values, and incorporate playful approaches like gamification to help employees internalize and retain the information.
3. Hire employees in line with your values
Even with time and effort spent on conveying values, there will be employees who don’t align with them on account of their preexisting values. Changing people’s values is difficult, especially once they reach a certain maturity.
Therefore, it’s important to bear this in mind during the selection process to hire, where possible, individuals whose values are compatible with those of your organization.
4. Share values through actions and words
As well as communicating values through the channels available in your company, it’s important to demonstrate them through actions and words. Acting in line with your corporate values is essential for embedding them in the company culture and encouraging others to internalize them.
By following these steps, you can communicate your corporate values, both internally and externally, in a way that resonates with your team. Ready to get started?
