Company values are the core beliefs guiding a company’s culture, actions, and the way employees work, interact, and make decisions. About
88% of employees believe a company’s culture contributes to professional success. Despite its significance, only
23% of employees affirm they work for a company with practical or relatable values.
Here's how to transform company values into guiding principles that benefit the organization, employees, and customers.
What are company core values?
A company’s core values are the principles and moral standards guiding its actions and decisions. These values serve as the foundation for company culture, influencing:
The overall attitude and mindset of employees
How teams collaborate and communicate internally and with clients
The level of accountability across all levels of the organization
Strategic decisions to help the business grow and succeed
The distinct identity and offerings that set the company apart from competitors
10 examples of company core values
Outlining company core values is an exacting initiative that requires organizations to carefully tailor them to match their guiding philosophy and unique identity.
The following examples are starting points. Organizations should consider how each principle contributes to its company culture.
1. Diversity
Organizations that value diversity make an effort to represent marginalized groups in their workforce and treat them with respect. Whether based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or physical ability, diversity ensures everyone in the workplace has the same opportunities.
2. Integrity
Integrity refers to doing what’s right at all times. It forms the basis of many other company values, such as honesty and respect, and infuses trust into every decision, leading to quality work and high-caliber performance.
3. Transparency
Transparency is the practice of being open, honest, and clear in communication. When team members practice transparency in their daily work, it builds trust within teams, across departments, and through the organization. But transparency starts at the top. When leaders are transparent about goals, challenges, and decisions, it fosters a culture of openness where people feel informed, included, and valued.
4. Leadership
Leadership is a core value that extends beyond titles or roles. It means setting the tone through actions, whether you’re managing a team or contributing as an individual. Employees who lead by example help shape a strong company culture by consistently demonstrating values like humility, accountability, and passion. These everyday acts of leadership are essential for building a workplace where people grow, collaborate, and thrive.
5. Respect
Respect refers to valuing every individual’s perspective, background, and contribution, which cultivates productive relationships among staff and with leadership. Treating people with dignity and kindness can lead to more effective work, furthering organizational goals.
6. Accountability
Accountability means following through on commitments and owning decisions and their outcomes, whether positive or negative. This requires acknowledging and learning from mistakes, generating a company culture and
brand reputation of honesty and resilience.
7. Innovation
Innovation is the ability to consider new ideas and go beyond what’s already been done. Groundbreaking innovations and solutions come from organizations that foster creativity, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
8. Collaboration
Collaboration — the process of working together — helps employees draw on each other’s unique skills and talents to produce outstanding results. Effective teamwork also can also contribute to higher employee engagement, which can result in higher productivity and job satisfaction.
9. Passion
Passion is the energy and enthusiasm people bring to work. It helps employees find purpose in their day-to-day tasks, propelling them to excel and persevere when facing challenges. It fuels creativity and a sense of purpose, inspiring employees to go above and beyond.
10. Well-Being
Well-being refers to caring for all employees — emotionally, physically, and financially. This can have a considerable impact on morale and talent management. Employees who feel valued are
69% less likely to search for a new job, leading to more retention and less turnover.
To achieve this, businesses need to go beyond traditional benefits and offer financial wellness tools like EarnIn’s
Earned Wage Access solution, which gives employees access to up to $150/day, with a max of $750 per pay period.
Whether for gas, groceries, or unexpected expenses, they can get their money in minutes, starting at just $2.99 per transfer.
4 inspiring companies with strong core values
Here are some examples from companies that are showing what it means to be a values-driven business.
1. Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's is known for its progressive beliefs, which show up in its values.
We love making ice cream—but using our business to make the world a better place gives our work its meaning. Guided by our Core Values, we seek in all we do, at every level of our business, to advance human rights and dignity, support social and economic justice for historically marginalized communities, and protect and restore the Earth's natural systems. In other words: we use ice cream to change the world.
2. Slack
Slack lists its values in a bulleted list, making them easier for employees and stakeholders to understand.
These are some of the values we live by as a company. We work by them too. We’re building a platform and products we believe in, knowing that there is real value to be gained from helping people simplify whatever it is that they do and bring more of themselves to their work, wherever they are.
Empathy
Courtesy
Thriving
Craftsmanship
Playfulness
Solidarity
3. Costco
Costco’s clear code of ethics emphasizes care and respect.
In order to achieve our mission, we will conduct our business with the following Code of Ethics in mind:
Obey the law.
Take care of our members.
Take care of our employees.
Respect our suppliers.
If we do these four things throughout our organization, then we will achieve our ultimate goal, which is to reward our shareholders.
4. Patagonia
This is an excerpt of Patagonia’s robust value statement, which explains its core principles in detail.
Quality
Build the best product, provide the best service and constantly improve everything we do. The best product is useful, versatile, long-lasting, repairable and recyclable. Our ideal is to make products that give back to the Earth as much as they take.
Justice
Be just, equitable and antiracist as a company and in our community. We embrace the work necessary to create equity for historically marginalized people and reorder the priorities of an economic system that values short-term expansion over human well-being and thriving communities. We acknowledge painful histories, confront biases, change our policies and hold each other accountable. We aspire to be a company where people from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences have the power to contribute and lead.
Not bound by convention
Do it our way. Our success—and much of the fun—lies in developing new ways to do things.
How to define a company’s core values: 5 tips
Defining company core values is a thoughtful process that should be personalized according to an organization’s unique culture and goals. Here are some best practices:
1. Define the corporate vision
Determine the vision by identifying where the company is today, what it hopes to achieve in the future, and the key values that will help it get there. These insights form the foundation of a corporate vision and help share the core values that guide the path forward.
2. Keep it simple
Each value should be concise and easy to understand. Pairing each one with a short description or example helps employees understand what the value looks like in practice. For example, instead of just saying “Integrity,” explain how it shows up in daily behavior.
3. Think internally and externally
Company decisions and strategies affect groups outside office walls. By addressing external company interactions, the business promotes continuity among all employees and improves trust with clientele.
4. Avoid jargon
Corporate jargon could confuse people who aren’t familiar with it. Use clear, meaningful language to connect core values to the company’s mission statement and goals to promote engagement with the statement.
5. Think outside the box
Cliche statements make organizations blend in instead of standing out. To attract the right employees and clientele, a company must define what sets it apart from the competition and instill that unique identity into its core values.
7 tips to embody a company’s core values
When a company doesn’t stay true to its core values, employees and customers can begin to lose trust. Here’s how to integrate business values into actions:
1. Integrate values into everyday language
Incorporate core values into the company’s internal and external language, through web and social media copy, corporate strategy and initiatives, and event descriptions. This gives employees and leaders tangible reminders to live according to their company’s tenets.
Some value statement examples incorporated into corporate communications include:
“Last week’s project launch epitomizes our commitment to teamwork.”
“Our latest innovation comes to us from the marketing department.
“It took two years of perseverance, but the sales team closed their first government contract.”
These kinds of statements turn values from abstract concepts into real, relatable examples.
2. Use values to set goals
Company values should inform goal-setting and achievement measures. This connects routine goal-setting and decision-making to core values, weaving them into every action.
3. Model the behavior
Owning company values requires top-down engagement, starting with upper management. Leading through example inspires employees to incorporate the behavior into their activities.
4. Reward employees who embody core values
Recognize and reward employees who embody corporate values to reinforce company culture and encourage the behaviors that drive long-term success. Celebrating these wins motivates others to follow suit and improves staff morale. Studies show that
92% of employees feel more valued when their peers recognize their efforts, increasing the likelihood they’ll repeat the behavior.
Display corporate values prominently throughout the workplace to create a reminder of the collective “why.” This familiarizes employees with them and demonstrates how to take action. Conversations are also powerful feedback channels, identifying trends that make it challenging to observe these beliefs.
6. Encourage personal reflection
Giving employees space to reflect helps them reflect on how they’ve incorporated core company values into their roles. If they fall short of standards, they have the opportunity to acknowledge it, recommit to the values, and strive for improvement.
7. Hire according to company values
Screening candidates for cultural fit helps ensure their values align with the company. This builds teams that support or advance company goals.
Strengthen employee well-being with EarnIn
Core company values shape how employees and customers perceive and connect with an organization. When values are clearly defined, consistently communicated, and rooted in what makes a company unique, they become powerful tools for building alignment, motivation, and long-term success.
However, values don’t shape culture through words alone — they come to life in everyday experiences. One way to reinforce a culture grounded in respect and well-being is by offering benefits that make employees feel supported.
EarnIn helps companies do just that, providing a suite of financial wellness tools designed to help reduce stress and improve daily life. These include
Credit Monitoring,
Balance Shield,
which offers
protection against overdrafts, and
Earned Wage Access, which allows employees to access their earned wages the same day they work — up to $150/day, with a max of $750 between paydays
— all starting at $2.99/transfer.
EarnIn requires no technical integration and comes at no cost to employers, making it an easy, impactful way to turn company values into real support — and build a culture employees can feel every day.
