Company values are really important: they help support your mission & vision and help define your company culture. Most organizations have company values, but many companies don’t actively promote and incorporate these values into the everyday practices of the workplace. One study found that 52% of employees can’t recite their vision of their organization, and nearly half (49 percent) can’t recite their organizational values.
In this article, we discuss how organizations can promote their company values.
“Determine what behaviors and beliefs you value as a company, and have everyone live true to them. These behaviors and beliefs should be so essential to your core, that you don’t even think of it as culture” – Brittany Forsyth, VP of Human Relations, Shopify
1) Showcase your company values
Organizations should make company values visible for employees and customers to see. Remember that company values are the guiding beliefs of a company; you don’t want company values to get lost or forgotten during the day-to-day operations of the company. Having the values listed on the company website is a start, but organizations should also integrate company values into performance management processes. Some examples of integrating company values into employee’s day-to-day include tying the company values into feedback or recognition programs (see point 4 for more information).
In the recruiting process, ensure that the company mission, vision, and values are written in the job description. Moreover, interviewers should clearly state them during the interview and even ask the candidate questions about their past work experiences exhibiting company values.
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2) Hire people that model company values
Organizations should showcase their values at the very beginning of an employee lifecycle, when they are just candidates. It is a good idea if organizations communicate the values before and during interviews, and throughout the entire onboarding process. This can save organizations a lot of time in resources as 73% of job seekers won’t apply to a company unless that company’s values align with their own. At the end of the day, organizations should strive to hire employees who understand and model company values. Keeping someone in the organization who does not resonate and model the core beliefs of the company can be bad for business and send the wrong message throughout the organization.
3) Keep leaders accountable
If organizations want their employees to model company values, leaders of the organization, including the CEO and managers, should be the champions of modelling company values with every decision they make and how they treat staff and clients. Leaders have the ability to reinforce organizational values and inspire employees to do the same.
4) Recognize and reward employees demonstrating company values
Rewarding and recognizing employees who are demonstrating company values is a great way to promote the behaviors and beliefs of the company. Not all rewards need to be a huge gesture such as a bonus or raise, but simply recognizing that an employee has done well on a project with the company values in mind can go a long way. This is reassuring to employees that their efforts and behaviors are not going unnoticed or unappreciated.
Conclusion
While setting values at a company seems to be table stakes for most companies, they are only useful if they are utilized in day-to-day operations. Display them, encourage them, and set expectations for employees to follow them. Finally, recognize the team players who are displaying their dedication to them in hopes of stimulating that behavior in others.
How is your company promoting their values? – Let us know!
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