A strong set of company values is the foundation of any business.
Your values should help you articulate the DNA of your business – what matters to you, what you stand for, and what you expect from your teams. They should tell prospective employees, suppliers and partners what your business is all about, and what makes you unique.
It’s very easy (especially when things are busy) to think of a set of company values as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential. But increasingly, having a strong set of company values is as vital as a good business growth strategy.
Here’s why:
Values help build a good workplace culture
Company values, along with a clear mission statement, is what builds a good workplace culture. And as all the data and insight shows, good workplace culture is absolutely fundamental to the success of your business.
Glassdoor’s five-country study in 2019 listed ‘Culture and Values’ as the top factor in workplace satisfaction in the UK, part of a huge shift they predict for the coming decade towards culture-driven business strategy. The survey found that this was the key point that employees were looking for:
“A workplace with a clear mission connecting employees’ daily work to a broader social purpose and positive change in the world around them.”
Values help you recruit the best talent
Company values are now a hugely influential part of what candidates look for in employers. Prospective employees will look at company values when they research your business, and are more likely to apply if they recognise your values as similar to their own. The Glassdoor survey concluded:
“Candidates are investing more time and energy researching company culture before accepting jobs, creating a dynamic in which employers with strong workplace cultures enjoy a powerful strategic hiring advantage.”
Values help you retain the best talent
Values should link to your mission and purpose. An engaged employee, who works with a sense of purpose and feels your values are close to their own is far more likely to succeed in their role; embrace training you offer, be great with your customers, and crucially – stay with you; saving you valuable time, resource and money.
But how do you make sure your values don’t become just wallpaper and really resonate with the people who work in your business?
Company values work best when they move away from being ‘just words’ and become a true purpose that is at the heart of your business.
Explain what they REALLY mean:
The first part of that process of making your values count is translating them into meaningful language. Don’t feel you have to be overly-formal with how you communicate your values. Take some time to discuss what your values mean to you – and your employees. Make sure you communicate clearly how that value translates into the actions and behaviour you expect from your teams.
Everything should begin with a value-check.
At every point in the employee and customer journeys, you should consider how your values should be reflected. From the content you share on social media, the interactions you have with your customers, the application process candidates go through; onboarding; training; appraisals: every touchpoint is a chance to communicate those values: and not just by repeating them, word for word! Ask yourself (or even better, test it out) how does this process feel? Are our values really reflected in this?
Live by your values
If you take your values seriously, then there will be things you are doing both inside and outside of the workplace that shows that you really do live them. Say ‘caring’ is a value of yours – celebrate caring, whether that looks like volunteering in your local community or by taking the time to reply to unsuccessful candidates who have applied for roles with you. Recognise and celebrate your values- show people that they really do matter.
Our Values at GUK:
Integrity
We act ethically and show respect in everything we do. Transparency, honesty and fairness are principals present in every aspect of our work.
Service Excellence
Always strive to surpass our clients’, and our own, service expectations. Aiming for flawless delivery – it’s how we think, what we say and what we do.
Continuous Improvement
Continuously strive to ensure our solutions bring value to all our clients and employees. We embrace change, encourage innovation and seek continuous improvement by learning from our experiences.
Seamless Team approach
Together everyone achieves more. With our team approach we realise common goals, exceed expectations and deliver service excellence to our clients.
Passion
Always embrace everything we do with pride and passion in order to exceed the highest expectations of our clients.
Understanding through partnership
We work collaboratively with our clients, employees and suppliers to achieve common goals. We are true partners, building authentic, strong and lasting client relationships.