Engagement Technique: Your Core Values

 

Core values. How many times have you read these and wondered ‘does anyone actually care?’. Often, they’re talked about and ignored.

You’ve probably seen them framed in reception areas or printed on mugs. That’s why some people roll their eyes at the phrase, dismissing them as “just words on a wall.”

 

But when done right, applying core values at work can be a powerful employee engagement exercise. Values give people a shared sense of purpose and guide decision-making. They can become the “why” behind the work.

 

Why values matter

Core values can:

• Create a consistent culture, even as companies grow.

• Help people make decisions when there’s no rulebook.

• Build trust, because actions line up with words.

 

How to decide on core values

The best values aren’t copied from a poster or dreamed up in a boardroom. They’re discovered by asking:

• What behaviours do we celebrate?

• What traits do we look for when hiring?

• What actions do we reward?

I believe that values start from the top. The founders ‘non-negotiables’, but they should be road-tested, particularly if implementing them after employing staff, particularly if the staff hired don’t have them. They should also make sense, and not be so vague that they lose meaning.

 

 

Examples in action

• Patagonia has built its whole identity around environmental responsibility, encouraging employees to live that value in and outside of work.

• John Lewis – whose values are branded as Purpose, is known for its principle of partnership, giving employees a direct stake in the company and decision-making.

In these instances the values act as operating principles. Values that are lived and breathed are the ones that attract, retain, and engage talent. You’ll see this with ‘We Are Adam’. I interviewed their founder Leon Milns, who shared how their values demonstrate their north star is how they operate (view here).

 

Summary: Creating Values that stick

To make core values more than decoration on your wall, find out how to:

• Embed them in hiring, onboarding, and promotions.

• Recognise employees when they act in line with values.

• Call out behaviour that goes against them.

• Use them in everyday language, not just HR documents.

When companies live their values, people notice. And when people believe in the values, engagement follows. In my consulting work I support businesses in determining values.

 

 

This post is part of our Engagement Techniques series of practical, low-cost ideas to bring more connection and meaning into work. Find the rest here.

👉 Want to explore techniques like this in more depth? I run interactive employee engagement workshops where we bring these ideas to life.