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Defining core values
At the heart of every fulfilling career is a set of core values that guide your decisions and shape your aspirations. Amazing If founder Sarah Ellis beautifully defines work values when speaking on the Squiggly Careers podcast:
"Values are essentially the things that make you, you. They're the things that motivate and drive you; they're very personal to you. When you're living your values, both in work and outside of work, you feel happy and motivated, and they have a really big impact on how much you're enjoying what you're doing. When those values are not around or are not present or get taken away in some way, shape, or form, it's often when you've become really unhappy in your career. Your values help you make better choices in your career, in terms of what are the things you want to do, and why do you want to do those things?"
In essence, work values are the deeply held beliefs that guide your actions and decisions in the professional realm.
They act as a compass, ensuring your career trajectory aligns with your personal beliefs and ethical standards.
The importance of values in the workplace
Your core values influence every aspect of your career and, in some cases, may override the promise of a promotion or big pay rise.
When your core values align with your work, every task transforms from a mere duty into a purposeful endeavour that resonates with your inner self.
That’s why 82% of employees believe their company must have a purpose, enabling them to participate in meaningful work, according to McKinsey & Company.
In a separate Monster study, 70% of employees rank purpose as more important than pay.
The implication is clear: When work is meaningful, you feel fulfilled, and your performance soars.
The result? Personal satisfaction and organisational success, which are a win-win for everyone.
Examples of core values in the workplace
The great thing about your values is that they're entirely unique to the individual and how they guide each person's professional journey.
One person may be jazzed about upholding environmental standards in their work, while others strive to work for a company committed to improving diversity in leadership.
In either case, the unifying factor in selecting your core values is that they’re non-negotiable.
Your principles and beliefs are fundamental to your sense of satisfaction and the career choices you make.
Of course, your values can be vast and varied, but they often fall into three main buckets:
- Work values
- Ethical values
- Cultural values
Work values
Work values align most with your personal beliefs and desires, shaping how you approach your role and what you seek in a career. Some common work values include:
- Autonomy: Valuing the freedom to make independent decisions, work with minimal supervision, and enjoying the authority to manage your tasks and projects.
- Creativity: Expressing innovative ideas and finding unique solutions to challenges, in a psychologically safe environment.
- Job security: Appreciating career consistency in roles with long-term prospects.
- Work-life balance: Prioritising flexible schedules, opportunities for remote work, and ample paid time off to recharge and spend time with loved ones.
- Financial reward: Seeking roles with competitive salaries, enticing bonuses, and clear paths for financial growth.
- Leadership: Possessing an innate drive to lead, guide, and make decisions that shape the organisation's future.
- Innovation: Pioneering ideas and cutting-edge technologies in environments that celebrate forward-thinking and disruptive innovation.
- Loyalty: Sticking with employers through thick and thin, and valuing long-term relationships and mutual trust built up over time.
- Attention to detail: Producing high-quality work by taking pride in catching small details others might overlook.
- Reliability: Demonstrating consistency in performance, meeting deadlines, and upholding commitments.
Ethical values
Ethical values act as the bridge between personal beliefs and organisational culture, ensuring that your moral compass aligns seamlessly with the company’s ethos. Some examples of these human values include:
- Social impact: Gravitating towards careers in nonprofits, social work, or other roles where your efforts directly contribute to the greater good.
- Environmental: Prioritising eco-friendly values in companies that practice social responsibility.
- Integrity: Focusing on doing the right thing (even when no one's looking) and maintaining high ethical standards.
- Transparency: Sharing business decisions and relevant information openly with internal and external stakeholders, fostering an environment of trust and accountability.
- Fairness: Committing to treating everyone equally, without bias or discrimination, while celebrating diversity.
Cultural values
Company culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, and practices that define a company's essence, reflecting its broader mission and the principles it stands for.
Nectar research reveals that company culture can be a game-changer for encouraging employees to stick around. 93.5% of people admit they would stay with a company for 5+ years if the culture is great.
Here are some of the cultural values that might sway you:
- Diversity and inclusion: Promoting equality, inclusivity, and diversity in all operational aspects.
- Customer-centricity: Focusing on delivering exceptional service and customer satisfaction.
- Professional development: Maximising learning and growth opportunities such as training, clear advancement pathways, and skill enhancement.
- Teamwork: Cherishing a collaborative environment where effective communication, shared knowledge, and collective effort lead to achieving common goals.
- Excellence: Aiming for continuous improvement and outstanding results.
- Sense of community: Participating in an organisation that’s actively involved in making a positive difference, be it through volunteering, philanthropy, or other meaningful initiatives.
How to identify your core values
The trouble with long lists of work values like these is they probably all sound appealing. The difficulty is in nailing down the personal values that matter most to you. Follow these simple steps to get started:
Step 1: Commit to self-reflection
Set aside some quiet, distraction-free time, and grab a journal or piece of paper for brainstorming and self-reflection. Begin by asking yourself questions like:
- What career moments have brought me the most satisfaction?
- When have I felt most proud of my work?
- Which situations made me feel uncomfortable or out of whack with my beliefs?
Answering these questions about your experiences and emotions will reveal patterns and themes that will help you sort your values into personal and corporate categories. Write them all down—there are no right or wrong answers.
Step 2: Prioritise your interests
Next, list activities, roles, or tasks you genuinely enjoy in your work and rank those interests from 1 to 10 by importance.
By prioritising them, you'll see which interests align closely with your aspirational values.
An example list might look like this:
- Being part of a diverse team
- Making a positive impact in my local community
- Experimenting with innovative technologies
- Having financial stability
- Enjoying autonomy in decision-making
- Cultivating strong relationships with colleagues
- Belonging to an organisation with transparency as a core company value
- Contributing to environmentally friendly practices within the company
- Receiving opportunities for continued learning and development
- Using my creativity daily
Step 3: Craft a preliminary values list
Based on your reflections and interests, list your potential core values. You can use the earlier examples as inspiration or brainstorm new ones that feel right.
Once you have a list, test it out by asking yourself questions like:
- Do these values align with my beliefs?
- Can I see myself advocating for these values in my career choices?
- Do they resonate with my professional goals?
How to align personal and career values
In an ideal world, the values in your personal and professional lives would run parallel, like each side of a train track.
When your career and personal values align, you’ll feel more motivated, satisfied, and fulfilled in your work.
Here are some tips to align your values:
Step one: Compare and contrast your personal and career values
Look for overlaps in your lists of personal and career values.
For example, if you listed "relationship-building" as a core value in both categories, it indicates that working collaboratively is a common value, and you might choose a career that depends on your interpersonal skills, such as in sales or marketing.
Step two: Evaluate potential employers
Companies are keen to promote their employer brand, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a company that aligns with your core values. To do so, check out the company's:
- Mission statement or About Us page on their website
- Social media channels
- Employee reviews using sites like Glassdoor or Blind
Speaking to current or former employees will help you understand if the company culture truly reflects its organisational values.
Of course, it's normal to come across some strong opinions online, which is why you must always follow your instincts and choose an employer whose values feel right for you.
Step three: Seek job opportunities
Once you know which employers may be a good fit for you, your options are:
- Apply for open vacancies at the company
- Cold pitch relevant people at the company
- Take a wait-and-see approach by monitoring the company’s social accounts and careers site in case anything relevant crops up
How to manage value conflicts at work
Part of working in a diverse workplace, where we welcome a range of viewpoints, is that not everyone will share our values, which can lead to misunderstandings. Here's how to handle value conflicts in the workplace:
Step one: Identify clashing values
If you find yourself head-to-head with a coworker, the first step is to pinpoint the values you're clashing over.
- If a coworker constantly makes jokes about a serious topic you hold dear, the clashing values might be respect for others vs. humour
- If a coworker prioritises individual recognition and advancement while you value teamwork and collaboration, the clashing values might be personal achievement vs. collective success
- If your supervisor pushes for higher profits at the expense of ethical practices while you strongly believe in transparency and social responsibility, the clashing values might be financial success vs. ethical behaviour
Step two: Seek understanding
Before jumping to conclusions or judging others, try to understand their perspective and why they hold their values.
Depending on the person you're clashing with, suggest an informal chat or a 1:1 meeting with a supervisor present.
Having the conversation doesn't mean you should feel pressured to agree with them. But, gaining insight into their viewpoint can diffuse tensions and find common ground to move forward with your professional relationship.
Step three: Communicate effectively
In a respectful and non-confrontational manner, communicate your values and listen to others' perspectives. Try to find a compromise or solution that aligns with both parties' values.
Use 'I' statements instead of 'you' statements to express your feelings without accusing or attacking the other person. For example:
- Instead of saying, "You always make inappropriate jokes," try saying, "I feel uncomfortable when I hear jokes about serious topics."
- Instead of saying, "You only care about your own success," try saying, "I value working as a team towards our business goals."
- Instead of saying, "You don't care about ethics," try saying, "I strongly believe in the importance of transparency and social responsibility."
Step four: Accept guidance
If you're struggling to work through your disagreement, you may need to call an HR representative to resolve the issue.
Seeking guidance or mediation doesn't mean you've failed but instead signals your strong sense of commitment to maintaining a respectful and inclusive work environment.
Choose Spotlight to navigate your values-based career journey
Aligning your personal and work values plays a pivotal role in your job satisfaction and sense of purpose at work. It’s not just about the job title or the paycheck; it’s about finding a workplace that aligns with your core beliefs and allows you to thrive.
Spotlight by Applied allows you to find employers that value your skills, meet your career goals, and share your values. Signup today.
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