10 tips on core values

Core values are usually expressed in three to five words that define an organisation’s most fundamental principles. When they are actively used, they guide daily decisions and behaviour. When they are not, they quickly become empty words.

1. Develop a recruitment guide

Improve the quality of your recruitment by creating a guide that clearly explains your values and company culture. When your core values guide recruitment, they become meaningful in practice and strengthen engagement across the organisation.

2. Invite broader input

Involve employees early by asking for suggested words that describe your culture. Broad participation gives you a stronger, more balanced foundation for making well-informed decisions.

3. Make the final decision

Ensure that the leadership team makes the final selection. Choose values that are strategically important and already reflected in the behaviour of your most successful employees.

4. Define what the values mean

Avoid vague wording by clarifying why each value matters for your organisation’s success. Provide concrete examples of what each value looks like in everyday work.

5. Approve the wording

Let the leadership team review and refine the exact formulation. Treat the text as a strategic governance tool and aim for clarity and consistency.

6. Encourage continuous feedback

Invite employees to suggest improvements over time. Ongoing dialogue strengthens both the wording and its relevance.

7. Apply the values in recruitment

Ensure that job candidates understand what your values mean in real situations. Be prepared to prioritise value alignment over competence alone.

8. Align management systems

Create coherence between your values and other governance tools, such as performance criteria, employee surveys and development reviews. Review your structures and change anything that is not aligned with your core values.

9. Keep the values alive

Introduce regular discussions and periodic reviews of your values. Repetition and reflection keep them practical rather than symbolic.

10. Use your values to drive change

Treat your core values as a deliberate tool for development and renewal. When people feel secure in shared principles, they are more open to change.