What are values at work?

Values at work are beliefs and principles relating to your career or place of work. It is the idea that what people believe and care about matters, not just in their personal life, but also when at work. Organizations will often have a set of work values that set the tone of the operations and how they conduct business.

An example of this would be a company that aligns itself with the idea of transparency and open communication. That means that the company would expect that staff would bring this work value into everything they do, meaning they would have transparency with customers or clients. Having this type of value at work can allow for employees to feel a connection with the organization which can have many benefits.

Why values at work are important

Having clear values at work can benefit both employees and the organization as a whole. When an employee’s work values align with that of the company they work for they are more likely to find meaning in their job. Having this type of connection with the organization they work for will make them want to keep working for that company and they have an increased feeling of job satisfaction.

There are a lot of positive outcomes of having employees who are happy working for your company. Here is a list of benefits of having values at work that are similar to that of your employees.

• Increased employee retention rates: as stated above, when employees can align their personal values with that of the organization they are likely to have high job satisfaction. This means that employees will be more likely to stay working for you as there is no reason to leave a job you are happy with.
• Increased productivity: when employees are happy at work they work harder meaning productivity rates are increased. Having clear values at work will allow employees to feel more at ease and they can be more efficient with their daily tasks.
• Good customer service: if your company has customers or clients, you want your employees to have good customer service skills. When employees feel satisfied due to an alignment of values at work, they will bring this good attitude into their work, including the quality of their customer service.
• Promote from within: when people enjoy their jobs they want to keep working for that company and managers can rely on them being good candidates for career development. When looking to gain the new talent, it is more economical if you can promote from within and it becomes easier to find candidates when you already trust they will be sticking with your organization for a long time.
• Good reputation: with high employee retention rates and the ability to participate in professional development, those looking for employment will want a job with your company. That means that by having clear values at work, you have created a situation where you can recruit the best talent. Also, as we have previously stated, that talent is more likely to stick with you when work values align with their values.

With the above examples, you can see clearly how having values at work can make your entire organization succeed.

Examples of work values

Now that we’ve discussed why having values at work is important, it is time to look at a few examples.

Open Communication

Having open communication means that you are transparent with what is going on in the organization, whether it be good or bad. Employees like to know that their positions are safe, so having open communication can help you assure them that you will be up front if issues start to arise. Open communication from your employees is also important as you want to make sure that any interpersonal problems between coworkers or any personal problems do not get in the way of work.

Related: How to Create Effective Communication at the Workplace

Integrity

Integrity means being honest and doing what’s right at all times. People want to work for a company that they can trust and respect. By having integrity in what you do, you are showing employees that they do not have to worry about how the organization conducts its business. Now more than ever, workers want businesses to be inclusive of all races, religions, gender orientations and sexualities. If your organization acts in a way that is contrary to this, they are more likely to work somewhere else, bringing their talents with them.

Diversity and Inclusivity

Embracing diversity and working to include people from all backgrounds is an important value at work to have. People want to know that your organization is working towards making its workforce a more diverse and inclusive place. By placing this work value at the forefront of your organization, employees will feel comfortable being themselves which is a quality people look for in a job.

Creativity and Individualism

Creativity and individualism as a value at work means that people are celebrated for their creative ideas and encouraged to think outside the box. This work value is important to many employees as they want to feel autonomy when at work and as though they have a say in certain aspects of their job. People like knowing that their ideas are being appreciated at work, so having creativity and individualism as one of your organization’s work values is important.

Teamwork

Being a company that values teamwork can have a positive impact on the quality of work you produce. When employees are encouraged to collaborate on work, there is more of a free flow of ideas and you might find that innovation becomes increasingly important. Teamwork is a great way to make projects go faster and with people working together you also can find a higher sense of comradery. Having teamwork as an important work value can get your staff to bond, which is another way of increasing job satisfaction.

Accountability

Accountability means that you can see when you’ve made a mistake and are able to admit it. Having accountability as a value at work will mean that people are encouraged to stay humble and know when they’ve done wrong. This work value also means that the organization is accountable for its own actions, which is what employees appreciate. When an organization is able to be accountable for its actions, employees feel trust and respect towards the company and are more likely to have a sense of job satisfaction.

The above six examples are just a few of the common values at work seen in organizations. By using these examples, you will be able to start seeing how values at work can help the organization as a whole.

How to instil values at work

Once you’ve adopted a set of work values you will want to instil them throughout the organization. Here are a few ways you can do this.

• Make them visible: find places within the organization in which you can display the work values so that employees can see them. A few examples are adding them to your website, making them part of your employee handbook or having posters of them around the office.
• Hire based on your values at work: when hiring new employees, make sure to ask a few questions about their values to make sure they will be a good cultural fit for your company. For more on how to do this, read this related article: How to Conduct a Job Interview and Find the Right Candidate
• Demonstrate them in your actions: make sure that as the manager, you are always acting with your values at work in mind. For example, if you make a mistake be accountable to your staff by talking to them about what happened.
• Consistently communicate values: when people display working within one of your values at work, praise them. Make sure people know that you are aware of how they behave and that the values are not just words on a wall.

By using the above techniques you will be able to instil work values into your staff and make sure your organization keeps them at the forefront of how it operates.