Core Values Must be “Lived” To Foster Employee Engagement

Do you know your company’s core values? Are they meaningful? Do people live them – day-in and day-out? Or, are they just written and displayed on an outdated poster with little value or meaning?

With all of the talk about the importance of employee engagement - it is becoming more and more recognized that employees that are aligned with their company’s core values are not only more likely to stay loyal, but are also more likely to be ambassadors of the company’s products and services outside of the workplace.

Zappos is a great example of a company that has what it refers to as “committable core values” – in other words they are able to hire and fire based on these values. Zappos has the following set of ten Core Values:

1)     Deliver WOW Through Service

2)     Embrace and Drive Change

3)     Create Fun and A Little Weirdness (there’s actually a 1-10 scale on their application to rate how weird you are.)

4)     Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

5)     Pursue Growth and Learning

6)     Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication

7)     Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

     Do More With Less

9)     Be Passionate and Determined

10) Be Humble

How many companies do you know – have committable core values? Unfortunately, not enough.

The foundation for employee engagement is the right culture. Your employees are more likely to be engaged in their jobs, when the culture matches both their abilities and their values. Zappos is a company that understands that both must be in place to engage employees.