15 Essential Values to Build a Strong Company Culture
According to Gallup, global employee engagement fell to 21% by 2024 – only the second decline in the past twelve years. This decrease is estimated to have cost the world economy 438 billion USD in productivity losses, and 20% of employees reported feeling lonely the day before.
The data paints a sobering picture: workplace well-being is suffering, and companies could feel the consequences. But there is also an opportunity: these statistics underline the importance of a strong corporate culture based on clear, actionable values, prioritizing well-being, and fostering more connected teams.
When employees identify with the mission and values of their company (and new employees are onboarded accordingly), they are more engaged, productive, and satisfied with their work. Conversely, a lack of alignment between personal and company values can lead to demotivation, declining morale, and higher turnover.
In this article, we present 15 key corporate values that can serve as a foundation for a successful company culture. We also show how the development and embedding of these values can increase employee engagement, align teams with company goals, and contribute to long-term success.
Why Company Values Are Important
Company values are more than just words on the wall. They are the guiding principles that shape every aspect of your business. When clearly defined and consistently applied, these values influence hiring decisions, day-to-day operations, and long-term strategies, creating a strong and meaningful work environment.
When companies implement people-centered values—such as vision, ethics, work ethic, and customer focus—it positively impacts their financial performance. Companies that showcase their visions and values on their website, and provide a more detailed vision along with additional company values, also have a better chance of achieving a higher ranking in the Fortune 1000.
- Increase Employee Retention: Employee retention reached a low point in 2024, with only 31% of employees reporting satisfaction with their work. Engaged employees are more productive, happier, and more connected to their tasks. Align your hiring practices with company culture and values to promote employee retention from the start.
- Align with Company Goals: Values provide a framework for decision-making and ensure that actions at all levels align with the company's mission and goals. By integrating values into daily work, you strengthen alignment and promote business success.
- Attracting and retaining talent: Strong corporate values attract candidates who can identify with your culture. This leads to a better fit and lower turnover. Corporate culture is also a key factor in retaining top talent.
- Increasing profitability: Companies with clear values often achieve better financial results thanks to higher employee motivation and customer satisfaction. Studies show that engaged employees contribute to higher profitability and productivity.
15 Values for a Successful Corporate Culture
Building a strong corporate culture begins with defining values that shape the behavior, decisions, and work ethic of your team. Below, we present 15 core values that have the potential to fundamentally transform a work environment.
1. Integrity
Integrity forms the foundation of any strong organization. When your team practices honesty and transparency, it leads to trust, shared goals, and consistent decision-making. Promote a culture of open communication where honesty is valued, integrity is assessed during the hiring process, and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. Even large, multinational companies like Amazon build trust by promoting integrity in dealings with customers and employees.
2. Innovation
Promoting innovation empowers employees to bring in new ideas and solutions, thereby securing the competitiveness and future viability of your company. Create an environment where experimenting is encouraged and employees are motivated to do the right thing as part of the learning process. Companies like Google actively promote innovation by providing their employees with space and opportunities to develop creative solutions.
3. Collaboration
Through collaboration, employees can leverage diverse skills and perspectives, ultimately achieving better results. Encourage cross-functional teams and organize team-building activities to strengthen collaboration.
4. Accountability
A culture of accountability ensures that every employee takes responsibility for their actions, leading to better performance and increased trust. Set clear expectations and provide regular feedback to keep your employees on track.
5. Respect
Respect creates an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued and heard. Lead by example – treat others with respect and encourage your employees to do the same in all interactions. Cultures characterized by inclusion and respect foster psychological safety, allowing employees to reach their full potential and deliver top performance.
6. Customer Orientation
A customer-oriented approach ensures that your company is always focused on customer needs, thereby promoting customer loyalty and long-term success. Regularly collect customer feedback and use it to guide product development, company mission, and service improvements.
7. Diversity and Inclusion
Valuing diversity and promoting inclusion lead to more creative and innovative teams and ensure that everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Companies like Adobe have deeply integrated diversity and inclusion into their business processes, fostering a culture of belonging.
8. Sustainability
Sustainability is not limited to environmental compatibility; it also includes creating long-term value for stakeholders and society, as well as demonstrating your commitment to social responsibility (CSR). Integrate sustainability goals into your business processes and involve your employees in environmental initiatives.
9. Excellence
The pursuit of excellence motivates employees to perform at their best and promotes continuous improvement across all areas of business. Companies that prioritize excellence can rely on their teams to be innovative and deliver high-quality work.
10. Empathy
Empathy in the workplace allows employees to connect more deeply with one another, build closer relationships, and create a more supportive environment. Offer empathy training to leaders so they can better understand and respond to the needs of their employees.
11. Adaptability
Adaptability ensures that your team can respond flexibly to new challenges, market changes, or external pressures, helping businesses remain competitive. Companies like Microsoft focus on adaptability and encourage their employees to succeed in a constantly changing environment.
12. Transparency
When leadership is open about the company’s direction, performance, and challenges, employees feel more connected to the company mission. Share important business developments and performance metrics with the entire team to promote alignment and create a sense of involvement.
13. Work-Life Balance
A balanced work-life situation helps employees prevent burnout and remain productive and healthy in the long term. Offer flexible working hours, wellness programs, and vacation policies to support employees in balancing their professional and personal lives.
14. Fun
A pleasant working environment increases motivation, fosters creativity, and strengthens team cohesion. Incorporate team-building activities, joint events, or well-designed office spaces to create a more relaxed and positive work atmosphere.
15. Learning and Development
A comprehensive learning and development program helps companies stay innovative and ensures employees remain competitive. Provide access to training programs, mentoring opportunities, and career development resources (and track the results as a metric) to support the personal and professional growth of your employees.
A strong, people-centered culture founded on explicit values—such as the 15 presented—is no longer a "nice-to-have," but a fundamental strategy for overcoming challenges like low employee engagement and high turnover. These values must transition from inspirational text to actionable behaviors that consistently guide employee decisions, foster psychological safety (Respect, Empathy), and drive business goals (Excellence, Customer Orientation). For HR professionals leveraging IceHrm, these values serve as the core architecture for all people processes. By integrating these specific values into modules like Performance Management (for giving feedback on Integrity and Accountability), Recruitment (for assessing cultural fit), and Training and Development (for tracking Learning and Development goals), IceHrm ensures that the company culture is continuously measured, reinforced, and aligned with long-term success, thereby tangibly boosting employee engagement and retention.