Core Values Examples for Business

Core values, also called organizational values, are guiding beliefs and principles that shape how organizations operate, make decisions, work together, and set priorities. Company values are usually prominently displayed on websites, lobby walls, office signage, and in employee handbooks. The words are easy to find, but harder to put into action. Organizations must consistently back them up with actions that honor their commitments to employees, customers, and the community.

Values alignment and the creation of a healthy company culture that emphasizes employee wellness and trust are essential. “In 2026 and beyond, a company’s well-being will be contingent on its ability to prioritize employee well-being and fairness, to cultivate environments built on psychological safety and trust,” reports Forbes. Yet, only 49% of employees trust employers to create a company culture where all employees can thrive. 

What Are Core Values at Work?

Core values are the guiding principles and fundamental beliefs that determine how a company thinks and acts. They are often referred to as the DNA of an organization and are unique to each organization. They communicate the organization’s main purpose and guide employee behavior. 

Core values are often a set of three to six one-word adjectives or nouns, like innovation or courage. However, it is more meaningful to have each one be a statement instead of only one word. Here are some examples of value statements from Zappos shared by Thinkhaus Idea Factory:

• Deliver WOW Through Service
• Embrace and Drive Change
• Create Fun and a Little Weirdness
• Do More With Less
• Be Passionate and Determined

By having core values written as simple statements, they are more effective at inspiring actionable core behaviors. Think of core behaviors as the actions that bring core values to life. “Values set the what and why, while culture defines the how and when,” explains Clutch Insider. Values are the cornerstone of company culture. When values and company culture are aligned, the organizational values are reflected in daily decisions and behaviors.  

Creating Core Values

How do you select the best core values for your business? We suggest starting by reviewing a large list of core values, such as 200 core values from G2. Highlight the values that resonate with you, brainstorm additional ones, and review examples from other companies. Then, identify ways to make your values distinctive and memorable. 

Harvard Business Review offers the following tips for creating core values that will resonate and be memorable: be creative, keep them brief, make them easy to remember with mnemonic devices, use distinctive language, and make it visible with an image. They suggest limiting your core values to four values, even though many companies have five or more. Additionally, use rousing language and literary devices, such as acronyms, alliteration, metaphors, rhymes, or rhythms. 

Some companies use a catchy acronym for their core values. Acronyms make core values easy to remember. For example, Qualtrics uses the acronym TACOS:  

• T is for Transparency
• A is for All In
• C is for Customer Obsessed
• O is for One Team
• S is for Scrappy

When you begin the core values design process by creating imaginative values, you will increase the likelihood of employees actually remembering them. Simply repeating boring core values over time will not inspire employees to remember them or act on them.

The Importance of Core Values in the Workplace

From guiding employee behavior to holding business leaders accountable, core values should be ingrained in every aspect of the organization. They help establish trust, consistent behaviors, and a strong employer brand. Core values provide a shared purpose and framework for making strategic decisions. They not only empower employees and enhance decision-making but can also aid in conflict resolution. Strong core values help to create a strong company culture. 

When employees are aligned with the organization’s core values, it enhances employee engagement, productivity, collaboration, and overall business performance. “Values-driven companies outperform their competitors in revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and innovation,” reports Great Place to Work.

“I’ve learned that the best companies—the ones that are most competitive and lead their industries decade after decade—put enormous emphasis on their core values and beliefs.” – Harvard Business School Professor Robert Simons

Core values and company culture impact your ability to attract and retain top talent. Jobvite research found that 31% of job seekers are motivated by company culture. With 38% of Americans desiring a career that aligns with their personal passions and interests, alignment with a company’s core values has a significant impact. 

A poor company culture increases employee dissatisfaction and turnover. When there is a values misalignment, a company risks public pressure, boycotts, and losing consumers. The Edelman’s 2025 Brand Trust report found that values-alignment affects which brands consumers decide to support. 

Core Values Examples in Business 

Most companies clearly state their core values on their website. There are literally thousands of examples. Here are several common core values with definitions and examples. 

Integrity

A common core value used by many companies is integrity. Companies that do the right thing, have a high moral standard, and act ethically have integrity. Examples of companies that include integrity in their core values are Amazon, Deloitte, Netflix, and Trader Joe’s. The Marriott website states, “How we do business is as important as the business we do.” They describe holding themselves to “uncompromising ethical and legal standards.”

Curiosity

When you have a strong desire to know something and ask questions, you are curious. In business, curiosity results in problem-solving, growth, change, and innovation.  At 3M, employees are encouraged to use 15% of their working time “to follow their own insights in pursuit of problem-solving.” This has led to many innovations, including car window treatment films. 

Collaboration

Many companies emphasize working together as a team. Examples include Google, IKEA, and Adidas. At IKEA, their core value of togetherness is described as “trust each other, pull in the same direction, and have fun together.”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

When companies have DEI as a core value, it means that they value a diverse workforce, equitable practices, including all employees, and creating an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work. Apple has a core value of inclusion and diversity, which is described as “a culture of collaboration where different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives come together to make something magical and meaningful.”

Purpose-Driven

A purpose-driven company prioritizes creating meaningful social or environmental impact. Often, a purpose-driven brand will donate a percentage of profits to charity, and that will be a key feature of their marketing. Patagonia updated its core values in 2022, on its 50th anniversary. Their environmentalism value includes “protect our home planet.” A large banner on their homepage states, “We support grassroots activism.”

Sustainability

Companies that value sustainability aim to reduce their carbon footprint, prevent waste, and prioritize environmental and social responsibility. Unilever has a core value of continuous commitment, which includes sustainability. Unilever is focusing on four sustainability priority areas: “climate, nature, plastics, and livelihoods.” 

Growth Mindset

Companies that have a core value of a growth mindset prioritize continuous learning and knowledge. Microsoft commits to expanding opportunity, which means “provide information, tools, and services to help build knowledge, fuel curiosity, and unlock opportunity.” 

Empathy

A company’s core value of empathy means understanding and genuinely considering the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of employees, customers, and partners. In other words, these companies value compassion for others. A core value at Slack is empathy. They explain, “It’s a big responsibility to make sure we’re not only considering the audience, but also the audience’s needs and mindset.”

Transparency

When you value open and honest communication about everything, you are displaying the value of transparency. At Qualtrics, transparency is defined as “building a culture where the default is to share with one another.” Transparency is the value for which Buffer is best known. They “aspire to always default to transparency as a company and as individuals.” 

Kindness 

Kindness means treating yourself and others with empathy, respect, and understanding. Kindness is a core value at G2 and represents the K in their PEAK values acronym (performance, entrepreneurship, authenticity, and kindness). A well-known brand whose entire company is built around the value of kindness is KIND snacks. Their 2025 campaign focuses on encouraging consumers to make a kind choice for themselves and others with daily small acts of kindness.

How To Promote Core Values in the Workplace

It is not as simple as you may think to promote your core values and have them actually stick with employees. Studies show that many employees do not actually know a company’s core values or how to use them. In fact, Gallup found that “just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organization’s values to their work.”

Harvard Business School provides five steps for implementing core values: define your core values, prioritize constituents, connect value creation, analyze and improve, and communicate consistently. They explain that effective core values possess two attributes: they inspire people, and they provide guidance on making hard decisions. 

Promoting core values requires an interdisciplinary effort across the organization. Effective external and internal communication practices are essential for promoting core values. Address core values in your daily operations, meetings, and messages. Human resources should incorporate core values throughout the employee life cycle, including during hiring, training, and as a criterion for recognizing and rewarding employees. 

As your company evolves, your values should be updated. The values that initially guided you may not be aligned with where your company is today. Regularly review your values, and do not be afraid to change them.