Values: the key to a strong company culture that attracts and retains talent and clients

In an increasingly competitive professional world, company culture and values have become decisive factors in success. Values are not simply words written on a wall or presented in a brochure, but driving forces that guide every action, every decision and every interaction within the organisation. Defining these values is a crucial step, but it represents only part of the journey. Their true impact is measured by the way they are lived out on a daily basis by employees.

What are the benefits of establishing company values?

Values contribute to creating and strengthening a coherent company culture. They serve as guidelines for everyday behaviours, standards and interactions. Well-embedded values create a positive company culture, fostering collaboration, innovation and problem-solving.

In the context of recruiting and retaining talent, company values play a key role. Candidates now seek employers whose values resonate with their personal convictions. Transparent and well-communicated values strengthen the company's appeal in the job market. Moreover, employees who share common values with their company are more likely to commit over the long term.

In addition to a strong employer brand, values can have a positive impact on the company's brand image. When a company clearly defines and puts its values into practice, it sends a powerful message about its identity and its commitment to specific principles. This authenticity can attract clients, partners or investors who share these values.

The impact of values is also felt in team dynamics. Shared values create cohesion, encouraging individuals to collaborate more effectively. Interactions become smoother, communication is facilitated, and collective energy is directed towards common goals. This fosters a culture of collaboration and mutual support, raising the overall performance level of the team.

How do you define a company's values?

Defining a company's values is a complex and crucial process that often requires support from experts in business management. ​

At Valeur Plus, we firmly believe in the importance of involving all employees in this approach.

​Too often, values are defined by senior management and imposed on teams (a top-down system). We observe that in most cases, employees find it difficult to identify with the values and to live them out on a daily basis. This is why we encourage our clients to adopt a collaborative approach. A more bottom-up system ensures authentic buy-in and a natural integration of values into the everyday life of the company.

We are sharing our virtuous four-step process that our specialists use during their support engagements to define values:

1. Our support begins with a workshop with the company's extended management team in order to determine the current culture and to consider the question of how it needs to evolve in line with the company's mission and vision. This exercise sometimes requires reconsidering the said mission and vision.

2. Once the culture, vision and mission have been established, the second step consists of preselecting, together with members of management and senior staff, 15 to 20 keywords that are closely aligned with the company culture.

3. Next, it is time to gather employees' opinions and perspectives. An anonymous survey allows each employee to choose the 5 keywords they consider most relevant and meaningful for the company. The purpose of this step is to involve employees in the process, to give them the opportunity to express themselves and, above all, to allow values to emerge from the source.

4. The fourth step consists of a collaborative workshop bringing together both senior staff and employees. The aim is to define the final 4 to 5 values more precisely, but also to reflect on how to embody them and bring them to life concretely on a daily basis. This step involves open discussions, concrete examples and the formulation of specific commitments for each chosen value.

By involving all employees, aligning the values with the vision and mission, and actively integrating them into everyday practices, the company creates a solid foundation for an authentic and resilient culture.

How do you bring values to life within a company?

Bringing values to life within a company goes beyond defining them; it is an ongoing commitment that requires concrete actions, transparent communication and deep integration into the organisational culture. At Valeur Plus, we recommend a proactive approach to embedding values in the day-to-day life of the company.

Values must not remain abstract concepts. They must be actively integrated into the company's everyday practices. This can take the form of incorporating values into meetings, feedback, the working environment, employee discussions, performance reviews, training programmes or recruitment processes. When values become tangible criteria in decision-making, they come to life within the organisation.

Values are not fixed; they evolve with the company. When significant changes occur, whether in management, strategy or structure, it is essential to reassess how these changes impact the company's values. This requires constant adaptation to ensure that the values remain relevant and aligned with the organisation's aspirations.

How do you know whether employees truly live these values in their work?

Measuring the extent to which employees embody the values is an essential aspect. At Valeur Plus, we recommend several approaches and tools to assess the real impact of values in the day-to-day life of the company.

For example, employee satisfaction surveys can include specific questions about the perception of values and how employees feel these values are lived out on a daily basis. This feedback provides valuable insights into the buy-in and the real impact of the values.

Annual appraisals are also very favourable moments for finding out whether employees are aligned with the company's values. This involves setting objectives and performance criteria that reflect the organisation's fundamental principles. In this way, employees are assessed not only on their results, but also on the way they embody the values.

Feedback is, in our view, the essential tool of any manager. Encouraging open communication and continuous feedback creates a dialogue in which employees can express their views on how alive the values are. Mechanisms such as team meetings, feedback sessions and open communication channels are essential tools for maintaining a constant flow of information on the impact of the values.

Finally, simply observing everyday interactions and behaviours directly within the company provides invaluable information. Managers can be attentive observers in assessing whether the values are reflected in the concrete actions of their teams.

In conclusion, well-embedded values strengthen the employer brand, boost employee engagement, create a sense of belonging and encourage innovation. By involving all employees, aligning the values with the vision and mission, and actively integrating them into everyday practices, the company creates a solid foundation for an authentic and resilient culture. Defining a company's values is a dynamic process that requires ongoing support and commitment. Benefit from the experience and expertise of Valeur Plus to strengthen your foundations and propel your company to new heights!

Produced by Cassandra Kunkel, marketing and training projects manager