Communicating company core values: Definition, examples, and why they matter

Company core values are the principles that define what a company stands for, how it makes decisions, and how its people behave. But words on a plaque aren’t the same as values people live. Core values only shape culture and drive results when they’re communicated clearly and consistently, so strong internal communication is what turns core values into everyday behavior.

It’s not hard to find the core values of any organization.  

They’re featured in large print on corporate websites, on a plaque in the lobby, and in employee handbooks. Honestly, company core values are everywhere if you look for them.

But living up to those values is the harder part.

Words are just that. Words. A company upholds its stated company values with deeds that keep promises to employees and customers. It begins by communicating those core values so everyone can act on them.

Only then will employees know: This is who we are.

Company core values are the stated principles and fundamental beliefs that define what an organization believes, how it makes decisions, and how its people behave. These core values define what the company stands for, and they give everyone shared guiding principles.

Company values and culture are closely linked. In many ways, values and culture are synonymous. Both are about the higher aspirations of a company, and together they form the DNA of the company’s identity.

A company’s values serve as a framework for behavior across daily operations. They should translate into observable behaviors, not sit unused as a vision statement on a wall.

Understanding those aspirations takes strong internal communication. A statement on a wall, website, or handbook does not mean employees got the message. (After all, it’s just a plaque in the lobby.) What works is a steady cadence that reinforces those guiding principles.

Company values today do real work, not decoration. Strong, inspiring core values are specific values people can act on. They lift engagement, retention, and employee satisfaction, and attract talent, because job seekers and employees whose own values align tend to stay. An organization’s core values guide decision making across all levels and are essential for the company’s growth.

Lived core values also shape corporate culture and support business growth. Connecting them to business strategy creates a competitive advantage, driving customer satisfaction and customer success. Treating core values as a driving force builds a strong company culture. Gallup’s 2024 research ties this to results: top-quartile teams for engagement deliver 23% higher profitability.

Distilled to the basics, company values often come down to the Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated. Or, as filmmaker Spike Lee put it, do the right thing.

Here is a broader list of core values examples.

1. Integrity: Demonstrating honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior in all actions and decisions.
2. Innovation: Encouraging creativity, continuous improvement, and the development of new ideas.
3. Accountability: Taking responsibility for one’s actions and ensuring the achievement of goals.
4. Collaboration: Promoting teamwork, open communication, and cooperation across the organization.
5. Customer Focus: Prioritizing the needs of customers and striving to exceed their expectations.
6. Excellence: Pursuing the highest quality in products, services, and performance.
7. Respect: Treating everyone with dignity, empathy, and fairness, regardless of their background or position.
8. Sustainability: Embracing environmentally responsible practices and working towards long-term success.
9. Diversity and Inclusion: Valuing and promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment.
10. Agility: Adapting to change and quickly responding to market needs and challenges.
11. Empowerment: Encouraging employees to take initiative and make decisions that drive the company forward.
12. Social Responsibility: Giving back to the community and promoting positive social impact.
13. Passion: Cultivating enthusiasm, dedication, and a strong work ethic among team members.
14. Trust: Fostering an environment of trust by being reliable, consistent, and transparent.
15. Learning: Encouraging continuous learning and promoting team member growth to stay ahead in the industry.
16. Leadership: Developing and supporting strong leaders who inspire and guide others.
17. Balance: Promoting work-life balance and overall well-being for employees.
18. Profitability: Ensuring the company remains profitable by being efficient and cost-effective.
19. Quality: Maintaining high standards in all aspects of the business to ensure customer satisfaction.
20. Safety: Prioritizing the safety and well-being of employees, customers, and the community.

Google (Alphabet), Apple, Patagonia, and Unilever offer four well-known examples of company values. Each defines its corporate values differently, reflecting the company’s unique values and goals, from Patagonia’s environmental focus to Google’s user-first philosophy. These values examples show how principles shape everyday practice.

Google follows three principles it calls the Google Philosophy: respect the user (protect privacy and put users first), respect the opportunity (create solutions that move the company forward), and respect each other (encourage collaboration).

More about company values at Google. 

Apple centers its values on six principles: accessibility, education, environment, inclusion and diversity, privacy, and supplier responsibility. These shape how Apple designs products and chooses partners.

More about company values at Apple. 

Patagonia builds its core company values on four principles: build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to protect nature, and stay not bound by convention. It openly challenges the status quo, with values focused on environmental responsibility and sustainability.

More about company values at Patagonia. 

Unilever organizes its values around integrity, respect, responsibility, pioneering, and positive impact, with honest business dealings and ethical practices at the core.

These build a sustainable and successful business that benefits employees, customers, stakeholders, and the environment.

More about company values at Unilever.

At Firstup, we believe effective employee communication works only when no one is left behind. Our company core values center on inclusivity, meaningful connection, and personalized experiences that reach every employee.

Every employee is an owner. When people take pride in their work, they perform better.

Those core values shape what we build. Firstup is an intelligent communication platform built for organizations with large frontline and distributed workforces. It delivers the right message to the right person at the right moment across email, mobile, intranet, and digital signage, and integrates with core HR and IT systems to cut noise and surface what matters.

The result is measurable: purpose and mission are the strongest drivers of engagement across every role, yet many employees still miss the updates that connect them to that purpose.

Learn more about Firstup and our company values or see our open positions here. 

Culture and values in action

“We know we can only be a great place to shop if we’re first a great place to work. The Firstup intelligent communication platform enables our culture and values in action through a digital tool.”

Data shows what happens when organizations live their company core values, and what happens when they do not.

• Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025, its lowest level since 2020, costing the world economy an estimated $10 trillion in lost productivity. Managers, who account for roughly 70% of the variance in team engagement, saw their own engagement fall to 22%.
• 65% of organizations say their company culture must change significantly because of AI, a shift that compounds damage when culture is neglected.
• Inside the workforce, strong communication drives engagement for 52% of managers and 49% of corporate employees, but only 35% of hourly workers, and 61% to 67% of employees report missing an important organizational update.

Communicating your company core values internally takes more than a well-planned mission statement or vision statement. Even the best company’s mission statement is useless if it is hidden away and rarely discussed.

Core values need to be on the big stage for everyone to see.

That is what excellent internal communications do. Companies must communicate core values consistently across multiple channels so employees connect with what makes the organization unique, and leaders should regularly remind everyone of the company’s core values.

Here are some of the traditional ways organizations share their values with the workforce:

• Email 
• Intranet 
• Company website 
• All-hands meetings and town halls
• Digital signage 
• Printed posters and signs
• Mailers and newsletters
• Collaboration systems 
• In-person meetings

The more places employees can see or hear the company values, the better. (As they say in football, you flood the zone.) A consistent cadence reinforces their importance to everyone.

We each take in work information differently. Office workers may prefer email or the intranet; factory workers, the break-room bulletin board. It pays to use all the arrows in your quiver to get those values in front of the entire workforce.

These standard tools have limits, which is why organizations turn to more direct ways of reaching people.

Consider how we take in information in our personal lives. It comes directly to us on our mobile devices, through apps and alerts we trust. It’s an engaging experience.

Employees expect the same at work. Digital employee communication and engagement platforms now connect organizations with their people, helping employees connect with the information they need. They break down information silos by:

• Reaching every employee in real time, wherever they are, on the devices they prefer.
• Measuring reach so communicators know who received the information and can improve.
• Giving leaders confidence that the whole organization is hearing key messages.
• Enabling employees to give instant feedback through surveys and comments.

This matters most for frontline and hourly teams. In Firstup’s own workforce research, 70% of managers report challenges communicating with their hourly teams, and only 29% feel confident their approach keeps those teams informed.

Recognition programs that spotlight core values in action are powerful reinforcement. Recognizing values in real work keeps inspiring employees to repeat it and supports the cultural shifts that make company values stick.

Because Firstup is the platform of choice for leading companies, including 40 percent of the Fortune 100, we see many ways organizations put their strong company values into action.

The leadership team, especially CEOs, should consistently remind employees of the company’s mission, vision, and core values. Employees notice when leaders model the values in real decisions.

Executives use direct, personal communication to show how the values guide the company’s choices.

Diversity and inclusion appear on many companies’ values lists for two reasons.

First, an inclusive workplace is basic decency: an environment where everyone is valued, respected, and heard.

Second, it is good business, since more diverse organizations tend to perform better.

Since 2024, this work has shifted under legal and political pressure. References to formal diversity programs have dropped sharply, and many companies now frame it as belonging, fairness, or opportunity. Still, the large majority of organizations report they remain committed to inclusion. For communicators, be clear about what the business stands for, align business practices with stated values, and explain why any language changed.

Customers watch whether companies live their stated values, and reward or punish accordingly.

The link runs through employees: when people believe their company lives up to its values, customers notice it in the customer experience they receive. 82% of consumers want the values of the brands they buy from to align with their own, so how a company lives its core values and shared values shapes reputation, not just the employee experience.

Strong company core values pay off in measurable ways, helping build a successful business. McKinsey’s research found the healthiest organizations deliver about three times the shareholder returns of the least healthy.

• Enhanced brand reputation: strong core company values attract customers and partners who share similar principles.
• Improved engagement: employees commit when they believe in the company’s values and purpose.
• Higher employee retention: staff stay with a company that aligns with their personal values, cutting turnover.
• Better decision-making: clear values guide decision-making and keep choices consistent.
• Increased customer loyalty: customers stay loyal to businesses that uphold the same values.
• Stronger culture: shared values build a strong company culture and better collaboration.
• Greater innovation: a value-driven company encourages new ideas.
• Enhanced trust: consistently upholding values builds trust with everyone.
• Positive social impact: values-driven businesses support social causes and make a positive difference.
• Long-term profitability: strong values keep the business pushing forward toward sustainable business growth and a successful company.

The employee value proposition (EVP) matters more than ever: what employees get for their work. People expect fair pay, but also want their work to matter.

That brings us back to company values. Candidates now research a company’s purpose and company core values before they apply, and values alignment shapes recruitment and retention. In Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial survey, a large majority of both generations said purpose is important to their job satisfaction, and many turned down work that conflicted with their values. Authentic values attract talent; performative ones drive it away.

Communication is the bedrock of all this. When everyone knows what to expect, everyone thrives.

Defining company core values is a structured process. These steps help a team land on company core values, then implement core values consistently.

• Step 1: Gather a diverse team from different departments, levels, and perspectives.
• Step 2: Reflect on the company’s purpose and the impact it wants to have.
• Step 3: Analyze existing behaviors and practices that already drive the company’s success.

• Step 4: Brainstorm the values that matter to the company’s success.
• Step 5: Narrow the list to five to ten key principles.
• Step 6: Define each value and the observable behaviors it implies.
• Step 7: Prioritize the values so people know which take precedence.

• Step 8: Test the values against real scenarios and adjust.
• Step 9: Communicate the core values to all employees and explain how to apply them.
• Step 10: Embed and reinforce the values in training, evaluations, and recognition programs.