UPDATED BY
Hal Koss | Mar 06, 2024

Core values are the principles and priorities that guide an organization’s actions. They represent the foundational commitments and deeply held beliefs that allow a company to navigate complex situations while keeping their identity and culture at the forefront.

Top Core Values Examples

  • Build for durability.
  • Appreciate the journey.
  • We’re iconoclasts and innovators.
  • Approach every day with curiosity.
  • Think like an underdog and remain humble.

 

Why Are Core Values Important?

Core values define you. Along with your mission statement, your company core values exist to summarize your ethos. They encapsulate what you’re all about and what you choose to focus on as an organization, even as you grow and scale.

Core values guide you. They give employees an example to follow, a spirit to embody, and this gets everyone on the same page.

Core values help you recruit. They provide job seekers a snapshot of what you care most about, and if there’s alignment between your priorities and those of the job seeker, it’s more likely you’ll want to work together.

Related ReadingHow to Describe Company Culture: 39 Examples of Culture Statements

 

What Goes Into Creating Core Values?

Make your core values unique to you. Ask key members of your organization what makes us us? What are the characteristics of our company that would make someone want to work here instead of someplace else? How would you describe our culture in one sentence? One word?

Make your core values specific and realistic. They should still be aspirational and ambitious, too, though. While “change the world” is probably too big and too vague for it to be an actually useful guiding value, “innovate courageously” has a sharper point to it.

Make your core values succinct and memorable. You want your teammates and job seekers to be able to remember your core values.

 

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83 Company Core Value Examples

To help you get started on creating your own core values list, we rounded up core values examples used by a few companies, breaking down what each of them gets right.

 

  • People
  • Customers
  • Innovation
  • Results

Why it works: Cleo’s values represent the company’s four key business pillars, highlighting a commitment to the company’s mission to “deliver supply chain and organizational agility” — a message that serves as the driving force behind the work of Cleo’s passionate team members.

 

  • Members First
  • Ownership
  • Integrity
  • Innovation
  • Inclusivity
  • One Team

Why it works: First Entertainment Credit Union’s values illustrate the priorities at the center of its service model, which supports creators across the entertainment industry.

 

  • Purpose: Lead with why.
  • Impact: Make it count.
  • Responsibility: Own it.
  • Collaboration: Choose teamwork.

Why it works: Thumbtack characterizes itself as a workplace where employees can make a tangible impact on the homeowners and businesses the company serves, and its values provide a simple set of guiding principles to steer their work.

 

  • Bias for Action
  • Be Human
  • Love Our Customers
  • Win as a Team

Why it works: DataGrail’s values reflect the nature of the company culture, which emphasizes, “We lead with trust — on our team and with our customers.”

 

  • We put our teammates before our individual egos and extend ourselves to support each other professionally and personally
  • We set ambitious goals for ourselves and supportively challenge each other to get the best result.
  • We genuinely care about each other, the company, our customers and the broader world.
  • We all have things we’re passionate about outside of work - so don’t expect many dull conversations.

Why it works: Enigma describes its values as being “rooted in high-achievement, empathy and fair play,” laying the foundation for how team members engage with one another and the company’s work to bring innovation to small business intelligence.

 

  • Individuals at the Center: We always do the right thing and go the extra mile for the individuals we serve, prioritizing their well-being above all else.
  • Seek Understanding and Remain Teachable: We assume positive intent and we lead with curiosity. All questions are welcome; we love to learn, whether about one another or ourselves.
  • Serious Fun: We work hard on an important mission, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We sprinkle fun in as much as possible!
  • Bias Toward Action: We all take many small steps to stride towards our vision. We are quick to ask for help and to begin wading into new and often unfamiliar territory, knowing that our team has our back.
  • Candor and Kindness: We have an obligation to give timely, direct feedback - delivered with care for our colleagues. We sometimes disagree, but we work through our differences and grow together.
  • Deliver Value: Our customers’ endorsement, support and success enables us to further our mission.


Why it works: In line with its vision to create “a world where individuals living with serious mental and physical illnesses live their best possible lives,” firsthand put together a list of values that prioritize engaging both clients and employees with compassion, support and an eagerness to make a positive impact.

 

  • Accountability
  • People
  • Respect every interaction
  • Innovation
  • Do it with a smile
  • Encourage ideas, empower pursuit

Why it works: Accelerated Digital Media uses the acronym A PRIDE on its website to convey its six core values, setting simple and transparent expectations to guide the way team members perform their jobs. It helps to illustrate the company’s goal of creating “an open, dynamic and productive work environment where expertise and creativity thrive together.”

 

  • Purpose: We pursue work that matters.
  • Wholeness: We hold space for people to be their complete and authentic selves.
  • Trust: We build relationships based on trust – among teammates, customers, and partners.
  • Self-Management: We reinforce autonomy and local decision-making in individuals and teams.
  • Inclusion: We see, hear, and value people.

Why it works: Agile Six aims to establish a values system that clearly demonstrates a commitment to having a positive impact both on employees and its government clients. The overall message aligns with the company’s mission to “build better by putting people first.”

 

  • Show Up.
  • Grow Up.
  • Do Good.

Why it works: CompanyCam likes to keep it short and sweet. These core values succinctly reflect the company’s fast-paced people-first culture.

 

  • Teamwork: Focus on the “we,” not the “me.”
  • Honesty: Follow your moral compass.
  • Reliability: Be someone others can count on.
  • Energy: Be balanced, be energized.
  • Action: Errors of action are better than errors of inaction. Be brave.
  • Drive: Own it.
  • Scope: Don’t try to boil the ocean.

Why it works: The Predictive Index refers to their seven core values collectively as THREADS, and that’s what this set of values does — it brings together disparate ways of working into a cohesive system and collaboration philosophy.
 

  • Transparency
  • Resourcefulness
  • Urgency
  • Simplicity
  • Togetherness

Why it works: At Edmunds, TRUST is not only a value the company holds dear, it’s also the acronym for the Edmunds’ core values. 

 

  • Obsessed with customer needs
  • Do the impossible
  • Build globally, serve locally
  • Act like owners
  • Constantly change, learn and evolve
  • Respect above all

Why it works: Spotnana aims to change how we travel and their core values reflect their community-centric approach to building “stronger human connections through travel.”

 

  • Play for each other
  • Make something better today
  • Build for durability

Why it works: Amperity’s core values are short and memorable and underscore the company’s commitment to “growing a company together” and “planning for long-term scale.”

 

  • Elevate doers of good
  • Innovate courageously
  • Cultivate inclusivity
  • Appreciate the journey

Why it works: As a “leader in social good technology,” Bonterra’s core values tie directly back to — and help expand upon — its stated purpose: “We power those who power social impact.”

 

  • We’re iconoclasts and innovators
  • We’re more than a company—we’re a community
  • We play as hard as we work

Why it works: By starting each value with “We,” these three values memorably describe the ethos of the company from the starting point of togetherness.

 

  • Act boldly with courage
  • Be financially responsible
  • Be data-driven
  • Operate ethically with integrity
  • Be collaborative
  • Approach every day with curiosity

Why it works: PEAK6 says its culture is “rooted in innovation, inclusion and flexibility,” and that comes through in its core values, which succinctly sum up how the company’s employees should approach their work.

 

  • Put customers first and value their business
  • Be the best at what we do
  • Innovate by taking intelligent risks
  • Provide an open, honest and constructive workplace
  • Promote a fun work environment
  • Achieve sustainable long-term growth and profitability
  • Think like an underdog and remain humble

Why it works: GoHealth’s core values are comprehensive and speak to company culture, business excellence and the character its teammates should embody.

 

231 More Core Value Examples

Still looking for more inspiration? Check out these additional company core values examples.

 

  • We are rational
  • We strive to improve
  • We focus on results
  • We are trustworthy
  • We are team players

 

  • Customers first
  • Team on a mission
  • Think big
  • Act with integrity
  • Make a difference every day

 

Rest

  • Dream big
  • Ownership
  • Meritocracy
  • Diversity
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Authenticity

 

  • Driven
  • Skilled
  • Unifying
  • Ambitious
  • Inspiring
  • Challenging
  • Revealing
  • Understanding
  • Knowledgeable
  • Helpful

Related Reading21 Company Culture Examples to Get You Inspired

 

  • Dedicated to the dream
  • Hold to high standards
  • Embrace difference by design
  • Break through with magic and logic
  • Stand taller together

 

  • Think big
  • Take responsibility
  • Never settle
  • Be collaborative

 

  • Integrity
  • Hard work
  • Safety

 

  • Check in with each other
  • Test new ideas
  • Take responsibility
  • Make beautiful things
  • Teach and learn

 

  • Love good food
  • Share positive vibes
  • Solve problems, together
  • Relentlessly seek greatness

 

  • Do your research
  • Start simple
  • See the circle
  • Pull the wagon
  • Move the line
  • We win with diversity
  • Act like an owner

 

  • People first
  • Adopt a beginner’s mind
  • Strength in our differences
  • Empower to win
  • Relentless pursuit of improvement
  • Take ownership, not credit

 

  • Champion the mission
  • Be a host
  • Embrace the adventure
  • Be a cereal entrepreneur

 

  • Make complex things simple
  • Set crazy big goals and make them happen
  • Be a force for good
  • Empower others

 

  • Service to the customer
  • Respect for the individual
  • Strive for excellence
  • Act with integrity

 

  • Passion
  • Integrity
  • Unity
  • Innovation
  • Impact

 

  • Be the next
  • Remember the feeling
  • Action is our first instinct
  • Do the right thing
  • Stronger united

 

  • Be a hacker
  • Create Tau
  • Practice humility
  • “Pwn” it
  • Be good
  • Be an exceptional teammate

 

  • Be an ambassador
  • Adapt and evolve
  • Enjoy the journey
  • Do the right thing
  • Get it done

 

 

  • Deliver the best customer experience, period
  • Grow 1 percent every day
  • Work hard and be an owner
  • Normal f*cking sucks
  • Pay it forward with random acts of kindness
  • Have fun, find joy, be you
  • Be transparent and direct, with optimism

 

  • Put team first
  • Own it
  • Be admirable
  • Wonder
  • Find a better way
  • Give joy

 

  • Hard work
  • High standards
  • Hunger
  • Helpfulness
  • Humility

 

  • Impact
  • Continuous learning
  • Inclusion
  • Long-term vision
  • Partnership
  • People

 

  • Customer first
  • Best answer wins
  • Operate as an owner
  • Accountable for results
  • Top talent and teamwork

 

  • Lead
  • Grow
  • Play
  • Solve a problem
  • Work-life balance
  • 100 percent transparency
  • The best team, ever

 

  • We are owners
  • We obsess over customer needs
  • We make F5 more agile
  • We create a more diverse and inclusive F5
  • We create clarity and alignment
  • We help each other thrive
  • We find and shape brilliance
  • We boldly raise the bar

Related ReadingYou’ve Finally Nailed Down Your Company Values. What Happens Next?

 

  • Engage
  • Own
  • Drive
  • Give

 

  • Customer obsession
  • Debate openly, commit fully
  • Deliver results
  • Dive deep
  • Grit and focus
  • Ownership
  • Raise the bar
  • Think bold, think big, think broad

 

  • Collaboration
  • Passion
  • Client focus
  • Excellence
  • Professionalism
  • Diversity

 

  • Customers are king
  • Excellence is a state of mind
  • Embrace and drive change
  • Focus on focus
  • Make It fun

 

  • Bias to action
  • Win together
  • Show up curious
  • Say it, do it
  • Customer success is our success
  • We love insurance

 

We believe employees are happier, companies are more successful and our world is a stronger place when people are able to work and live anywhere an opportunity presents itself. We built our company on a simple idea: Never, ever forget that there are people behind every application and case file. We truly care about these people — their hopes, their dreams, their fears — and helping them realize what’s possible.

We take that job really seriously.

 

  • Uniqueness
  • Creativity
  • Ambition
  • Team spirit
  • Enthusiasm

 

  • Sense of ownership
  • Constant changes
  • Trust

 

  • Authentic
  • Caring
  • Inclusive
  • Customer obsessed
  • Challenger

 

  • System1 supports you
  • Everyone is on the same team
  • Be yourself
  • Own it
  • Make an impact
  • 1 percent better every day

 

  • Take action
  • Learn together
  • Build a foundation of trust
  • Own progress and outcomes
  • Focus on customers

 

We champion the vitality of American enterprise. Our desire to continually build new things reflects our belief that the freedom to innovate, create, and celebrate advancements propels our country. All things are possible so long as we never stop building and improving.

We celebrate the pioneers. That’s why we do more than root for passionate entrepreneurs; we find them, fund them, and build with them. Every Pardon venture was born from this same entrepreneurial vigor and our own artistic sensibility.

Whether launching a new digital media brand or designing a space for deep collaboration and creation, our team approaches each venture and partnership with the same unwavering excitement over the possible path ahead.

 

  • Think without bounds
  • Understand the why
  • Focus on impact
  • Strive to simplify
  • Own it
  • Adapt and evolve

 

  • Do the right thing
  • Put clients first
  • Lead with exceptional ideas
  • Commit to diversity and inclusion
  • Give back

 

  • Human
  • Ownership
  • Challenge
  • Beautiful
  • Team

 

  • Interfaces matter
  • Consumer advocate
  • Detail obsessed
  • Aligned DIY
  • Bold yet humble
  • Value time

 

  • Fearless
  • Accountable
  • Customer focused
  • Inclusive
  • Collaborative
  • Transparent

 

  • Act with integrity
  • Make a difference
  • Care
  • Work together
  • Reimagine the possible

 

  • Embody a service mindset
  • Dream big, then make it real
  • Be proud of the how
  • Embrace an ownership mentality
  • Debate then commit

 

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