You’ve been interviewing job candidates for a few weeks and you find someone who appears to be a great fit. They have all of the skills you were looking for, are excited about your company’s future, and are ready to tackle the tasks at hand. But, have you shared your company values with them?

If not, it’s probably time to take a step back and do so.

Core company values aren’t just something you throw on your website to show off to clients and prospects, they’re meant for employees, and ensuring potential new hires understand your company values is an essential part of the recruiting process.

In fact, according to Qualtrics, 46% of employees in the United States and the United Kingdom say they would consider leaving their company because it does not adequately exemplify the values they personally hold.

So if you’re not sharing your core values with candidates, you’re more likely to see turnover in the future.

Below we’ll explain what core company values look like, share the impact value alignment can have on your company, and elaborate on how and why you should share them while recruiting.

Defining company core values

As previously mentioned, your company values should be designed with your employees in mind, not your clients or customers.

A core values statement outlines the ethical principles, morals, and characteristics that act as a compass for the way the organisation and all employees within it conduct themselves.

The values should be integrated into an organisation’s daily language and be a living, breathing set of guide rails by which your team interacts with customers, and create harmony and consistency among team members with diverse backgrounds, roles, and priorities.

For example, our core values at Engagement Multiplier are Impact, Fun, Authenticity, Caring, and Enthusiasm. Or, what we refer to as IFACE.

There’s no funky jargon in our values, the words chosen are simple and clear and can be used by employees to guide their decisions and behaviour.

If you need additional help crafting or refining your values statement, you can download our guide here and navigate to the “Alignment” section.

The impact of value alignment on your company

The impact of employee and company value alignment shouldn’t be overlooked.

In a study by the City of London Economic Research, a shocking 98% of employees said they wouldn’t work for a company whose values didn’t align with theirs.

So, what happens when you don’t share your values with candidates from the start? You end up with employees who stay in a role for a few months, realise their values aren’t aligned with the company’s values, and leave for an organisation with better alignment.

In the same Qualtrics study cited earlier, employees reported they’re 50% more likely to recommend their employer as a great place to work if their personal and company values align and they’re 11% less likely to consider leaving.

Often, your employees are your best brand ambassadors and without value alignment, they’re less likely to promote your business positively.Value alignment

How to share workplace values with candidates

One way to avoid elevated levels of employee turnover and ensure high job satisfaction is to highlight your company values throughout the recruitment process.

Here are some simple ways you can attract candidates who align with your company values:

Include company values in the job posting

Including your workplace’s core values in all job postings is a great way to start the recruitment process. It can be as easy as creating a simple paragraph that describes your values and why they’re important to your organisation. Bonus points, if you include an acronym for your values that’s easy for candidates to remember.

By doing this, you will ensure all candidates have easy access to your values, and the candidates whose values align will be automatically drawn to your job posting.

Ask about the candidate’s values during the interview, and share the company’s values with them

If you’ve included the company’s values in the job posting, it’s likely that the candidate has already seen them and (hopefully) familarised themselves with them. That means the interview is a great time for an alignment check.

Here are a few questions you can ask to get a feel for the candidate’s own values:

  • Working with others usually involves some give and take. Describe a time you worked out an agreement with a peer or colleague. What did you do?
  • Tell us about one of the toughest groups that you’ve had to work with. What made it difficult? What did you do?
  • Tell us about a time when you felt compelled to immediately address a difficult situation with your boss or supervisor when others wouldn’t. (You had to do the right thing.)

You can also ask questions related to your specific company values. For example, if one of your values at work is innovation, you might want to ask:

  • What have you done to introduce change or redefine the way work gets done in your area?
  • Tell us about a time when you had to step away from traditional methods to solve a difficult or complex problem.

Once you’ve asked these questions, it’s a great time to reshare your organisational values. This will allow both you and the candidate to internally do a value alignment check before moving forward.

Embody the core company values throughout the recruiting process

Perhaps the most crucial way to share company values while recruiting is to ensure you embody the values yourself. It’s not enough to just talk the talk, to attract the best candidates, you need to walk the walk.

Potential employees will quickly see through the facade if the interviewer isn’t living the values displayed on the job posting. For example, if one of the company’s values is enthusiasm, but the person interviewing them is not enthusiastic about the company or the interview process, they’re likely to leave with a bad taste in their mouth and spot the misalignment.

When you make a point to share your values with job candidates from the start, you’ll see better alignment in your organisation and lower employee turnover. It’s not just a component of the recruiting process that’s nice to have, it’s essential for successful hiring.