Working in an environment that aligns your personal values with your profession can increase your sense of purpose, bring joy to your work, and create cohesion in all areas of life. That’s why when considering a new role, weighing your personal values versus the company’s values is an important phase of researching the job and interviewing your potential employer.
Personal Values
A value is a belief a person acts upon, and personal values are guiding forces for behavior, decision-making, and responding to challenges. To put a name to personal values, consider this list from author, researcher, and professor Brené Brown. Your personal values may include anything from adventure to making a difference to financial stability.
Defining and living by your values is an individual experience. It can mean whatever is most relevant and authentic to you and your vision for your life. Introspection and considering questions like what inspires you and what you want for your life help uncover your personal values.
Strong personal values impact your professional life because they contribute to how you approach work, manage relationships, and respond to conflict. Your values may determine the industries you’re willing to work in or the kind of work you want to do—or they may not.
Weighing your personal values against the values of a potential employer can reveal potential tension, cause you to reprioritize, or be an opportunity to branch out.
Know Your Why: How Personal Values Shape Your Career Path
Company Values
Company values go by many names, like core values, organizational values, guiding principles, or pillars. These encompass characteristics that guide an employer’s choices and set expectations for employees. Strong company values influence retention, hiring, and recruiting, as many companies want to hire people who are willing to act in accordance with their values.
Similar to personal values, company values are customized to the business, based on the industry, mission, leaders’ beliefs, and customer base. Company values may include:
Company values impact the people who work there because they outline expectations and contribute to the direction of the company.
How Personal Values and Company Values Can Align
Some companies place a greater emphasis on values than others, which is just one reason to have an idea of your personal values. If personal values are a priority for you, a company with strong values may be a better fit.
When your personal values align with a company’s values, expectations around decisions, communication, and workplace conduct may feel clearer. That shared foundation can make it easier to find purpose in your work, build trust with peers, and stay engaged when challenges arise.
However, a mismatch doesn’t always mean a role is the wrong fit. Varying values can help you clarify which are non-negotiable, which can be flexible, and how this workplace could broaden your perspective. When considering working at a company, ask how the company puts its stated values into practice, so you can distinguish a manageable difference from a deal-breaker.
It isn’t feasible to expect that you can change a company’s values to better align with yours. The more realistic approach is to lead with your personal values and decide which are the most important to match at work. You may not find a complete match, so it’s critical to know where you’re willing to compromise.
What If Values Can’t Align?
If a company’s expectations require you to compromise a personal value, the disconnect may affect your well-being and ability to succeed in the role. Consider whether the disconnect can be resolved through a conversation, clearer boundaries, or a different role within the organization. If there isn’t a resolution, it may be time to explore opportunities that offer a better long-term fit.
About Express Employment Professionals
At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, employing more than 11 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/Employers or ExpressPros.ca/Employers.
