A company’s values and culture serve as its north star, guiding decisions and behaviors. They shape the organization’s identity and what it stands for. Communicating values and culture effectively is crucial for aligning employees, attracting the right talent, and differentiating your brand. However, this is often easier said than done. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore what values and culture mean, why communicating them matters, and proven methods for bringing them to life across your organization. You’ll learn common mistakes to avoid and walk away with actionable tactics to authentically convey your company’s purpose, personality, and priorities.

What Are Company Values and Culture?

Before diving into how to communicate values and culture, let’s clarify what we mean by these terms.

Values

A company’s values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that inform decisions and actions. They reflect what the organization cares about and aspires to be. 

Some examples of common company values include:

• Integrity
• Innovation  
• Excellence
• Teamwork
• Customer-centricity

Strong values shape behavior by providing a moral compass. They help employees understand what’s expected of them and how to approach their work.

Culture

Culture refers to the shared assumptions, norms, and unwritten rules that shape attitudes and behaviors across the organization. It’s “the way we do things around here.” 

Elements of corporate culture include:

• Communication style and flow of information
• Treatment of employees and customers
• Level of collaboration vs. competition  
• Attitudes toward risk and failure
• Approaches to work-life balance
• Office environment and policies

Culture develops organically over time based on the values and actions modeled by leadership. It determines “fit” during the hiring process.

Why Communicating Values and Culture Matters

Communicating your company’s values and culture serves several important purposes:

Alignment

Well-communicated values provide guidance for distributed teams and remote employees. They empower decentralized decision making when the “right” choice is unclear. Explicit cultural norms help unify disparate departments toward shared goals.

Employer Branding  

Values and culture act as a magnet for attracting and retaining top talent. 82% of job seekers rate workplace culture as very important. Candidates want to understand your purpose and work environment before joining. Highlighting your Differentiators draws in great fits.

Customer Relationships

Customers connect with brands that share their values and personality. Communicating yours can build an emotional bond that drives loyalty. It also sets appropriate expectations for the experience you deliver.

Consistency

Effective communication ensures a consistent embodiment of values and culture across the organization. This builds trust and credibility for your brand.

The following sections provide proven methods for bringing your values and culture to life.

How to Effectively Communicate Your Values and Culture

Communicating values and culture requires going beyond simplistic mission statements and platitudes. Employees need to see them in action across everyday programs, policies, and communications.

Here are 8 impactful ways to bake them into your organization’s DNA:

1. Lead by Example

Actions speak louder than words. Employees follow the behaviors modeled by management, not the posters on the walls. Make sure leadership embodies your values and desired culture.

– Discuss dilemmas during meetings to demonstrate values in action. 

– Adopt policies that reflect your cultural priorities, like flexible work arrangements.

– Explain how decisions align with specific values.

2. Make Them a Part of Daily Operations

Incorporate values and cultural priorities into regular business activities.

– Begin meetings by recognizing employees who have recently demonstrated core values.  

– Start new projects by discussing how to align work with desired culture.

– Use values-based criteria on performance reviews.

– Celebrate cultural events and holidays.

3. Highlight Values and Culture in Marketing

Weave values and culture into your external messaging, hiring pages, and product marketing. Showcase them prominently on your website for candidates and customers.

– Feature culturally-aligned employees in campaigns.

– Create value-focused content and hashtags.

– Tie cultural traits to brand identity and positioning.

4. Use Onboarding and Training  

Dedicate time during onboarding and training to explain expected behaviors tied to your values and culture. Have new hires reflect on real-world applications.

– Discuss challenging scenarios and appropriate responses.

– Provide value statements for daily reference.  

– Assign mentors who exemplify your culture.

5. Encourage Open Dialogue

Create opportunities for candid conversations about values and culture. Make refinements based on feedback.

– Host town halls for Q&A with leadership.

– Seek input during surveys and exit interviews.

– Solicit cultural suggestions from new hires.

– Empower groups to form around shared interests.

6. Celebrate and Reward Alignment

Reinforce values and culture by recognizing and rewarding behaviors that bring them to life. 

– Call out employees demonstrating core values.

– Share stories of cultural excellence.  

– Incorporate values and culture into reward programs.

– Host special events for cultural milestones.

7. Be Consistent Across All Touchpoints  

Ensure expressions of your values and culture are aligned across channels. Consider details like:

– Job descriptions

– The website 

– Office environment

– Email signatures

– Customer support interactions

8. Make Them Visible

Visual artifacts reinforce values and culture at all times. Display statements, images, quotes and more in prominent spaces.

– Murals and wall graphics

– Screen savers

– Posters

– Digital signage

– Desktop backgrounds

– Branded swag

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While communicating values and culture may sound straightforward, many organizations fall short in execution. Here are some pitfalls to sidestep:

Being generic – Vague, boilerplate values don’t provide meaningful direction. Prioritize a focused, distinctive set.

Inconsistency – Misalignment between words and actions breeds distrust. Ensure behaviors reflect stated values. 

Omitting culture – Don’t focus solely on values. Bring cultural priorities to life too.

One-way messaging – Communication needs to be a dialogue. Provide opportunities for input and feedback.  

Lack of visibility – Don’t keep values confined to internal documents. Make them prominent and pervasive.

Assuming assimilation – Reinforce regularly through training. Don’t expect passive absorption.

Relying on phrasing – Flowery words alone won’t drive change. Anchor in actions and policies.

Limited exposure – Include values and culture from the candidate journey through alumni networks.

Neglecting middle management – Key influencers make or break adoption. Engage them as messengers.

Sticking to the surface – Move beyond buzzwords to foster true understanding.

Conclusion 

An organization’s values and culture fuel performance by providing clarity, motivation, and direction for employees. Communicating them authentically is crucial, but the best methods go deeper than simplified marketing messages. 

Bring your values and culture to life by weaving them into everything from leadership behaviors to training programs, reward systems, and office environment. Share evocative stories that translate ideals into action. Promote two-way dialogue to continuously refine and improve.

While hard to build, a strong values-driven culture delivers outsized competitive advantage. It simultaneously unlocks higher employee engagement, customer connection, and brand reputation. Use these proven techniques to ensure your special sauce gets absorbed across the organization.