66 Company Core Values Examples (Categorized, With Real Company Proof)

Picture this scenario: You are sitting in a team meeting with the company’s core values displayed prominently on the wall behind the speaker. One of them is Collaboration. A few minutes later, you notice that a manager presents an idea developed by a junior colleague as their own. Nobody acknowledges it or questions it. The meeting simply moves on.

That is the problem with many company values. They may sound right on paper, but they do not always show up in the moments that matter most.

A core value becomes meaningful only when employees can see it in practice: in the decisions leaders make, the behaviors teams recognize, and the actions the company rewards or challenges.

So, choosing values is not really about finding impressive words. It is about defining the behaviors you want people to follow when there is no script to rely on.

This blog brings together 66 company core values examples, along with real-world examples, to help you understand what strong values look like, how they translate into behavior, and what happens when words and actions don’t match.

What are Company Core Values?

Company core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that define an organization's culture, decision-making, and behavior. They influence everyday decisions, shape workplace culture, and set expectations for employees to work with colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders.

Strong core values mean more than a set of big words like teamwork, integrity, or innovation. They hold meaning only when reflected in specific behaviors and decisions. For example, a company that values customer focus should be able to show what that means in practice, whether it is responding quickly to concerns, being transparent about problems, or prioritizing customer needs when making decisions.

In simple terms, core values define how a company wants its employees to work, make decisions, and treat others. When clearly defined and consistently reinforced, they become a practical guide for building culture instead of existing as a set of words on a page.

How Many Core Values Should a Company Have?

Companies should aim for three to six core values. Fewer than three can make values too broad to guide meaningful decisions. On the other hand, more than six or seven can be hard to remember, limiting their usefulness in times when employees may need them the most.

The logic behind it goes like this: when attending to an unhappy customer or making a judgment call on their own, if employees cannot recall company values, those values do not contribute to shaping the decision. A list of ten values may sound comprehensive, but without a clear priority, you may not know which principle should take the lead.

In addition, too many values clubbed together can push organizations to avoid making real trade-offs. If a company values speed, thoroughness, collaboration, autonomy, frugality, and innovation all at once, it signals that the company has not really chosen or defined what matters most. It has only collected a list of desirable qualities.

For a fact, employees tend to notice that promptly. When they witness that these values cannot help resolve competing priorities, they start realizing that they are more like mere statements on a wall with no depth

To be precise, here is how the count tends to play out in practice:

Number of values	What usually happens
1 to 2	Memorable, but too broad to resolve competing priorities
3 to 6	The practical range. Recallable and specific enough to guide behavior
7 to 10	Recall drops sharply. Values become a reference document, not a habit
More than 10	Functionally decorative. Employees pick the ones that suit them

66 Company Core Values, Organized by Theme

The 66 company values mentioned below have been categorized into six themes.

Each value clearly defines what it looks like in practice. Companies may have similar values, but the behaviors they associate with those values can differ greatly.

Treat this as a source of inspiration rather than just a list to copy. The specific words you choose matter less than the actions, expectations, and behaviors you connect to them.

Integrity and Ethics Values

These 11 values shape how your company acts when doing the right thing costs something. They are often tested in quiet, everyday decisions made away from the public view.

Value	What it means in practice
Integrity	Doing what is right and sticking to your commitments, even when no one is watching and there is nothing to gain
Honesty	Telling people accurate things, even when the accuracy is unflattering
Accountability	Admitting your own errors before someone else points them out
Transparency	Not only sharing the decisions but also the reasons that led to the decisions
Fairness	Applying the same rule to a top performer as well as a new joiner
Trust	Giving people the freedom and responsibility to make decisions without requiring them to prove themselves first
Respect	Valuing other people’s time, perspectives, and dignity in the way you communicate, make decisions, and work with them
Responsibility	Taking ownership of the outcomes in your area, even when you did not directly cause the problem
Ethical courage	Raising a concern or doing what is right, even when others may disagree or prefer to ignore it.
Confidentiality	Permanently protecting information that was shared with you in trust
Consistency	Behaving the same way when the stakes are low as when they are high

Customer and Community Focus Values

These 11 values determine who your company prioritizes when internal convenience and customer benefit go in opposite directions.

Value	What it means in practice
Customer obsession	Putting the customer’s needs and problems first, rather than simply following the company’s roadmap
Empathy	Understanding customers’ constraints before proposing your solution
Service	Treating a request as a problem to solve, not a ticket to close
Responsiveness	Replying within a timeframe that the customer would consider reasonable
Quality	Delivering work that meets a standard you would be satisfied to receive yourself
Reliability	Being dependable in the places customers depend on you
Craftsmanship	Caring about details the customer will not explicitly notice
Community	Taking responsibility for the impact your company has on the communities where it operates
Generosity	Providing value and support even when there is no immediate or guaranteed business return
Partnership	Working with clients and suppliers by respecting their needs, priorities, and interests alongside your own
Advocacy	Representing customers’ interests internally when they are not in the room

Innovation and Growth Values

These 11 values demonstrate how your company responds to mistakes and failures. They only work when employees feel safe enough to admit when something went wrong, learn from it, and try again.

Value	What it means in practice
Innovation	Backing a better idea over the familiar one, including your own familiar one
Curiosity	Asking questions and exploring new information, even if it challenges existing assumptions or work underway
Continuous learning	Recognizing skill gaps as a normal part of growth, which can be improved through learning, practice, and development.
Experimentation	Testing ideas on a small scale, learning from the results, and adjusting quickly instead of spending too long debating possibilities.
Adaptability	Changing your approach when the evidence changes, without defensiveness
Agility	Turning decisions into quick actions and delivering visible results without unnecessary delays
Boldness	Taking well-considered risks when the potential benefit is worth the possibility of failure
Resourcefulness	Finding practical ways to solve problems with already available resources, tools, and information
Ambition	Setting challenging goals that require new ideas, approaches, or ways of working rather than simply doing more of the same
Growth mindset	Believing that abilities and skills can be developed over time through learning, effort, and experience rather than assigned at birth
Simplicity	Removing unnecessary steps, choices, and complexity so you can focus on what matters most.

Collaboration and Teamwork Values

These 11 values influence how openly information is shared across your organization. They are often easy to state but much harder to demonstrate consistently in everyday work.

Value	What it means in practice
Collaboration	Sharing information, context, and recognition openly so teams can work effectively together
Teamwork	Prioritizing team results over individual scoreboard
Communication	Ensuring that the message landed instead of just being sent
Inclusion	Designing processes that enable quieter people to be heard
Diversity	Actively ensuring that people from different backgrounds and perspectives are considered fairly for opportunities, hiring, and advancement
Belonging	Creating a workplace where people feel accepted, respected, and comfortable being themselves
Humility	Willing to acknowledge when you are wrong and change your perspective, regardless of who provides better insights
Good faith	Assuming that others are capable and well-intentioned before jumping to negative conclusions.
Shared ownership	Taking responsibility for helping colleagues overcome challenges instead of treating their problems as their own
Mentorship	Investing your time, expertise, and experience to help others develop their skills and become more capable
Psychological safety	Making it genuinely safe to admit a mistake, ask a basic question, or disagree with a senior person. This is the precondition for most of the values above

Performance and Ownership Values

These 11 values shape how your company approaches commitments, accountability, and performance. However, without a healthy balance of wellbeing, they can create excessive pressure and lead to an unhealthy work culture.

Value	What it means in practice
Excellence	Holding a standard rather than clearing a bar
Ownership	Carrying a problem to resolution instead of passing it on to someone else.
Discipline	Doing unexciting, repeated work to achieve meaningful long-term results
Focus	Prioritizing what matters most and saying no to other worthwhile opportunities that could distract from it
Bias for action	Making timely decisions and moving forward when the choice can be adjusted or reversed later
Results orientation	Measuring outcomes rather than activity or hours
Precision	Paying close attention to details and ensuring accuracy, especially when mistakes can have serious consequences
Pragmatism	Choosing a practical solution that works within current constraints, even if it is not the most ideal or sophisticated option
Initiative	Starting the necessary thing without being assigned
Perseverance	Staying committed and continuing to make progress, even when a difficult project becomes challenging or discouraging
Decisiveness	Making timely decisions with the information available and owning the result

Wellbeing and Sustainability Values

These 11 values define what your company is unwilling to sacrifice for short-term results. While they have become more common in corporate value statements, they only matter when they are reflected in everyday decisions and behaviors.

Value	What it means in practice
Wellbeing	Creating working conditions that support employees’ health and sustainable performance, rather than treating wellbeing as an optional benefit
Work-life balance	Creating clear boundaries that protect employees’ personal time, rather than relying on individuals to set and defend those boundaries themselves
Rest	Making time for genuine recovery a normal and accepted part of work, without employees feeling penalized for it, regardless of seniority
Flexibility	Allowing people to adjust how and where they work in ways that accommodate real-life needs and responsibilities
Sustainability	Considering the environmental impact of business decisions and taking steps to reduce unnecessary harm
Environmental stewardship	Reducing harm, you are not legally required to reduce
Safety	Stopping work when it becomes unsafe, without needing permission
Cost-consciousness	Using financial resources carefully and making thoughtful spending decisions based on what the business truly needs
Long-term thinking	Decision-making with future impact in mind, instead of focusing only on immediate or short-term results
Stewardship	Taking care of the team, systems, and relationships you are responsible for, and leaving them stronger than you found them
Compassion	Responding to a colleague's hard circumstance as a person, not a policy

10 Examples of Companies with Strong Core Values

As you can see, the companies listed below openly share their core values. They make the best examples to study. Each list reflects the values the company states, so you can see how different organizations define and communicate what matters to them.

1. Netflix

At Netflix, the idea of a “Dream Team” sits at the center of its culture. It reflects the company’s emphasis on bringing together highly capable people who can make good decisions, collaborate effectively, and perform at a high level. Its core values reinforce the behaviors expected within this team.

• Selflessness

• Judgment

• Candor

• Creativity

• Courage

• Inclusion

• Curiosity

• Resilience

2. Google

Google has values listed as mission statements titled "Ten Things We Know to be True." It was written when the company was only a few years old and kept largely intact since then.

• Focus on the user and all else will follow

• It’s best to excel at one thing

• Fast is better than slow

• Democracy on the web works

• You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer

• You can make money without doing evil

• There's always more information out there

• The need for information crosses all borders

• You can be serious without a suit

• Great just isn't good enough

3. Apple

Apple states its values as commitments rather than traits, each one attached to an area of the business where it can be checked:

• Accessibility

• Education

• Environment

• Inclusion and Diversity

• Privacy

• Racial equity and justice

• Supply Chain Innovation

4. IKEA

The Swedish furniture retailer prioritizes these eight strong values, which, when put into action, have shaped its culture.

• Togetherness

• Caring for people and the planet

• Cost-consciousness

• Simplicity

• Renew and improve

• Different with a meaning

• Give and take responsibility

• Lead by example

5. Slack

As a platform to assist business communication and collaboration, Slack emphasizes building products they believe in. It believes it adds real value by helping people simplify whatever they do and bring more of themselves to their work, wherever they are.

• ❤ Empathy

• 💁 Courtesy

• 🌻 Thriving

• 🔨 Craftsmanship

• 🙆 Playfulness

• 🙌 Solidarity

6. Amazon

Amazon describes itself as being guided by four overarching principles that shape how the company approaches customers, innovation, operations, and growth. These broader principles are reinforced through its Leadership Principles, which guide everyday decisions and behaviors across the organization.

Amazon’s four guiding principles are:

• Customer obsession rather than competitor focus

• Passion for invention

• Commitment to operational excellence

• Long-term thinking

Amazon further translates these ideas into everyday behavior through its Leadership Principles, including Customer Obsession, Ownership, Invent and Simplify, Bias for Action, Earn Trust, and Deliver Results, among others.

7. Airbnb

The leading name in the lodging business, which caters to travelers across the globe, Airbnb believes that the “best work happens when it champions the full spectrum of our lived experiences”. It lives by the following core values:

• Champion the Mission

• Be a Host

• Embrace the adventure

• Be a Cereal Entrepreneur

8. Patagonia

The outdoor recreation clothing brand is a strong example of how a business can be purpose-driven and altruistic without hampering financial performance. It incorporates “protecting the planet” as the core element of its business strategy. Its core values are:

• Quality

• Integrity

• Environmentalism

• Justice

• Not bound by convention

9. Zappos

Zappos, the authorized retailer, is known for its unique approach to company culture. It is led by a vision of delivering happiness through the 4C’s: commerce, customer service, company culture, and community. Its core values are as follows:

• Deliver WOW Through Service

• Embrace and Drive Change

• Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

• Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

• Pursue Growth and Learning

• Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication

• Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

• Do More with Less

• Be Passionate and Determined

• Be Humble

10. Vantage Circle

As a global employee engagement and wellness organization, Vantage Circle delivers a satisfying employee experience by aligning its core values with personal and collective goals. It lives by the following core values.

• Learning

• Ownership

• Team effort

• Be agile with long term vision

• Wellbeing

• Data-driven decisions

If you carefully observe the values listed above, you will notice a common pattern: values, when expressed as specific behaviors, are more useful. The more concrete they are, the easier it is to understand whether they are being practiced.

Hence, linking recognition to a specific company value becomes crucial here. When employees are recognized for demonstrating a named value, that recognition justifies that the value is reflected in everyday work. Without that connection, values can only be mere words.

This is not only a matter of principle. According to Vantage Circle’s The State of Recognition and Rewards 2025, high-effectiveness recognition programs are 2–3x more likely to recognize specific behaviors, not just outcomes. More than three-fourths (77%) determine award recipients based primarily on observed behaviors, compared with just 27% of lower-effectiveness programs.

How to Choose Your Company's Core Values

Choose your core values by revisiting the decisions your company has already made. Your existing priorities and behaviors often reveal the values you already operate by. The goal is to identify those values clearly and define them intentionally.

Here is a six-step process you can work through with your leadership team in one focused session, followed by a review.

Step 1: Collect ten real decisions

Before any value suggestion, start by reviewing ten difficult decisions your company has made in the past two years. Focus on situations where a reasonable alternative choice could have been made, such as changing a price, rejecting a hire, ending a client relationship, or delaying a launch.

Looking back at these decisions is useful because they reveal what your company prioritizes in practice, not just what it intends to value.

Step 2: Name the principle behind each one

For every decision, write down the deeper reason behind it along with the business explanation. For example: “We delayed the launch because releasing work we were not proud of felt worse than missing the deadline.”

Follow the pattern for all ten decisions. As you do, recurring priorities and beliefs will emerge, often revealing the values leadership may not have recognized before.

Step 3: Look for what you consistently sacrifice

Every meaningful value involves a cost you keep paying. Review your ten decisions and identify what the company repeatedly chose to give up, such as speed, profit, convenience, headcount, or even a customer.

What you are consistently willing to sacrifice often reveals what you truly value. If a value has never required a real trade-off in practice, it may be more of an aspiration than an established value.

Step 4: Shortlist three to six, and write them as behaviors

Turn your identified patterns into a short list of core values, keeping within the practical range discussed earlier. Then define each value as a clear behavior rather than leaving it as a single word.

For example, instead of simply saying “Integrity,” write “We tell customers about problems before they have to ask.” Behavior-based values are easier to understand, teach, observe, and hold people accountable to.

Step 5: Run the reversal test

For each value, ask yourself whether a successful competitor could reasonably choose the opposite approach. If every company agrees with the value, it is probably too generic to be meaningful.

For example, “We value quality” does not say much because almost every company would claim the same. But “We would rather lose a deal than promise a timeline we cannot meet” reflects a clear choice, making the company’s priorities easier to understand.

Step 6: Wire each value into one mechanism before you announce it

This is one of the most overlooked steps that causes most values to fail. Before introducing your values, connect each one to something tangible, such as an interview question, a promotion criterion, a recognition category, or a specific process.

You do not need to do everything at once. Start with one clear mechanism for each value. Values that are announced without being built into everyday systems and decisions can feel decorative.

This process moves beyond choosing better words. Values identified from real decisions are often simpler, more specific, and more useful because they reflect how the company operates, not just what it aspires to become.

When Values Fail: The Poster-vs-Payroll Gap

A company can have clearly written values and yet fail to live by them. What matters here is hardly about how the values appear on a website or office wall, but whether employees witness them in regular actions or decisions.

Here’s how the poster-vs.-payroll gap fits best for discussion in relation to the discussion. This gap reflects the difference between the values a company promotes and the behaviors it ultimately rewards. Employees pay attention to who gets promoted, what managers tolerate, how teams are staffed, and which behaviors are regularly recognized. Those signals they observe tend to carry more weight than any formal value statement.

The discrepancy between the two, when reflected, gives employees a clear picture of which standards really matter. A company may say it values collaboration, for example, but if it consistently rewards individual contribution, then collaboration will remain a mere statement, with no real value in it.

The solution does not limit itself to rewriting values, but to weaving values into the way the organization operates. These values should influence hiring, performance reviews, promotions, recognition, leadership behavior, and everyday decision-making.

This is where peer-to-peer recognition can be useful. When colleagues naturally recognize one another for demonstrating a company value, you will steadily witness that the value becomes part of everyday behavior rather than simply existing in a leadership message.

Even strong values need continuous reinforcement. They require clear systems, consistent leadership behavior, and people willing to protect them when business pressures make them hard to uphold.

Measuring Whether Your Core Values Are Actually Working

You can measure whether your company values are working by observing two simple things: whether employees can remember them and whether the behaviors connected to those values are getting recognized.

Start with recall: Ask a small group of employees to name the company values without looking them up. If most people cannot remember them, the values are unlikely to guide everyday decisions. This is a simple way to understand whether values have actually become part of the culture or not.

Next, look at recognition patterns: If recognition is linked to specific company values, you can see which values are being demonstrated regularly and which are rarely mentioned. A value that almost never appears in recognition may not be showing up consistently in everyday behavior. Recognition Analytics can help you track these patterns easily.

Source: Vantage Recognition

You can also review a few other areas:

• Promotion decisions: Review recent promotions and ask whether the rewarded behaviors reflect your stated values.

• Exit interview feedback: Pay attention to how departing employees describe their experiences and whether they contradict your values or not.

• Recognition sources: Check whether value-based recognition comes from employees and managers, too. Peer recognition strongly indicates that values are becoming part of everyday behavior.

Ultimately, values become easier to measure when you stop asking whether employees agree with them and start looking at whether they influence real behavior, recognition, and decisions across the company.

FAQs

What are good core values for a company?

Good core values share three traits. They are specific enough to exclude a plausible alternative behavior, they are attached to a mechanism such as recognition, promotion criteria or a defined process, and they can be recalled from memory by employees. The test that matters is whether a value has ever changed a decision that would otherwise have gone the other way. If it has not, it is a preference rather than a value, however well written it is.

What are 5 good core values?

Five strong, widely applicable core values are integrity, accountability, customer focus, collaboration and continuous learning. They work well together because each one constrains a different kind of decision: integrity governs honesty under pressure, accountability governs ownership of errors, customer focus governs prioritization, collaboration governs how information moves, and continuous learning governs how the company handles being wrong. Attach a specific behavior to each one, or they will function as adjectives rather than values.

Conclusion

As you know by now, the true potential of core values can only blossom when they are reflected in real situations.

Choose the few values that genuinely reflect how your company wants to operate, then connect them to something tangible: the behaviors you recognize, the people you promote, and the decisions you are willing to stand by even when there is a cost.

That is what turns a value from a slogan into a standard people can follow.