9 Great Examples of Company Values to Inspire You [+ Free Ebook]

Examples of Company Values from Large Organizations

For larger organizations, keeping culture on track can be a real challenge. With more people comes more variety in experience, perspective, behavior, and beliefs. It’s impossible to maintain a consistent culture without a set of clear core values that everyone in the organization can get behind. Here are a few examples of large organizations that understand this and have taken the time to define guiding values for their people.

Google Company Values

Google’s company values are called “Ten things we know to be true” within their organization. They revisit this list frequently to keep everyone on track, both in their culture and business decisions.

• Focus on the user and all else will follow.
• It’s best to do one thing really, really well.
• 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.

Amazon Company Values

Amazon’s company values are also called their Leadership Principles. They have set up these values to guide their people “every day, whether [they]’re discussing ideas for new projects or deciding on the best approach to solving a problem.”

• Customer Obsession
• Ownership
• Invent and Simplify
• [Leaders] Are Right, A Lot
• Learn and Be Curious
• Hire and Develop the Best
• Insist on the Highest Standards
• Think Big
• Bias for Action
• Frugality
• Earn Trust
• Dive Deep
• Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
• Deliver Results

Apple Company Values

Apple’s company values have changed over the years, which is a good reminder that your organization (and its culture) might not be the same in ten years as it is today. The process of creating and defining company values should be ongoing—don’t be afraid to make adjustments when necessary. The original Apple company values in 1981 are:

• One person, one computer.
• We are going for it and we will set aggressive goals.
• We are all on the adventure together.
• We build products we believe in.
• We are here to make a positive difference in society, as well as make a profit.
• Each person is important; each has the opportunity and the obligation to make a difference.
• We are all in it together, win or lose.
• We are enthusiastic!
• We are creative; we set the pace.
• We want everyone to enjoy the adventure we are on together.
• We care about what we do.
• We want to create an environment in which Apple values flourish.

More recently, CEO Tim Cook defined the company values this way:

• We believe that we’re on the face of the Earth to make great products.
• We believe in the simple, not the complex.
• We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make.
• We participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.
• We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.
• We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
• We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.

Examples of Company Values from Small and Medium-Sized Organizations

The company values examples from global organizations like Google, Amazon, and Apple are inspiring, but what if you’re operating on a smaller scale? Here are several examples of company core values from small and medium-sized organizations (like BambooHR).

BambooHR Company Values

Of course, we couldn’t go through an entire article about company values without mentioning our beloved core values here at BambooHR. These values help us do great work every day.

• Enjoy Quality of Life
• Grow from Good to Great
• Be Open
• Assume the Best
• Do the Right Thing
• Lead from Where You Are
• Make It Count

SnackNation

The company values at SnackNation provide the standard for “everything [they] create and cultivate” in their organization.

• Health Above All Else
• Display Grit Without Ego
• Serve & Inspire
• Seek Perpetual Growth
• Spread Joy & Optimism

Glassdoor Company Values

Glassdoor has defined its values to “both communicate to employees what matters most to your organization, and create standards to hold both company and employee decisions accountable.”

• People matter
• Integrity
• Passion
• Ownership
• Accountability
• Leadership

BizLibrary Company Values

At BizLibrary, their core values are designed to encourage growth, learning, passion, and more among their people.

• Build Successful Partnerships that Last
• Freedom to Fail
• Enjoy the Journey
• Giving Back
• Passion to Be the Best
• Respect Others
• Smarter Every Day

7Geese Company Values

7Geese keeps it simple with their company values, but that doesn’t mean they don’t achieve impressive results all the same.

• Excellence
• Positivity
• Growth
• Lending a Hand

Lattice Company Values

As explained in an article from Lattice, “we wanted to make values that were more than our cultural foundations—they’re more about our cultural ideals, of our company standards that we strive to reach.”

• Ship, Shipmate, Self
• Chop Wood, Carry Water
• Clear Eyes
• What’s Next?

Creating Your Own Company Values

With all of these examples, you’re probably ready to start brainstorming some core values for your own organization. But to create meaningful, long-lasting company values, you need more than a list of nice words and phrases. You need to evaluate your company culture as it is today, identify and define foundational values, and communicate them to your people.

Luckily, we cover these steps and more in our ebook, Your Guide to Creating Company Values. Get started on the process today and make your company culture stronger than ever before.