The Importance of Defining Your Core Values

June 3, 2014

In the early days of a startup’s development it can be easy for founders to get caught up in the day-to-day scramble of launching and simply staying afloat. But once you start to gain traction, it’s important to pause (no matter how hectic it seems like things are), take a step back, and define your company’s core mission, vision, and values.
Not only will it help save you considerable headaches later on — in the form of bad hires, strategic missteps, etc. — as startup veteran Ben Russell, current VP of People at marketing and website optimization company Monetate, explains, defining and reinforcing your values is actually intrinsically tied to successful, sustainable growth.
In the video below, the former SVP of Talent at Bullhorn discusses how staying true to its mission and constantly defining its values helped the company reach and pass its $30 million mark.

The Secret Behind Bullhorn’s Fast Growth

Key Takeaways

The Importance of Core Values

Russell says the secret to Bullhorn’s success wasn’t just defining values. It was being able to “communicate the vision, mission, and — most importantly — core values down to the individual employees.”

Your Values Need To Evolve Along With Your Company

It’s expected that your company will change over time. Russell says the important thing is making sure your values evolve with that growth. For Bullhorn, the key to making that transition was having a CEO and management team who were very conscious of and invested in reinforcing and redefining those values as the company’s organization and culture developed.

Your Leadership and Middle Management Teams Must Be Champions of Your Values

As Russell explains, a great leadership and middle management team is what truly sets the tone of an organization. Often, the success of recruiting and retention efforts ultimately come down to them and their effectiveness at being champions of the company’s core values.

Additional Resources on Company Core Values

Photo by: Dave Worley

VP of People

Ben is transformational business leader with thirteen+ years of experience developing and driving human resources strategies that fuel rapid growth, organizational health and business results. He is an Independent Consultant and was previously the Vice President at <a href="http://www.monetate.com/">Monetate</a>.