Crafting Core Values That Shape the Talent Experience

In today’s competitive market, core values are more than just a page on your website. They’re the foundation for how a business operates, hires, and retains talent. Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a small agency to help them define their core values, and later, we used those values as the cornerstone for a broader talent experience.

Building the Foundation

When I first started working with this agency, their leadership knew they needed to articulate their values, but they weren’t sure how to capture the essence of their culture. We began by conducting focus groups with team members across all levels, discussing not only the "what" behind the work but the "why"—what motivates people to show up every day.

Through these conversations, a few consistent themes emerged: collaboration, creativity, transparency, and accountability. We worked to distill these into clear, actionable core values that would resonate with both current and prospective employees.

Bringing Values to Life in the Talent Experience

Crafting the values was only the first step. The real challenge came in integrating these values into every touchpoint of the employee lifecycle, from recruiting to performance reviews. We revamped job descriptions to include specific references to the core values, making it clear from the start what the agency stood for. In interviews, we introduced value-based questions to assess not just skills but cultural fit.

Once hired, new employees participated in onboarding sessions where they explored the core values in depth. Performance reviews were redesigned to include value-aligned metrics, reinforcing the importance of living these principles in daily work.

The Outcome

By embedding the core values into the broader talent experience, we not only strengthened the agency’s culture but also enhanced retention and engagement. Employees felt a deeper connection to the company’s mission, knowing their work contributed to something greater.

For small businesses, values aren’t just words—they’re a strategic asset. When thoughtfully crafted and woven into the talent experience, they can be a game-changer for both attracting and keeping top talent.

Now that, is what I call a Homerun.

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