We recently joined TINYpulse for a webinar on how to use company values to drive success. In it, we discussed strategies for a successful values-driven culture — including how we do it at Limeade. Here’s what we shared:
What to include in your company values
1. Values need to connect with employees
At Limeade, we held focus groups and refined our values to get employee input and feedback to ensure they connected to our overall strategy.
2. Values should align with your business strategy
We view our culture of improvement as the way we live our values each day — it’s the label we put over the top of our values for the expectations we have at Limeade. We intentionally selected our values to connect with our business. For example, one of our values is “delight customers” because we’re a customer-driven organization. We have “be it” because we want to push improvement in our own lives if we’re helping our customers do the same.
3. Values can evolve
Our original values came from a team brainstorm when talking with initial Limeade employees (back in 2007). Our organizational values evolved from those written on a paper napkin to those written on our wall.
4. Values need to be integrated into your everyday practices
To be successful at creating a values-driven culture, you need to be intentional about how and where your values show up every day. Values should be part of your everyday language and structure.
How to use your business values
Though we did paint our values on our walls, we don’t just walk by them. Here are some of the ways we’re living company values every day:
- New and prospective customer meetings. We share our values in the beginning of every meeting so our prospects know what we stand for as a company.
- Full HR cycle. We use our organizational values for recruiting, hiring, promotions and firing. And we’ve developed interview guides to ensure we’re asking questions that evaluate candidates’ abilities to demonstrate our values.
- LimeMates program. Our internal well-being program features activities that tie to our values to make sure all LimeMates know and live them. One example is a recent video that all employees watched showcasing our CEO Henry Henry Albrecht telling the story of how Limeade was born.
- Company values-based days. A few times a year we host “Own It” and “Anything is Possible” days, where we come together as a company for innovation and vision.
- Employee awards. Twice a year, we give out the culture of improvement awards: Six values-based awards given to employees who best exemplify our six company core values.
- Performance reviews. As part of our monthly performance reviews through TINYpulse Perform, employees are asked to rate themselves on how well they’ve consistently demonstrated the Limeade business values that month and managers rate and provide feedback as well
- Weekly surveys. As part of our weekly surveys through TINYpulse Engage, we ask employees questions around our values such as “Overall, Limeade employees live our values” or “Do you think that we consistently stay true to our core values as an organization?” Our leadership team reviews all the verbatim comments and takes action based on employee feedback.
- Cheers for Peers. LimeMates give each other cheers based on our values.
What kind of business results to expect
- Attract talent. We have an average of 113 applicants per job opening.
- Retain talent. We have an average of less than 5 percent autumnal unwanted turnover over the last five years.
- Alignment & innovation. We’ve hired 111 people in the last 18 months.
- Delight customers. We score 64 points higher on NPS than the HR software average.
- Awards. We’ve won some pretty awesome awards, including the #1 best large workplace in Washington.
To learn more about how to use your company core values to drive success, watch the full webinar below.