Today, it's more evident than ever that values drive everything we do. In fact, our world is in the midst of a values revolution. For people and culture professionals, understanding human values is the key to engaging, inspiring, and retaining top talent.
It’s a Values-Driven World
We have entered the Values Economy, where values are the most important currency. And the evidence is all around us. From politics to social media to consumer trends, it’s more apparent than ever before that our brains are hardwired to seek alignment with our values. This neurological truth explains why issues like quiet quitting, remote work debates, and the emphasis on empathetic leadership are so prevalent today. These discussions are rooted in what people value most deeply.
For HR professionals, aligning with values is no longer optional. Companies that live by their values thrive, while those that don't — or worse, those that engage in "values washing" — risk losing their best talent and facing a storm of negative feedback on social media
Why Values Matter in HR
Values are the fundamental aspects of who we are that guide our behaviors and decisions. Understanding and honoring the shared values of your workforce will lead to higher engagement, motivation, and retention.
- Engagement: When employees feel that their values are honored and respected by the company and, better yet, aligned with their company's values, they are more likely to be engaged in their work. They will find greater meaning and purpose in what they do, which will, of course, increase productivity and job satisfaction.
- Inspiration: Leaders who understand and reflect their employees' values can inspire their teams more effectively. Employees are more likely to feel understood and appreciated, which boosts morale and fosters a positive work environment.
- Motivation: Values-driven approaches help us understand what truly motivates employees. Whether it's the value of Family, Personal Growth, or Community, tapping into these core beliefs will lead to more unexpected, highly personalized, and effective motivational strategies.
Shifting from Demographics to Values
Traditional demographic profiling is not only ineffective but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes. By defining people based on age, gender, or income, we reinforce divisions like ageism, sexism, and racism. Instead, focusing on values offers a more accurate and human-centric way to understand and engage people.
But that’s not all. Values are a more accurate way to think about people. Research shows that people within any demographic cohort only agree on anything 10.5% of the time. This means that demographic groups are largely misaligned in terms of what drives their behaviors and decisions. In contrast, segmenting people based on shared values creates cohorts that are as much as 89% aligned. That simple shift in how we think about people, from demographics to what we call valuegraphics, allows HR professionals to create messages and strategies that resonate with a much larger portion of any audience.
Implementing a Values-Driven HR Strategy
To leverage the power of values, HR professionals need to start by pinpointing with statistical accuracy the shared values of their workforce. We must stop thinking about values as pretty words and “business poetry” and treat them like any other set of insights and metrics. This data-driven approach enables the design of engagement and retention strategies that give employees more of what they value. For example, if employees of a company highly value Personal Growth, robust professional development programs will be a success. But if those employees do not value Personal Growth, and instead over-index on the value of Family, flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies should be prioritized.
It's equally important to assess the values of the future workforce — the talent pool from which a company recruits. This ensures that the workplace culture serves not only the current employees but also aligns with the values of future hires. By considering the values of prospective employees, companies can avoid developing a culture that meets the needs of today’s workforce while neglecting those who will join tomorrow.
Today, we all live in the Values Economy, and values are the most potent force driving human behavior. By shifting from demographics to a focus on values, HR professionals can better engage, inspire, and retain their employees. Those that do will enhance business outcomes and foster a more inclusive and understanding workplace.
Values are the answer. Let's put them to work.
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