The importance of identifying your company values and culture

By Blue Wren Ltd

21 Sep 2017

While the terms “company culture” and “values” are often used interchangeably, there is a difference. Values are the specific attributes which give personality and direction to a company and its staff, while a culture is how these values are manifested through behaviours and actions.

Many people have had the unfortunate experience of being party to poisonous company environments. And while not always one individual’s fault, such situations highlight the importance of identifying and nurturing a positive company culture, as well as hiring in line with the culture you wish to nurture.

Creates a common objective

At Blue Wren, we put together our company values through group discussions. We communicated openly about what we felt the business stood for and what these values meant. As such, it wasn’t a prescribed philosophy, but an organic one set by the very people who would represent it.

Attracts likeminded professionals

Our team operate using agile project management principles. Doing so means that not only must we thrive in a team environment, but we need to remain open and accepting of criticism. As such, when we are recruiting, such characteristics need to be at the forefront of our decision-making to ensure that new team members are onboard with our culture and can hit the ground running.