Company Core Values Examples: 14 Real Ones, Checked at the Source
Every list below was copied from the company’s own website in September 2026, with a link to where we found it. Then a simple way to find your own.
Core values: the few principles that guide how a company’s people behave and make decisions.
A good test: a real value rules some behaviour in and some behaviour out.
Not the same as: a mission (what you do), a vision (where you are going) or a purpose (why you exist).
Most business owners have been told to write down their values. Most of the results say the same things: integrity, excellence, teamwork. Words nobody disagrees with are also words that help nobody decide anything.
The better examples are more specific. They sound like the company, they come with a sentence or a few behaviours that turn the word into something a person can do, and they get used when hiring and reviewing people. This page shows 14 real ones, each copied from the company’s own site, and then how to find yours.
Two notes on what is here. We only included lists that the company itself calls values, not “principles”, “behaviours” or “maxims”. And this is about company values. Lists of personal values, like empathy or adventure, are a different topic.
Values, mission, vision and purpose in one minute
| Statement | It answers | Example of the shape |
|---|---|---|
| Core values | How do we behave and decide? | “Own it”, “Fair Dinkum” |
| Mission | What do we do, every day? | What we make or provide, and for whom |
| Vision | Where are we going? | The future we are working toward |
| Purpose | Why do we exist? | The reason beyond making money |
If you are writing the set, values are usually the easiest place to start, because they are already visible in how you hire and how you handle mistakes. See the vision statement examples for the vision.
In plain, everyday language
These sound like the people who work there. They are also the closest match for a small business, where the values need to be understood by everyone from day one.
Don’t #@!% the customer: “Customers are our lifeblood. Without happy customers, we’re doomed.”
Be the change you seek: “Continuous improvement is a shared responsibility. Action is an independent one.”
Plain, blunt language, and each value comes with a short paragraph. The swearing is masked on the company's own page.
Source: atlassian.com, checked September 2026
Think big: “We love a challenge. If someone says it can’t be done, we lean in and ask, 'Why not?'”
Have fun: “Life is too short to be not having your sort of fun at work.”
Written the way people talk, and "Have fun" sits in the list as a formal value.
Source: aussiebroadband.com.au, checked September 2026
Fair Dinkum: “If we say we’ll do something, we’ll do it. Always true to our word, we lead by example and we don’t over-complicate things.”
One Family: “Everyone going home safe each day is our number one priority. We care for our mates and treat each other like family.”
Written in everyday tradie language, and it names being family-owned in the first value.
Source: kennards.com.au, checked September 2026
Keep it simple: “Make it clear. Cut the complexity and act quickly.”
Own it: “Lead by example and if something goes wrong, just fix it.”
Ten values that still read quickly, because every description is one or two short sentences.
Source: group.reece.com, checked September 2026
Three values in a single paragraph, each explained in one clause.
Source: careers.koala.com, checked September 2026
Single words with clear behaviours
Single words are short and easy to remember, but they can mean different things to different people. These companies solve that by adding a sentence or a few bullets under each one.
Integrity: “Acting honestly and ethically”
Accountability: “Own every outcome – good and bad”
Single-word names with short behaviour bullets underneath. Older pages show the fourth value as "Boldness"; the live page says Entrepreneurial Spirit.
Source: wesfarmers.com.au, checked September 2026
Humility: “Don't take yourself too seriously”
Efficiency: “Don't make the easy hard”
Nine values grouped as how I show up, how we treat each other and how Southwest succeeds.
Source: southwest.com, checked September 2026
Integrity: “We are honest, ethical, and trustworthy.”
Accountability: “We accept full responsibility for our decisions, actions, and results.”
Three single words, each with one sentence. Very short.
Source: microsoft.com, checked September 2026
Candor: “You willingly receive and give feedback; you are open about what’s working and what needs to improve; you admit mistakes openly and share learnings widely.”
Eight single words, each defined as behaviours in "you" language.
Source: jobs.netflix.com, checked September 2026
Verbs and instructions
Values written as things to do, not things to be. It is harder to agree with a verb without deciding what it means for you.
Make complex things simple: “Always aiming for the most simple, pragmatic and effective solution to any problem. Think of the user.”
Set crazy big goals and make them happen: “Set ambitious goals, prioritise, hustle to execute and celebrate success!”
Every value is an instruction, and the longest is a full sentence.
Source: canva.com, checked September 2026
Go Bold: “Build what’s next. Make magic happen.”
Go Fast: “The future doesn’t wait. Neither do we.”
Four parallel names with a one-line tagline each. Two older Xero value sets still circulate online; these are the current ones.
Source: careers.xero.com, checked September 2026
Own it: “We take initiative and commit to our decisions to deliver better outcomes.”
Find the right way: “We make balanced decisions by considering the risk and reward of any given situation and a diverse range of perspectives.”
Verb-first names, each with a plain one-sentence definition.
Source: bendigoadelaide.com.au, checked September 2026
The page calls them shared values, the same five across the global network.
Source: deloitte.com/au, checked September 2026
Togetherness: “Togetherness is at the heart of the IKEA culture. We are strongest when we trust each other, pull in the same direction and have fun together.”
Simplicity: “We are informal, pragmatic and see bureaucracy as our biggest enemy.”
Eight key values, each with a short explanation, rooted in the founder's family firm.
Source: ikea.com, checked September 2026
Logos are trademarks of their owners and are shown only to identify each company.
What the best ones have in common
- They are short lists. 9 of the 14 have five or fewer values. The range is 3 to 10, and the longest, Reece’s ten, keeps each description to one or two short sentences.
- The word is only the start. Most add a sentence or a few bullets under each value, so the word becomes a behaviour you could hire and review against.
- Some sound like only that company. Kennards’ “Fair Dinkum”, Atlassian’s blunt phrasing and Aussie Broadband’s “Have fun” sound like only those companies. Integrity, by contrast, appears in 4 of the 14, and it tells you little on its own.
- The wording is current. Several of these lists have changed. Xero’s and Wesfarmers’ current lists differ from older versions that still circulate online.
How to find your company’s values
Do not start with a list of nice words. Start with what you have already done. Your values are visible in the people you have hired, the people you have let go, and the things that make you angry.
Describe the best person you have worked with
What three qualities made them a great fit? These are the behaviours you want more of.
Describe a time you were truly frustrated
What unspoken rule was broken? The thing that made you angry is a value you already hold.
List your non-negotiables
The principles you would keep even when it is difficult or costly.
Group them into three to five values
Look for the themes. Then test each one by asking what it rules out. If it makes no decision easier, drop it.
Define each value and list the behaviours
One sentence on what it means, then three to five daily behaviours a team member would show.
A real run of the core values generator: a 12-person cleaning company in Perth
Reliability
We do what we said we'd do, when we said we'd do it.
Own It Early
We tell the client about a problem before they find it, and we fix it before they have to ask.
Inspection-Ready Work
Every clean is finished to a standard we'd be happy to have checked on the spot, including the corners nobody looks at.
Look After Our Own
We treat our cleaners the way we want them to treat our clients: paid fairly, trained properly and never left alone with a risk.
Each value also comes with three to five daily behaviours, such as “Say sorry once, plainly, then fix it” and “Check in by text at the start and end of any night shift”.
The generator asks about the best person you have worked with, a time you were frustrated and your non-negotiables, then turns your answers into values with a definition and behaviours for each. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes and it is free.
Frequently asked questions
What are core values?
The few principles that guide how a company's people behave and make decisions. A useful test: a real core value rules some behaviour in and some behaviour out. If it does not make any decision easier, it is decoration.
How many core values should a company have?
Most keep it short. 9 of the 14 examples above have five or fewer, and the range is 3 to 10. Fewer is easier to remember and easier to hire and review against.
What is the difference between core values, mission and vision?
Values say how you behave. A mission says what you do. A vision says where you are going. Some companies also publish a purpose, which says why they exist. The four work together, and each answers a different question.
How do you write core values for a company?
Start with real people and real decisions, not abstract words. Think about the best person you have worked with and what made them a fit, a time you were frustrated and what rule was broken, and the principles you would not give up even when it costs you. Then name each value, define it in one sentence, and list three to five daily behaviours that show it.
Can a small business have core values?
Yes, and they are often easier to make real. Kennards Hire, Reece and Koala above all use plain, everyday language, and a small team can see the values in action every day.
Are core values the same as personal values?
No. This page is about company values: how a team works together and makes decisions. Lists of personal values, like empathy or adventure, are a different topic.
Should core values have definitions and behaviours?
Yes. A single word can mean different things to different people. A one-sentence definition and a few daily behaviours turn the word into something a person can do, and something you can hire and review against.
Why do so many companies list integrity?
It is easy to agree with, which is also why it helps nobody choose anything. Integrity appears in 4 of the 14 examples above. The values that stand out say something only that company would say.
How often should you review core values?
Check them once a year against reality: do you hire, promote and let people go in line with them? Change them when the business changes, not because the wording feels stale.
Is the core values generator free?
Yes. You get 3 free conversations with no account. Each takes about 15 to 20 minutes and gives you a set of values with a definition and daily behaviours for each.
Find your company’s values in 15 minutes
Answer a few questions about how you really work and get a set of values with a definition and daily behaviours for each.