Dive Brief:
- A new Eagle Hill Consulting Poll found that 47% of US workers don’t know or are unsure of what their employers’ core values are. The survey also found that among the workers who do know their company’s core values, a vast majority, 89%, said those values steer their behavior decision-making.
- Eagle Hill conducted the survey after the release of news reports alleging unethical behavior by such companies as Wells Fargo and Mylan. Eagle Hill says the findings are significant because desirable behavior directly correlates with culture and values in the form of profitability and higher productivity.
- An upside to the survey's findings is that culture drives employees to flag unethical behavior and dishonesty in the workplace. 75% of the respondents said their workplace culture encourages them to question coworkers’ dishonest behavior.
Dive Insight:
The survey’s finding that only half of the respondents know what their company’s core values are is troubling. That could mean that companies aren’t communicating their values to employees or they haven’t defined what their values are. Companies need to do both if they value employee engagement, high productivity and strong financial results.
Employers who make values and integrity the core of their mission aren’t afraid of whistle blowers. In fact, they encourage employees to come forth when they witness or suspect that there’s dishonest behavior in the workplace. HR departments would also do well to improve the interactions between managers, who are often tasked with communicating company values, and employees. Failed interactions on this front were a significant factor in the recent Wells Fargo controversy.
