What values are important to you in your life? My big three are honesty, authenticity and reliability. I try to live these every day in what I do – in my personal life and at work.
This week I met Anshoo who I recently placed with a client – Terumo – in a Customer Service role. We were having a catch up to see how she was settling in and how her Induction is going.
As I walked in, I could see she was beaming and so happy. She was animated, cheerful and loving the role. Her induction has made her feel so welcome and embraced. It has given her time to learn their product range and build relationships with new people. I knew there was something else that was making her shine and was curious to find out what.
Turns out, it was values.
Anshoo told me about how important values are to her. Her top three are respect, empathy and honesty. The values of Terumo are respect, integrity, care, quality and creativity.
She said, “ When we have our own passion, personality and values, with these values you have to search for a job with a company to find where you belong in your career. Terumo has fit these values so well. I feel like I’ve found the missing piece to the puzzle. I’m working with people who carry these values and as a company they all work with honesty, empathy, creativity and respect. This passes through the whole organisation and to the patients and medical staff who use their products. For 35 years I have been on a search to find Terumo and where I belong. I have found the light at the end of the tunnel and love it. Harmony and respect make learning easy and I wake up every day and explore who I am.”
I felt so happy to be a part of helping Anshoo find this role. Through one of my recruitment network partners Sarju (NPA Worldwide) we have enabled Anshoo to jump out of bed every day and be excited about where she works. Working part-time means she has time for her grandchildren, doing voluntary work at hospitals and some of her own projects.
Her Manager has worked with the organisation for 25 years and is constantly learning and being challenged – so it’s not just Anshoo.
When you’re looking for your next role, be sure you think about your values, what drives you and makes you happy.
Align that with the next organisation you work with. Here are some ways to do this.
1: Write down the values that are important to you in your life
Think about your values and what is most important to you. What way do you like to live your life? We are often told to surround ourselves with friends that make us happy and fulfil our lives, this is just as important at work. Write them down and make sure this forms an important part of your job search.
2: Do your research on the company values, ask questions at interview and find examples of how they work
There are ways you can find out the values of the organisation you are looking to work at next. Their websites often have them listed but you’ll need to dig deeper to find out if they really live these values. Prepare questions to ask at interview and ask for examples. Reach out on LinkedIn to people that work in the organisation and ask how they feel the company is living their values. Talk to employees that work there.
3: Choose to work with an organisation that matches your values and it may just change your life
As in Anshoo’s example, it’s never too late to find a company that lives your values. At Terumo in their company meetings each month, a team has to present on one of the values. It’s a fun and interactive reminder of what the values are and how each team is living them.
Find the piece of the puzzle and it may just change your life.
Values Ink is a great App that was developed by the AFL and helps you narrow down your top 5 values. Check it out.
I would love to hear how your organisation lives their values! Comment below or let’s connect over on Insta @glowupcareers
