Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
As a student aspiring to a career in public relations, it is essential to me that my future employer, of any level (on-campus job, internship or career-level), has values that align with my personal morals. I and others find this necessary because it enables people to be more passionate, dedicated and involved in the work. Working for a company that you are excited to work for enables one to produce their best work.
Finding a company with core values that align with yours can be easily found through the work they produce; Nike is a good example of this. Prior to accepting a job offer, doing research about the brand will allow you to get a better understanding of their values and what the work environment and company morale is like. Some things I like to do to research brands are to look at the company’s website, social media and any news articles about the company. For companies that I am very interested in, I find it extremely helpful to ask people in my network what they know about the company, or even do informational interviews with employees in the company to fully understand how they function.
Additionally, working at a company you are passionate for leads to an increased amount of happiness at work, which can generate a more productive work environment.
One example of how company core values can go wrong is through the recent values-related incident of furniture company Wayfair. Employees of Wayfair staged a walkout last week after information was leaked that the company had initially unknowingly sold furniture that was going toward migrant facilities in Carrizo Springs, Texas. Both employees and Wayfair leaders have spoken out about how the company does not agree with the way the migrant services are being handled for children. CNN wrote, “Last year, US airlines spoke out against the Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy that resulted in the separation of migrant children from their families.” Wayfair is not the first to run into a values-related issue regarding their services.
This being said, it is important that employees look into their company’s values prior to accepting an offer. While it may be hard to predict that Wayfair would have been caught up in this type of scandal, doing research beforehand may have made employees feel more at ease.
Company core values are a necessary aspect to both the job search and work environment; it is essential that employees maintain interest in their company’s core values and how they align with their own. Now that I know what to look for in a future employer, I feel confident that I will be able to find a company that I am excited to work for in my future career.