Company core values: AI core value generator (and 8 examples)

Think of a company you like. To mentally re-live my college years, I'm going to pick a staple brand I thought about almost every day: Little Caesars. Now, think of a few things you like about your choice. For mine: the words "fast," "cheap," and "pizza."

Chances are, at least one of the things you like about said company is among its company core values—those guiding principles that direct its growth. Little Caesars, for example, has this as its first one: Serve Others: We are in the business of making our customers' lives easier every chance we get. We are generous and selfless. Quasi-delicious $5 pizza dependably ready at a moment's notice was a pretty generous offering that made my life a lot easier. 

Core values make it easier to make tough organizational decisions. To help you figure yours out, I've put together some of my favorite examples, a guide on how to write your own, and—if you just want to skip this whole article—even a handy AI tool that can generate them for you.

Core values generator

So you'd rather skip the whole post and just write your core values the easy way: have a chatbot do it for you. 

Here's how to use CoreBorg3000, Zapier's handy core value generator tool that uses AI to create a value statement tailored to your company.

1. Enter your core value term.

2. Click the button or hit the Enter/Return key.

That's literally it. CoreBorg300 will generate a few options for you—each fully fleshed-out core value statements. I wouldn't necessarily recommend just copy/pasting these into a press release and calling it a day, but these should be helpful starting points you can use for inspiration.

What is a core value?

A core value is a fundamental principle that guides an organization, setting the foundation for its culture and identity. Like organizational north stars, core values influence decisions, positioning, products, and branding as organizations grow.

For Little Caesars, abiding by the core value of Serve Others means that everything from their products to their advertising to the design of their shop fronts is geared toward ease (read: "fast") and generosity (read: "cheap"). That means you'll probably never see a premium $30 pizza there with gourmet toppings or have to order from a complicated menu with dozens of items and customization options.

Core value vs. mission statement

While a core value is a foundational belief that guides an organization's decisions, a mission statement is an imperative that defines the organization's purpose. An organization can have multiple core values that contribute to its mission, while a mission statement is a broad proclamation of objectives and strategies for achieving those objectives.

For example, FAST RETAILING (which we'll explore more later):

• Core value: Approaching issues from the customer perspective

• Mission statement: To create truly great clothing with new and unique value, and to enable people all over the world to experience the joy, happiness, and satisfaction of wearing such great clothes

Why are core values important?

Core values are important because they inform high-level decisions and direct the way businesses appeal to customers, engage with partners, hire, and interact with employees. The term core values is relatively generic, so some companies choose to refer to them by other names, like philosophies or principles.

Could organizations make sound decisions without establishing core values? Sure. But for growing businesses, core values promote a consistent vision as the scale of their offerings expands or as decision-makers change over time.

30 company core value examples

Company core values are statements or sentences built around a singular value that's just one word or phrase (which may or may not be in the statement). These values can be focused on either internal entities, like employees or products, or external entities, like customers, clients, partners, or even society as a whole. 

Think of value terms as little corporate caterpillars and value statements as the beautiful commercial butterflies they metamorphose into. To illustrate, here are some examples.

8 real-world examples of business core values

To show you what this looks like in the real world, here are some of my favorite core values from actual companies.

1. Zapier

1. Default to action

2. Default to transparency

3. Grow through feedback

4. Empathy over ego

5. Build the robot

No surprise here—Zapier makes the list with five very succinct yet evocative core values. In exactly three words each, Zapier's values show how they're, in the company's own words, "building toward a future that does not yet exist." 

Without saying any of this explicitly, these values communicate respect for users, respect for internal teams, and respect for the process of innovation. With software that empowers users to do more in less time with the apps they already use, Zapier shows itself to be an adaptable company that's here to listen to and serve its users and employees.

2. Little Caesars

1. Serve others

2. Own your work

3. Invent something

4. Never give up

5. Be an all-star

Not to be out-pithed, Little Caesars packs their values into five two- to three-word bites. In their description for "Own your work" is what seems to be the heart of the company: "We give more than what's expected."

I think most people who like this pizza chain like it not because their pies taste better than the ones from the ma and pa parlor down the street—they like it because it's quick, inexpensive, and reliable. For those selling points, it's important for the company to operate on the sentiment that they should over-deliver in all facets of their business.

3. Asana

1. Mission

2. Do great things, fast

3. Clarity

4. Co-creation

5. Give and take responsibility

6. Mindfulness

7. Reject false tradeoffs

8. Be real (with yourself and others)

9. Heartitude

Asana gets a shoutout here for making up a word that serves as an entire value statement. I know these one-word values kind of refute the whole "statement" definition, but their litany of dynamic value statements proves a point: Asana does things their own way, and it works.

As a top-tier project management tool that prioritizes user experience, Asana's values line up perfectly with their product. They produce mindfully designed software that promotes efficient collaboration with heart, attitude, and even flying unicorns.

4. KIND

1. Craft snacks made with real food

2. Treat everyone and everything, including our ingredients, with integrity and kindness

3. Achieve a balance of health and taste

Technically, KIND considers these "guiding principles," but since that's verbatim the definition I used for core values in the intro, I'll take it. 

These more traditional long statements position this healthy snack producer as having parallel corporate and edible values. As you'd expect, this company goes beyond health food lip service and is committed to being intentional about kindness to our planet, our bodies, and our taste buds. 

5. Subaru

1. Enjoyment and peace of mind

I have to say I was a little uninspired by the core value for Subaru, which is one of my favorite brands. But it's a good example of how a single, simple core value can suggest meaning for a specific audience without having to spell it out.

Subaru is a notoriously unfussy vehicle manufacturer prized for their dependability, durability, and safety—not, like competitors, for innovation, luxury, or trendy aesthetics. People buy Subarus to hit the trails with their dogs, kids, or both (enjoyment) with confidence that the 4WD will get them there and back safely (peace of mind).

6. The Honest Company

1. Protecting human health is our top priority

2. We won't compromise performance

3. We're thinking in the present and future tense

4. Knowledge is power

Listed as the brand's philosophies, the core values for Jessica Alba's wellness company perfectly align with their commitment to personal, social, and environmental wellness.

Honest makes high-quality health care products available for reasonable prices, partners with charitable organizations, and takes ingredient safety seriously. All these selling points are reflected in their core values. It's easy to see how these values keep their future products, initiatives, and decisions about ingredients consistent, so customers continue getting what they've grown to expect from the brand.

7. FAST RETAILING

1. Approaching issues from the customer perspective

2. Embracing innovation and challenge

3. Respecting and supporting individuals to foster both corporate and personal growth

4. Committing to ethical standards and correctness

Best known for being the parent company of trendy Japanese apparel brand UNIQLO, FAST RETAILING has a strong set of values and a penchant for capital letters. These are good examples of descriptive core values that leave little room for interpretation. 

Shadowed by the negative connotations of the fast fashion industry, the brand leans into positive values that put people and customers first while also giving a nod to their corporate responsibilities. Make no mistake: this isn't a nonprofit; this is a business, but it's one that's giving the people what they want.

8. Eloquii

1. EMPOWERMENT: Take initiative. Own it. Make an impact.

2. EMPATHY: Listen. Care deeply. Choose compassion.

3. AUTHENTICITY: Be you. Keep it real. Find strength in our differences.

4. INNOVATION: Think big. Be curious. Challenge yourself. Disrupt.

5. TENACITY: Be persistent. Find a way. Never settle.

What I love about Eloquii's core values is that they have voice—no other values on this list sound like these. They project a certain je ne sais quoi for an apparel company dedicated to promoting the "transformational power of fashion" via size-inclusive clothing.

What I also like is that these values appeal to both end users and the internal teams. They give potential employees an idea of the culture and set the expectation for equitable treatment while working for a company that doesn't compromise on their products.

How to write core values

If you're still at a loss as to how to write core values of your own, don't worry—when you start with an essential value, they basically write themselves. (They can also literally write themselves using our AI generator.)

Here's how to come up with value statements that cater to your organization's unique values, one step at a time.

Step 1: Brainstorm value words

Just as each journey starts with a single step, your core value journey begins with a single word. Start by coming up with any singular words—ideally nouns or adjectives—or phrases that you want your company to identify with. (Hint: you can use the example chart above.)

While there are no rules, and you can absolutely have as many core values as your heart desires, the truth is we can't all be Asana, and you should probably whittle these down to your top three to five.

Step 2: Phrase words as actions

Once you've got your value words, it's time to give them legs. One by one, turn these nouns or adjectives into extended statements or full sentences. Don't think too hard at this point about the specifics of these sentences. Just say what these words mean to you in the context of your company. Here are a few phrasing tactics:

• Start with "We" or "Our."

• Direct them toward customers, teams, the world, or all three.

• Begin with a verb ending in "-ing."

• Start each with the same verb or consciously use different verbs.

• Try avoiding your original value words entirely.

Step 3: Connect to an emotion

At this point, you might find yourself with a smorgasbord of innocuous corporate promises. No one wants that. These values should appeal directly to customers or potential job applicants. People want to believe that your company holds genuine beliefs, not just a mouthful of lip service.

Here are some ways you can do that:

• Use a thesaurus to make your verbs more impactful.

• Add adverbs to apply specific emotions to your verbs.

• Connect personal values to broader populations or communities.

• Make big promises you can deliver on.

• Be humble.

Step 4: Cut to the core

If you've tried to pack in all this advice, your value statements may look more like value paragraphs. Again, there are no set rules here, but as a general rule, you want these babies to be short enough for people who weren't in Drama Club to memorize.

Try these tactics to cut your value statement to its essential sentiment:

• Cut each one in half.

• Cut out all but two or three words.

• Replace conjunctions with punctuation.

• Turn one statement into two.

• Summarize each statement with one word—if more than one can be summarized using the same word or very similar ones, remove one.

Deliver on your company core values with automation

Company core values aren't an end on their own—they're more of a litmus test for whether what you plan to do is consistent with your identity. (Yes, I know that's like the fifth different metaphor I've used to describe it.)

Delivering on those values starts with aligning them with a long-term vision you believe in as your company grows. Zapier can help you get there by automating your workflows, so you can focus on what matters.

Related reading:

• How to build trust on a remote team

• 10 examples of corporate social responsibility done right

• What to expect when moving from a small company to a big(ger) one

• Why pairing AI with automation will change how you work