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“Being Relentless.” It’s not just a phrase; it’s a rallying cry that forms the foundation of our vibrant culture at HI Tech Hui, a Hawaii-based MSP specializing in cybersecurity. Achieving a spot on the prestigious Inc 5000 list for two consecutive years isn’t just a coincidence; it’s a testament to the power of a culture built on core values, including “being relentless.”
Company culture profoundly influences employee behavior, engagement, and productivity, and helps attract and retain the best employees. A thriving company culture and its core values aren’t just the cornerstones of success; they play a critical role in cultivating happy customers.
Ten years ago, my husband and I were struggling to get an IT consulting company off the ground. It was then that I read the book, Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, a company known for their exceptional culture and zealous customer service. I dreamed about working there to learn firsthand how to build a company with strong core values that people live by day in and day out.
My manifestations came true shortly thereafter. Working at Zappos was everything I dreamed of in a job and more! Work was beyond fun and exciting; the culture was almost cult-like, fanatical. Everyone’s mission in the company was to provide the best customer experience possible. Zappos’ core values were woven into everything we did. All of us had a common objective and that was to deliver happiness—not just to our fellow co-workers but also to our customers. Our culture revolved around our core values, and we lived them authentically.
I applied what I learned to our next startup, HI Tech Hui, and it has paid off.
Distinguishing Core Values vs. Culture
Core values are the foundation of an organization’s culture, shaping behaviors and decisions. They are the ideals the business upholds and strives to embed in all aspects of its operations.
It should be noted that a company’s core values may evolve over time, reflecting the ongoing transformation of the organization. Early on at HI Tech Hui, for instance, when we only had a few employees, the core values we thought were essential were more personal in nature. One of these early core values was “Family First.” It was important to me that our employees prioritized their families over work; where they would never miss an important event, like a child’s performance or family function.
Through the years, however, as our MSP matured, we came to realize that this value didn’t make our workforce successful. So, to better understand what drove our company’s success, our leadership team got together, looked at our top employees, and then determined the common traits that made them “A players.” We updated our core values to reflect that, and “Being Relentless” became one of the five core values that continues to drive our company’s culture, almost 10 years later.
Culture is the manifestation of these values through everyday behaviors and practices within your business.
A strong culture is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative. Here are a few reasons why:
ATTRACTING TALENT: Competing for extraordinary talent is challenging for small businesses with limited budgets. My good friend Rick Girard, author of Healing Career Wounds, was a Silicon Valley tech recruiter. He shares that “compensation is important; however, culture is becoming a much stronger form of currency with today’s workforce. A culture driven by core values alignment wins the A players.”
Not all candidates go for the highest salary. Employees want to be part of a bigger mission and they want their needs met. While interviewing candidates, including questions that reflect your core values is a must to understand their alignment to your culture.
RETAINING TALENT: Attracting the right employees is half the battle; keeping them is the other. A culture defined by meaningful work, deep employee engagement, job and organizational fit, and strong leadership leads to better performance. An employee who feels at home in a particular culture has a higher likelihood of staying because they are PART of the overall mission vs. just buying into it.
Sustaining employee engagement and satisfaction can be challenging. According to Deloitte Insights, 87% of organizations cite culture and engagement as one of their top challenges. Additionally, 2021 Gallup research shows that only 20% of the global workforce is engaged at work, indicating a widespread issue with engagement in the workplace. So, you must work at it to keep your culture healthy.
YOUR CULTURE DICTATES PERFORMANCE: Your core values should have a set of standards for how you want your organization to perform. When making important decisions at the leadership level or the employee level, look at your core values to help dictate your company’s direction. At HI Tech Hui, “Being Relentless” as a core value is a compass guiding our employees toward excellence. When an employee exhibits this core value, we use them as an example to the rest of the team to demonstrate what exceptional performance looks like.
The importance of a strong, positive corporate culture in retaining employees cannot be overstated. In today’s competitive business environment where talented individuals have numerous options, a company’s culture often becomes a decisive factor in their choice to stay or move on.
A robust company culture acts as a binding force for employees. When employees feel connected to the company’s values and vision, they develop a sense of loyalty and commitment. This emotional connection is powerful; it not only motivates employees to do their best, but it also deters them from seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Maintaining a healthy culture built on core values is the key to success in retaining the best employees, ensuring your company’s long-term success and sustainability. Without a doubt, a good culture is not just good for business, it’s great for business.
For more information about HI Tech Hui, go here.
