Free Core Values Generator

How to create company core values that people actually use (not just posters)

Core values are supposed to make decisions easier. Hiring too. Collaboration, feedback, customer promises, the whole thing.

But most value sets fail for one boring reason. They are written like inspirational nouns, and nobody knows what they mean on a Tuesday afternoon when something breaks.

So if you are using this Core Values Generator, here is how to get a set of values that feels real, reads clean on your About page, and still works internally when you are onboarding or reviewing performance.

What “good” core values look like (a quick checklist)

Good values usually have four parts:

1. A clear value statement
   Short. Memorable. Not a paragraph.

2. A plain-language definition
   What it means in your company, specifically.

3. Observable behaviors
   What people do when they live that value. What they do not do, too.

4. A real example action
   Something your team could copy in a meeting, a customer call, a product decision, or a hiring loop.

If any value cannot produce behaviors, it is probably a slogan.

The biggest mistake: picking values you wish you had

A lot of teams choose values that sound like the company they want to become.

That is not always wrong. But it gets weird fast if your culture does not back it up yet.

A better approach is to pick values that reflect:

• the trade-offs you already make
• the standards you enforce even when it costs you money or time
• the behaviors you reward and promote
• the reasons customers trust you (or should)

Then, if you want “aspirational” values, keep them to one or two. Label them internally as commitments you are building toward.

How many core values should you publish?

Most companies do best with 3 to 7.

More than that and people stop remembering them. Also, the values start overlapping and you get duplicates like “excellence” and “high standards” and “quality”, which all mean the same thing until you define behaviors.

If you need a longer list for internal use, you can do it in layers:

• 4 to 6 public values (website, careers page)
• supporting behaviors under each value (internal handbook)
• team-specific behaviors (sales, support, engineering) as add-ons

Turn abstract words into behavior based values (simple rewrite pattern)

If your value is an abstract noun, rewrite it into something you can see.

Here are a few quick patterns that work:

Pattern 1: Verb + outcome

• “Integrity” becomes Tell the truth early
• “Innovation” becomes Ship, learn, iterate
• “Excellence” becomes Raise the bar with craft

Pattern 2: “We…” behavior statements

• We do what we say we will do
• We document decisions and share context
• We prioritize customer outcomes over ego

Pattern 3: Decision rule format

• When speed and quality conflict, we choose quality on customer facing work
• When opinions conflict, we test with users

If you are using the premium Behavior-Based mode, lean into these patterns hard. They read more modern and they are easier to operationalize.

Where to use your core values (so they actually stick)

A values page on your website is nice. But values become real when they show up in repeated systems.

A few practical placements:

• Hiring scorecards: add 1 to 2 value behaviors as evaluation criteria
• Interview questions: “Tell me about a time you disagreed and still committed”
• Onboarding: one slide per value, one example per value
• Performance reviews: include behaviors, not just the value name
• Leadership updates: call out decisions and tie them back to a value
• Customer promises: map values to service standards (response times, transparency, privacy)

If you want an easy workflow for this, generate your first draft here, then refine and publish it with the rest of your brand content using an AI writing platform like Junia AI.

Example: turning a generic value set into something publishable

Generic version:

• Integrity
• Customer First
• Innovation
• Excellence

More usable version:

• Earn trust through transparency
  Definition: We communicate clearly, share context, and own mistakes.
  Behaviors: Raise risks early. Document decisions. No surprises for customers.

• Build for customers, not for ego
  Definition: We prioritize customer outcomes over internal preferences.
  Behaviors: Validate with feedback. Measure impact. Avoid vanity projects.

• Learn fast, improve always
  Definition: We experiment, share learnings, and iterate without blame.
  Behaviors: Run retros. Make small bets. Fix root causes.

• Raise the bar with craft
  Definition: Quality is a competitive advantage and a trust signal.
  Behaviors: Review thoroughly. Test. Sweat the details that customers feel.

Same idea. Totally different usefulness.

Quick prompts you can paste into the tool (to get better outputs)

If you are not sure what to type into the mission or brand traits fields, try one of these.

For startups

• Mission: “We help [audience] achieve [outcome] by [how]. We win by being [differentiator].”
• Brand traits: “fast, practical, direct, friendly, high standards”

For agencies

• Mission: “We deliver [service] for [audience]. We are known for [quality signal] and [communication style].”
• Brand traits: “strategic, calm, honest, detail-oriented, collaborative”

For remote-first teams

• Mission: “We build [product] with a remote team across [regions]. We value async and ownership.”
• Brand traits: “clear, low-ego, accountable, kind, independent”

Small inputs like this help the generator avoid vague outputs.

Final reality check before you publish

Ask these three questions:

1. Would we hire and fire based on this value?
2. Would we lose a deal to uphold it?
3. Can a new teammate explain what it means using one real example?

If the answer is no, the value is not done yet. It is just a nice sentence.