How to unite employees with a value-based system

"We wanted to go beyond statements like ‘integrity’ or ‘customer focus"

BY Emily Douglas 18 Sep. 2019

When creating a value system, authenticity is key. A set of cultural beliefs should be inherent to your organization – and not simply paying lip service to generic terms and mottos.

But how exactly can HR go about understanding what is close to employees’ hearts?

We caught up with Denise Hayes, CHRO at Moneris Solutions and speaker at our upcoming HR Leaders Summit Toronto, who revealed what makes their organizational values so wholly unique.

“For the past couple of years, we've invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in our culture,” she explained. “It is something that our employees have had a huge appetite for, driven in large part by shifts in the payments industry. Emerging financial technologies and changes in our customers’ needs have evolved the way we challenge and support each other at all levels of the organization.

“And so, it's really important for us that we remain in a leadership position. We undertook a culture survey using feedback from employees, and then completed a comprehensive diagnostic that gave us a clearer idea of the values our employees hold dear.”

From there, Denise explained how Moneris’ five current company values were cemented.

“We wanted to go beyond statements like ‘integrity’ or ‘customer focus’,” she added. “Those are, of course, intrinsic to our business, but we wanted concepts that reflect Moneris’ specific commitments to customers and employees.”

“Our culture is driven by five key values: relating to the customer and their expectations; connecting ideas and growing together; doing the right thing; owning our commitments; and challenging the status quo.