That “perfect” resume might get them in the door, but values alignment makes them stay.
If you’re only screening for experience and education, you’re missing the biggest predictor of long-term success: shared values.
(And let me spell this out. Alignment comes down to what your organization values and what the employee values. If those aren’t the same, or at least close, you don’t have alignment.)
Why am I talking about this?
I’m studying values-based hiring and onboarding in my Ph.D. program. So I was pleasantly surprised at work yesterday when we had our quarterly leadership meeting, and one of the key topics was values-driven leadership.
In Dare to Lead, Brené Brown writes about a moment of truth during her own values exercise. She wanted to list “family” as her top value, but realized that faith and courage fueled everything, including how she showed up for her family.
If your company says, “We’re like a family here.” Then don’t be surprised when employees put their families first.
And suppose you say, “Family really is a core value at our organization.”
In that case, you can’t penalize people for leaving early to attend a child’s concert, taking time off for a parent’s surgery, or turning down overtime to spend time with family.
🚫 Values aren’t slogans on a wall.
✅ They’re behaviors you hire for, model, and reinforce.
Before your next interview, ask yourself:
-What values do we live out as a team?
-Are we clear about those values in the hiring process?
-Most importantly, do we make space for others to honor those values, too?
Because hiring for alignment, not just what’s on a resume, leads to a team that’s more engaged and more likely to stay.