Why companies should regularly reevaluate their core values

In business, few things are as sacred as core values. They’re the North Star ⭐, the cultural DNA 🧬, the rallying cry that turns a group of employees into a team. Companies etch them into onboarding decks, print them on office walls, and recite them at town halls. At Oneflow, we even have meeting rooms named after our core values.

But here’s a question we don’t ask often enough: What happens when those values stop making sense?

That’s the question we did our best to put front and center at our 2025 Kickoff. In January, colleagues from the Netherlands, France, Finland, Norway, and the UK gathered in Stockholm for two days of connection, collaboration, celebration and—most notably—a deep dive into Oneflow’s core values. The goal? To understand whether our values still resonate with who we are, and who we’re becoming.

Growth changes everything—even core values 🌱

When a company grows, it changes. Teams evolve, new people bring fresh perspectives, and the way we work shifts. At Oneflow, our values have served us well—but it became clear they needed a closer look.

In breakout sessions, teams explored what our values mean in real life: how they show up in decisions, conversations, and day-to-day behaviors. There were meaningful discussions around definitions, clarity, and how our values can apply at different levels of the organization.

A recurring theme: the same value can mean different things depending on your role or background. What does "transparency" mean to a developer versus a team lead? Does “In it together” land the same way for a Marketing Manager in Sweden as it does for a Sales Executive working in the Netherlands?

These aren’t abstract questions—they’re the foundation for making sure our values actually work for everyone.

“As we scale, our core values need to evolve with us—not by changing who we are, but by sharpening how we express and live them,” said Emilia Janis, Head of Partnerships. “With new markets, diverse teams, and bigger ambitions, our values should act as a compass 🧭—clear, actionable, and relevant to everyone at Oneflow.”

Values only matter if you live them 💡

A value that doesn’t guide decisions isn’t really a value—it’s a poster.

That’s why part of this process was about asking ourselves: how do these words translate into behaviors? And do we all understand them the same way?

“Values don’t need to change, but as the company grows, we need refined definitions of the behaviors connected to each value,” said Eero Juvonen, Sales Director, Finland. “For example, being transparent means different things for a team member, a team leader, and a leader of leaders. We need to understand how our values translate into action at every level of the company.”

Amanda Carapi Sjölin, People Partner, added: “Every new employee contributes to the company’s growth and shapes its culture. So our core values need to evolve alongside this growth—so they don’t become just words on a wall. We want them to be fully integrated into our everyday work, not just empty statements.”

This wasn’t about tearing down what we had—but about refining it. One example: discussions emerged around possibly combining two values and exploring whether “In transparency we trust” needs to be reframed to better reflect how transparency is practiced across the company.

The power of collective ownership 🤝

What stood out in the beginning was the approach—it wasn’t top-down. With the executive team intentionally stepping out of the breakout groups, the space was truly ours to shape.

Everyone, across every function and location, had a voice in the room. That ownership was intentional. Because when values are co-created, not handed down, they become something people can actually believe in—and feel accountable for.

“Reexamining our values strengthens trust and transparency by ensuring they genuinely reflect how we work and grow together,” Amanda said. “It reinforces that our culture is shaped collectively, not dictated from the top down. By involving everyone, we empower employees to contribute, voice their perspectives, and influence our shared direction.”

Emilia echoed that: “Our values should give us a shared foundation—something that unites us no matter our role, team, or background. But they should also leave room for individuality, encouraging different perspectives, ways of working, and ideas. The magic happens when we combine that collective direction with the unique strengths each person brings.”

The road ahead 🚀

We don’t have all the answers yet—and that’s okay. This was never meant to be a one-off workshop or a rebranding exercise. It was a first step in a longer process of reflection and refinement.

“It was very refreshing to discuss with people from different functions,” said Eero. “How well we live our values looks different from other perspectives. This was a great opening for a deep conversation—an opportunity for growth for the whole organization.”

Nelli Nilsson, Customer Loyalty Manager, agreed: “Reexamining our values is like hitting the refresh button 🔄. It’s a chance to think about what’s really important and make sure we’re growing in the right direction—together.”

We know that words only matter if they're backed by action. But taking the time to look inward, reflect honestly, and evolve thoughtfully is an important part of becoming the company we want to be—for each other, and for the people who join us next.

We’re still shaping what comes next. And we’re doing it together. We may not have everything figured out, but by continuing to listen, reflect, and refine—together—we make space for values that genuinely inspire. ✨