At OneSpace, we take our core values very seriously. They’re the foundation of our company culture, and they serve as the compass that guides the decisions and actions we take on a daily basis. No matter the direction we take, our values remain fixed, steady and true, acting as a constant even in times of uncertainty and change.

Even so, things look much different now than they did when our core values were first established roughly five years ago. In 2020 alone, we saw an unprecedented global pandemic, a nationwide movement for racial justice, and a presidential election that culminated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. The world we do business in has fundamentally changed, and we must change with it or risk being left behind.

Today, we’re rolling out revised definitions for OneSpace’s core values that better represent who we are as a company and the traits our team members are expected to embody. While our core values themselves haven’t changed, we’ve updated their descriptions to more clearly and accurately explain what each one means in daily practice. We’ve also put a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion to ensure OneSpace is an organization where everyone is welcome, safe and free to be their authentic selves.

Read on to learn more about this employee-led initiative, which was spearheaded by OneSpace’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee.

Background

OneSpace’s D&I Committee was formed shortly after the murder of George Floyd by a group of team members looking for ways to advance racial equity in their own spheres of influence. One of their first orders of business was to examine the company’s current policies and practices and identify ways to make them more equitable and inclusive. The Committee identified our core values as a top priority due to the fundamental role they play in our business.

The Role of Values at OneSpace

In addition to serving as the building blocks for OneSpace’s company culture, our core values play a critical role in hiring, onboarding and performance management. Candidates for open positions are evaluated based on their alignment with our values. As part of onboarding, new team members are asked to take a (very informal and lighthearted) assessment that determines which value they align with most. They are then assigned to one of seven “Values teams,” who are responsible for carrying out company-wide initiatives that reinforce their respective values (such as spirit weeks, trivia nights and donation drives). Team members are also assessed on the ways in which they display our values during quarterly and annual performance reviews.

The D&I Committee hopes that having more explicitly defined company values will minimize conscious and unconscious biases and promote objectivity and equity in the hiring, onboarding and performance management processes.

Our Approach

While this initiative was spearheaded by the D&I Committee, we believed it was important to give all OneSpace team members the opportunity to have a voice in the process. We kicked things off with a company-wide survey to assess the fitness of our current values and their definitions. Over 50% of team members responded. A majority of respondents agreed that our core values accurately reflect what OneSpace stands for as a business, but it became obvious that their descriptions needed to be revised.

We asked each Values team to craft a new definition for their respective value based on their own understanding and the feedback we received in the survey. The D&I Committee then workshopped these definitions and provided feedback to the Values teams. Once both groups were aligned, we shared the updated definitions with the Leadership team and incorporated their feedback. The new definitions you see today have been agreed upon by OneSpace’s D&I Committee, Values teams, and Leadership team.

Updated Definitions

Our core values and their new definitions are listed below and can also be found in the About section of our website.

Respect

Act with kindness, consideration, empathy and understanding for all. Be open-minded and embrace diverse backgrounds, points of view and skills. Show appreciation for team members, clients and partners and help them feel seen and heard.

Approachable

Make yourself available and accessible and maintain open lines of communication. Be inviting and inclusive of other people and their ideas. Welcome and encourage constructive feedback.

Results-Oriented

Focus on goals and outcomes over processes and procedures. Build and maintain trust by delivering on your commitments. Work autonomously and embrace flexibility. Get comfortable with ambiguity and find creative ways to solve problems.

Team Above Self

Believe that we can accomplish more together than any one of us could ever accomplish alone. Set aside your pride and ego and strive to be helpful and selfless in all that you do. Celebrate both team successes and the individual achievements of the people who worked together to get there.

Expert

Continuously learn and expand your knowledge to gain new skills and experience. Be constantly curious. Act as a mentor for others and share your insights and expertise. Be an authority in communicating our vision, products and services.

More Than Just a Job

Commit yourself wholeheartedly to achieving our goals and the goals of our clients and partners. Find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in the work you do and the relationships you cultivate at work. Encourage holistic well-being and celebrate personal growth, talents and achievements. Be socially conscious, give back to the community, and support others who need a helping hand.

Positive Force

Be optimistic, uplifting and encouraging, especially during times of adversity, uncertainty or change. Demonstrate care and compassion for others. Boost morale and maintain an upbeat, friendly attitude. Communicate constructively and foster a safe and comfortable environment in which people can thrive.