Hiring the right leader can change the trajectory of an organization. We’ve all seen what happens when the wrong person is chosen—years of progress can unravel in the blink of an eye. So, how do you hire like you mean it? It’s about more than just ticking boxes on a resume or relying on a gut feeling in an interview. It’s about finding leaders who truly fit—not just with the company’s goals, but with the values that drive the organization and its people. The secret to success lies in understanding and aligning human values at every level of the process.
Organizational Values vs. Employee Values: What’s the Difference?
First, let’s get something straight: the values of an organization aren’t the same as the values of the people who work there. Both are crucial, and both need to be in harmony for things to run smoothly. The company’s values are like the lighthouse—they guide the organization through big decisions, strategies, and daily operations. They define what the company stands for in the market and the world.
But the employees? Their values are what drive them to show up every day and give their best. They keep people engaged, motivated, and connected to the bigger picture. So, when hiring an executive, the goal is to find someone whose personal values align with both—the values of the company and the team they’ll be leading.
Take an example from the tech world. If you’re hiring a CEO for a company that thrives on innovation and agility, but you bring in a leader who values stability and tradition, you’re setting up a mismatch. The executive may have an impressive resume, but if their values don’t fit the DNA of the company, friction is inevitable.
The Power of Values Alignment
Here’s the thing: when you hire like you mean it and get values alignment right, the results can be game-changing. Leaders who resonate with both the company’s mission and the personal values of their teams create something special. They don’t just lead—they inspire. They don’t just manage—they build trust, foster loyalty, and encourage long-term success.
Research shows that companies where leadership and employees share common values report higher levels of satisfaction, reduced turnover, and better financial performance. That’s because when there’s alignment at every level, leaders are able to bring out the best in their people. They’re in sync with the organization’s goals and can channel the team’s energy toward collective success.
For instance, if sustainability is a core value of your organization, you want to hire a leader who is personally passionate about sustainability. They won’t just manage existing green initiatives—they’ll push for more, finding new ways to innovate and inspire the team. The company will benefit from their authenticity and drive, and the people who work there will feel proud to be part of something meaningful.
The Risks of Misalignment
When there’s a disconnect between an executive’s values and those of the company or its people, the fallout is very real. Executives who don’t fit may struggle to engage their teams or align with the company’s long-term vision. This can lead to poor performance, high turnover, and an unhealthy workplace culture.
Even worse, misaligned executives often make decisions that conflict with the company’s core goals. They might chase short-term wins at the expense of long-term strategy or fail to understand the deeper needs of their teams. Over time, this creates friction that erodes trust and loyalty, both within the company and with its customers.
The lesson for HR professionals is simple: if you don’t hire for values, you’re setting your organization up for trouble down the line. No matter how impressive a candidate may be on paper, if their values don’t align with the company or the people they’ll be leading, they’re unlikely to succeed.
How to Measure Values: A Data-Driven Approach
So, how do you make sure you’re hiring leaders who truly fit? This is where a scientific, data-driven approach becomes invaluable. You can’t rely solely on gut instinct or traditional interview methods to assess a candidate’s values. Instead, you need a reliable way to measure the values of both potential candidates and the people already in your organization.
The Valuegraphics Database, which I use to inform my keynotes and create human values profiles for my corporate clients, is an example of how data can be used to assess values with precision. This database provides a clear and actionable way to measure values alignment in a statistically reliable manner. By applying this kind of data-driven approach, HR professionals can make better hiring decisions—ones based on more than just resumes and recommendations, but on values that truly align with the organization’s mission and its people.
When companies think about values as data, they avoid the costly mistakes that come with hiring based on surface-level attributes. They bring in leaders who fit—leaders who can seamlessly align with both the organizational mission and the personal values of the team, setting the stage for long-term success.
The Bottom Line for HR Professionals
If you want to hire like you mean it, you have to go deeper than the resume. You need to get to the heart of what drives a candidate, how their values align with the company’s mission, and—just as crucially—how they resonate with the values of the team they will lead. By using scientifically reliable tools to measure values alignment, HR professionals can make smarter, more impactful hiring decisions.
The secret to finding leaders who truly fit doesn’t lie in the candidate’s credentials or their past experiences. It lies in their values. And when those values align with your company and your people, that’s when you unlock real leadership potential.
