How Your Personal Work Values Can Help You Find the Right Job — And Be Happy at Work!

Are you driven by a need to achieve perfection? Do you put fairness and transparency above all other values at work? Or are personal relationships the thing you appreciate the most in an organization?

Work values speak about who you are as a worker. 

They also point towards the ideal job and culture for yourself. What might work for some people is not a good fit for others. The trick is to find the ideal match between your values and work environment.

This article will show why you need to understand your professional values to find a fulfilling job — and how to get to know yourself as a professional.

What Are Professional Values?

Work values present beliefs about how a person ought to conduct at work and what their work environment ought to provide for them. 

Research on work values indicates that they come from the same core value system that guides you in other areas of your life. In other words, your fundamental beliefs in general are reflected in what you esteem in a work environment. They are also the basis of what you give to your organization and work collective.

At the same time, work values present a specific work-related embodiment of your overall beliefs. For example, you have a strong conviction about the importance of truthfulness. At work, this translates into taking responsibility for professional mishaps when they happen.

Your professional self, therefore, is a representation of your personality. For instance, if you have always been an order-loving person, you will probably be a pedantic worker.

In essence, every personality type will likely prefer cultures that go along with what they cherish. Suppose you prefer diversity in life and are open to new experiences. In that case, you will likely dwindle in a static work environment. On the other hand, a Conventional personality would not appreciate an ever-changing and ambiguous job.

This is why taking a career test and learning which jobs fit your personality best is a good idea.

Workplace Values Are Representative of Personal Core Values

We will list professional values examples in the article’s next segment. At this point, let’s understand the main categories of workplace values. These values make up who we are, at our core, which is why they can also be considered our personal values. When connected to work, they are our core work values.

Four Core Types of Personal Values at Work

According to scientific research in the field, there are four core values related to work: intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and prestige career values.

• Intrinsic or self-actualization values are those that relate to the job itself.  An example is the pursuit of autonomy. You are high in these values if you prioritize interest in the job you do, growth, and creativity in work.
• Extrinsic or security or material values relate to job security and income.  When you act under extrinsic values, you aim to attain order, a sense of stability, and be satisfied with reimbursements for your efforts.
• Social or relational values represent a person’s pursuit of self-transcendence.  If these are your main work values, you see work as a vehicle for positive social relations and contributing to society.
• The fourth category is self-enhancement values that relate to prestige or power. These values refer to status, authority, influence, and achievement in work.

Research-Supported Examples of Work Values

There are many particular work values we could talk about. They can be found in popular literature, heard about in conversations between friends and professionals, or sought after in job posts and interviews.

However, at this point, we will list 12 common work values based on tested psychological theory and empirical research in the field.

• Variety. You enjoy changes and a dynamic work environment.
• Learning. You expect a job to be an opportunity for learning and growing as a professional and a person.
• Autonomy. You need to be independent and autonomous at work and enjoy making decisions on your own.
• Social contact. You want your job to be filled with interactions and social relationships.
• Generativity. What is important to you is an opportunity for you to create and produce meaningful work outcomes.
• Legacy. You want your job to be more than a source of income — you want it to be a vessel for you to leave a mark.
• Leisure time. You value enough time off work and a good work-life balance.
• Security. You need to feel stable about your work and the way in which your career is going.
• Earning. You value being paid fairly for your work and expect adequate reimbursements.
• Achievement. You want your work to yield results and a sense of achievement.
• Advancement. You seek opportunities for advancement and promotion.
• Influence. You want your job to make you influential and bring you prestige.

Why Is It Vital to Understand Your Work Values?

Understanding and matching personnel’s work values with job culture is essential for companies and employees alike. 

From the perspective of an organization, tending to this issue will ensure performance and employee retention, according to scientific findings. If there is a good fit between career values and the position an employee fills, their job attitudes will be positive, which delivers motivation and optimal performance.

For the individual, when you understand what you value and expect from yourself and your work environment, you are likely to be happier at work. According to research, people who believe their work offers a platform for realizing their values also feel that their needs are met. Conversely, when people work in an environment that does not allow them to act upon their principles, they are bound to feel frustrated, stressed, and dissatisfied. In most cases, when a person is unhappy with their job, it is because of a mismatch between their personality, work values, and the job itself.

Moreover, when you know what you seek from a position and how you wish to perform your job, you will engage in the job search process with efficacy. If a job asks for teamwork and strong social skills and you know you are more of a lone wolf, applying might be a waste of your and HR’s time. On the other hand, you might excel at a job, asking for independence and little social interaction. 

Make Your Career Values Bring Job Happiness

When you live under your values, you feel complete and happy about the direction in which your life is heading. The same applies to work and career values.

Only when you work in a position that feels natural and allows you to be your best self can you realize yourself as a person and a professional.

When you learn about your values, personality, as well as your career interests, and talents, you develop confidence in your career choice. You will experience less doubt, be more focused and determined, and spend your energy on the right goals. Self-knowledge is a weapon that arms you for success and happiness.