What Are Your Core Values? How to Ace This Make-or-Break Interview Question

You walk into the interview feeling confident. Your resume is polished, your technical skills are sharp, and you’ve practiced all the standard questions. Then the interviewer leans forward and asks: “What are your core values, and can you give me an example of a time when they guided a difficult decision?”

Suddenly, you’re scrambling. Do they want to hear about integrity? Teamwork? Innovation? And how do you prove these aren’t just buzzwords you picked up from motivational posters?

Here’s the reality: core values questions trip up even the most qualified candidates because they’re not really asking about your principles. They’re testing whether you can demonstrate authentic character under pressure and align with their company culture for the long haul.

In this guide, you’ll discover exactly how to identify your authentic core values, research company alignment, and craft compelling answers that showcase your character through real examples. By the end, you’ll transform this challenging question into your secret weapon for standing out from other candidates and proving you’re not just skilled but also the right cultural fit.

We’ll also show you how the SOAR method can help you structure answers that highlight your values under pressure, making your responses more memorable and impactful than traditional approaches.

Why “Core Values” Questions Are Different From Other Interview Questions

Most interview questions focus on what you can do. Core values questions dig deeper into who you are and how you make decisions when things get tough.

Cultural fit trumps technical skills. While technical questions assess your ability to perform specific tasks, values questions predict your long-term success within the organization. A Harvard Business Review study found that employees whose personal values align with company values are 3x more likely to stay with an organization beyond three years.

It’s a two-way evaluation. Unlike skills-based questions where there are right and wrong answers, values questions help both you and the employer assess mutual alignment. You’re not just proving you’re qualified; you’re determining if this company is the right fit for your principles and work style.

No “perfect” answer exists. Success depends on authenticity and company alignment, not delivering what you think they want to hear. Different companies value different principles, and the goal is finding genuine overlap between your authentic values and their culture.

They reveal your decision-making patterns. Values questions uncover how you approach ethical dilemmas, handle conflicts, prioritize competing demands, and treat colleagues and customers. This provides insight into your leadership potential and team compatibility.

They predict future behavior. The premise is simple: past values-driven actions are the best predictor of future performance. When faced with similar challenges in their organization, how will you respond?

Interview Guys Tip: Values questions often come disguised as behavioral questions. When you hear “Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision,” they’re really asking about your core values in action.

The 5 Biggest Core Values Mistakes That Kill Your Chances

Mistake #1: Giving Generic, Cookie-Cutter Answers

Every candidate claims they value “integrity, teamwork, and excellence.” These buzzwords are meaningless without specific, personal examples that show how these values have guided your actual decisions.

The problem? You sound exactly like everyone else. Interviewers hear these same generic responses dozens of times, making you instantly forgettable.

Better approach: Choose 2-3 specific values that genuinely drive your behavior, then prepare detailed stories showing these values in challenging situations.

Mistake #2: Not Researching Company Values First

Walking into a values discussion without understanding the company’s culture is like showing up to a formal event in shorts. You might be qualified, but you’re clearly not prepared.

This shows lack of genuine interest and poor preparation skills, both red flags for employers investing time in cultural fit conversations.

Better approach: Study the company website, recent press releases, and employee reviews to understand what they actually value versus what they claim to value. Look for patterns in their hiring decisions and company communications.

Mistake #3: Choosing Values You Think Sound Good (Instead of Authentic Ones)

Trying to tailor your values to what you think the interviewer wants to hear backfires spectacularly. You’ll lack genuine examples and passion, making your answers hollow and unconvincing.

Authenticity matters more than perfection. Interviewers can sense when you’re manufacturing responses rather than sharing real experiences.

Better approach: Reflect on your actual motivating principles through honest self-assessment. Think about moments when you felt most proud or fulfilled at work, then identify the underlying values that drove those experiences.

Mistake #4: Failing to Connect Values to Work Performance

Treating values as abstract philosophical concepts rather than practical professional drivers misses the entire point of the question. Interviewers want to understand how your principles translate into workplace behavior and results.

Better approach: Explain how your values influence daily decisions, team interactions, customer relationships, and business outcomes. Show the practical application, not just the theory.

Mistake #5: Not Using the SOAR Method for Examples

Rambling stories without clear structure or meaningful obstacles don’t demonstrate values being tested under pressure.

The SOAR method’s obstacle component is crucial for values questions because it shows what happens when your principles are challenged, not just when they’re convenient.

Better approach: Structure each example with Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result, focusing on meaningful challenges that tested your values.

Interview Guys Tip: The biggest red flag for interviewers is when candidates can’t provide specific examples of their values being challenged and upheld. This suggests either dishonesty or lack of real conviction.

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Discovering Your Real Core Values (Not the Ones You Think You Should Have)

Before you can articulate your values to an interviewer, you need to identify them honestly. This isn’t about choosing values that sound impressive, it’s about recognizing the principles that actually drive your decisions.

Step 1: Reflect on Peak Moments

Think about 3-5 times in your career when you felt most proud, energized, or fulfilled. These moments often reveal our core values in action.

Ask yourself: What principles guided these experiences? What made these situations so satisfying? What values were you honoring that created this sense of alignment?

Step 2: Analyze Difficult Decisions

Consider challenging situations where you had to choose between competing options. What factors ultimately influenced your choice? The values that drive your toughest decisions are usually your most authentic ones.

Focus on decisions where you chose the harder path or made sacrifices for something you believed in. These often reveal your strongest principles.

Step 3: Examine Your Frustrations

Pay attention to workplace situations that consistently bother you or drain your energy. These frustrations often signal violated values.

For example, if unfair treatment of colleagues consistently upsets you, justice or fairness might be a core value. If disorganized processes frustrate you, efficiency or structure could be fundamental to how you operate.

Step 4: Use Value Assessment Tools

Structured assessment tools can help identify patterns you might miss through self-reflection alone. These validated instruments compare your responses across multiple scenarios to reveal consistent themes.

Take multiple assessments and look for overlapping results. The values that appear consistently across different tools are likely your most authentic principles.

Step 5: Seek External Feedback

Ask trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends what principles they see you consistently demonstrate. Sometimes others recognize our values more clearly than we do ourselves.

Frame the question specifically: “When you’ve seen me make difficult decisions, what principles seem to guide my choices?” This provides concrete insight into how your values show up in real situations.

Interview Guys Tip: Your true core values are evident in what you do when facing difficult obstacles or competing priorities. Think about decisions you’ve made that you’re proud of, even when they were the harder path.

Using the SOAR Method to Showcase Your Values Under Pressure

The SOAR method transforms good answers into exceptional ones by focusing on how your values guided you through meaningful challenges. This approach is particularly powerful for core values questions because it demonstrates character under pressure.

Why SOAR is Superior for Values Questions

The obstacle component naturally highlights moral courage and ethical decision-making that other frameworks miss. Values are best demonstrated when they’re tested under pressure or conflict, not when they’re convenient or easy to maintain.

SOAR creates more compelling, memorable stories that show what you truly stand for when it matters most. It demonstrates resilience and problem-solving when principles are challenged, which is exactly what employers want to see in potential team members.

Situation (20% of your answer)

Set context for the scenario where your values would be tested. Choose situations that naturally create ethical or value-based dilemmas rather than straightforward technical challenges.

Briefly explain the business environment and stakeholders involved. Keep this section concise since interviewers are most interested in how you handled the challenge, not extensive background details.

Obstacle (25% of your answer)

This is SOAR’s differentiator for values questions. Clearly articulate the specific challenge that conflicted with your core values or created a difficult moral dilemma.

Explain why this created a tough decision and what was at stake if you compromised your principles. The obstacle should show meaningful consequences for taking the principled path, making your eventual actions more impressive.

Action (45% of your answer)

Detail the specific steps you took guided by your values. Explain your thought process and why you chose the harder path when easier options were available.

Highlight how you found creative solutions that honored your principles while still achieving business objectives. Show leadership and initiative in upholding your values, even when others might have chosen differently.

Result (10% of your answer)

Quantify positive outcomes when possible, including both immediate and long-term impacts of staying true to your values. This proves that principled decisions can drive business results, not just feel good personally.

Mention lessons learned and how the experience reinforced your principles or shaped your approach to similar future challenges.

Sample SOAR Answer for “Integrity” Value:

“I believe strongly in doing what’s right, even when it’s costly. In my role as account manager, I discovered our billing system had been incorrectly charging clients a 15% service fee that wasn’t in their contracts. This had been happening for eight months. The obstacle was significant: reporting this would mean refunding $50,000, which would devastate our quarterly numbers and eliminate bonuses for the entire team. My manager suggested we quietly fix it going forward without mentioning the overcharges. However, my integrity value wouldn’t allow me to stay silent. I researched the full scope, developed a correction plan, and insisted we contact all affected clients immediately with full refunds and apologies. Initially, we lost that $50K and faced some internal tension. However, our transparency impressed clients so much that we received 12 new referrals worth $200K within six months, and our team became known for ethical practices.”

Interview Guys Tip: Prepare 3-5 SOAR stories that show different values being tested under pressure. The obstacle component is what transforms a basic story into proof of your character.

Winning Answer Examples for Popular Core Values

Understanding how to structure SOAR responses is one thing, but seeing them in action makes the concept click. Here are detailed examples showing how to tackle the most commonly discussed workplace values.

Sample SOAR Answer for “Integrity” Value:

“I believe strongly in doing what’s right, even when it’s costly. In my role as account manager, I discovered our billing system had been incorrectly charging clients a 15% service fee that wasn’t in their contracts. This had been happening for eight months. The obstacle was significant: reporting this would mean refunding $50,000, which would devastate our quarterly numbers and eliminate bonuses for the entire team. My manager suggested we quietly fix it going forward without mentioning the overcharges. However, my integrity value wouldn’t allow me to stay silent. I researched the full scope, developed a correction plan, and insisted we contact all affected clients immediately with full refunds and apologies. Initially, we lost that $50K and faced some internal tension. However, our transparency impressed clients so much that we received 12 new referrals worth $200K within six months, and our team became known for ethical practices.”

Collaboration Example:

“Teamwork drives my best results, especially when facing seemingly impossible challenges. Our engineering team was tasked with delivering a critical system upgrade in four weeks, a project that typically takes three months. The obstacle was that our technical and design teams had completely different visions and weren’t communicating effectively, with only three weeks remaining. Rather than focusing solely on my individual deliverables, I recognized this required unprecedented collaboration. I proposed and facilitated daily alignment sessions, created shared documentation to track all dependencies, and volunteered to be the single point of contact between teams. The collaboration not only helped us deliver the upgrade on time, but the process we developed became our standard practice and reduced future project timelines by 30%.”

Accountability Example:

“I believe in taking full ownership, especially when facing difficult setbacks. As project lead for a major client launch, I realized three days before go-live that a miscommunication meant we were missing a critical security requirement that could delay launch by two weeks. The obstacle was immense: the client had scheduled a press conference, my team was exhausted, and admitting the error would likely cost us the contract. Instead of deflecting blame or making excuses, I immediately took full responsibility and contacted the client personally. I presented two solutions: launch with enhanced security to be added post-launch, or delay 48 hours while we implemented a streamlined security patch. I also offered a 15% discount for the inconvenience. The client appreciated my proactive accountability, chose the 48-hour delay, and the successful launch led to a three-year contract extension worth $2M.”

These examples work because they show values being tested under real pressure, not just convenient situations where doing the right thing was easy. They demonstrate the courage to uphold principles when it required sacrifice, creativity, or difficult conversations.

Notice how each example quantifies results, showing that values-driven decisions can produce measurable business outcomes. This addresses the common concern that principled approaches might hurt performance or profitability.

Aligning Your Answer With Company Culture

Even the most compelling values stories will fall flat if they don’t align with what the company actually prioritizes. This research phase is crucial for success.

Where to Research Company Values

Start with the official company website, particularly “About Us,” “Mission,” and “Culture” sections. However, don’t stop there. Stated values and lived values often differ significantly.

Review recent press releases and news articles to understand what the company emphasizes in public communications. Look for patterns in their hiring announcements, community involvement, and business decisions.

Employee reviews on Glassdoor and similar platforms reveal whether stated values match actual employee experiences. Pay attention to comments about management decisions, work-life balance, and company priorities during challenging times.

Study the company’s social media presence and recent posts. What themes emerge repeatedly? What achievements do they celebrate? What challenges do they acknowledge?

Review LinkedIn profiles of current employees, especially leadership team members. What values language do they use? What accomplishments do they highlight?

Red Flags to Watch For

Be cautious of values that seem generic or meaningless, like “excellence” or “synergy” without specific behavioral examples. Companies that can’t articulate how their values translate into actions often struggle with authentic culture.

Watch for significant disconnects between stated values and employee experiences reported in reviews or news coverage. If a company claims to value work-life balance but consistently receives complaints about 70-hour weeks, that’s a cultural red flag.

Recent negative news that contradicts stated values, such as discrimination lawsuits at a company that emphasizes inclusion, suggests values are more marketing than reality.

How to Show Alignment Without Being Fake

Find genuine overlap between your authentic values and theirs rather than manufacturing fake connections. If you can’t find natural alignment, that might indicate this isn’t the right company for you.

Use similar language naturally in your responses without simply parroting their exact phrases. If they emphasize “customer obsession,” you might discuss your commitment to “customer success” or “client satisfaction.”

This is also why thorough preparation for behavioral interviews is so important. The more you understand about their culture and challenges, the better you can select relevant examples that demonstrate values alignment.

Ask thoughtful questions about how values are lived out daily, such as “Can you give me an example of how the company’s commitment to innovation shows up in day-to-day work?” This demonstrates genuine interest while gathering additional alignment information.

Interview Guys Tip: If you genuinely can’t align with a company’s core values, that’s valuable information. Culture misalignment is one of the top reasons for job dissatisfaction and early turnover.

Conclusion

Mastering core values questions requires more than memorizing generic principles and hoping for the best. Success comes from identifying your authentic values through honest self-reflection, researching company culture thoroughly, and crafting compelling SOAR stories that show your principles under pressure.

Remember, these questions aren’t just about proving you have values. They’re opportunities to demonstrate cultural fit and moral character in ways that distinguish you from other equally qualified candidates. Companies invest heavily in cultural alignment because they know values-driven employees perform better, stay longer, and contribute more positively to team dynamics.

Your next steps are clear: reflect on your authentic core values using the exercises outlined above, research your target companies’ real cultures beyond their marketing materials, and practice 3-5 SOAR stories that showcase different values being tested through meaningful obstacles.

The companies that align with your authentic values will be the ones where you’ll thrive long-term. Use these conversations to evaluate them as much as they’re evaluating you. When you find that sweet spot where your principles align with their culture, you’ll have discovered more than just a job – you’ll have found a place where your values can drive both personal fulfillment and professional success.

Interview Guys Tip: Prepare 3-5 SOAR stories that show different values being tested under pressure. The obstacle component is what transforms a basic story into proof of your character and transforms good candidates into memorable ones.

For more comprehensive interview preparation strategies, check out our complete guide to behavioral interview techniques, and don’t forget to master your personal brand presentation to reinforce your values throughout the entire interview process. Remember, authenticity combined with preparation is your winning formula for interview success.

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