How to find a company that aligns with your values - and why you should
If my company’s values didn’t match mine, it would be impossible for me to carry on my day-to-day.
By Zena Franklin-Lewis, Lead Seller Partnership Manager at Tesco Marketplace
This article is paid for by Tesco
From the moment I walked into Tesco, it was very much about showing up as my authentic self.
I’m a person of colour, and someone who is very proud of that. I show my heritage and culture – my parents are from the Caribbean and I was born and grew up in London – and I speak confidently about my family traditions like my mum’s home cooking.
Even though some people at work have probably not got much detailed knowledge of what I’m sharing, they welcome it and it is something that is celebrated. That was very important to me.
I'm keen to work with a company that has aligning values to myself. Where people are like-minded and push you to do the very best that you can do, without judgement.
I joined the business eleven months ago and I really wanted to make sure that I can be my full self at work, because we spend such a great deal of time with our colleagues. I work for Tesco Marketplace, our new venture which offers products from lots of partner suppliers through the Tesco website. I manage all those external partners that we've brought on, as we grow and scale the business.
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Something that I have really sought after within all my roles, particularly when the retail industry is so fierce and so hard, is to be in a business that is wanting to try new things.
There are lots of internal networks at Tesco that encourage people to participate and get their views across. It reflects how I'm passionate about inclusivity, in the broadest possible sense. Being a mum and having a family, I need to be recognised as having other priorities outside of work. Family is a huge part of my life and I work in a hybrid way. There’s a lot of flexibility and trust.
If my company’s values didn’t match mine, it would be impossible for me to carry on my day-to-day. If I'm constantly juggling to hold a part of me back, in order for me to deliver what someone else wants from me, I don't feel like I'll be giving them my best.
If you want to find a company that aligns to your own values, my tip is to connect with people who work there. It could be networking events or online. In my case, when you’re talking to other working mothers and fathers: can they talk confidently about having a balance and not feeling burnout?
I've always found that you get a lot out of face-to-face conversations. How people interact with you often tells you a great deal about what the culture is like. If someone's got time for you, and they're almost smiling through their eyes and can talk about their company with vigour, often that means it's a great place to work.
To find out more and explore career opportunities at Tesco, please visit their website.