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August 4, 2025
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Why Company Values Matter: Beyond Words to Strategic Impact

I’ve been reflecting on why values really matter at Verifile. For us, it's not about buzzwords or posters on a wall. It's about how our five values - Put People First, Be Curious, Own It, Succeed Together, and Delight Your Customer - shape the way we work every day. Company values often get dismissed as “just another piece of corporate jargon”. Something nice to have, but not essential for business success. In reality, when done right, values become one of an organisation’s greatest assets. Far from being “HR fluff,” they shape team dynamics, product development, customer interactions and overall business performance. According to Gallup, organisations with well-defined values see around 20% better business performance.

Blog-1.pngWhen values are truly embedded, they create cohesive teams, products that resonate with customers, and an authentic culture that attracts and keeps great people.

It’s easy for company values to feel like an afterthought - defined by the board, posted on a wall, and quickly forgotten. But when they're woven into everyday work, they make a genuine difference. Here's why I believe they matter:

Shaping Your Work Environment: I’ve seen how values influence decisions at every level - how we hire, how teams collaborate, and how products develop. When they’re clear and consistently lived, they give us a strong sense of identity and guide people to work together with purpose, building trust and strengthening relationships.

Navigating Difficult Times and Disruption: During uncertain times, whether it’s economic shifts, industry changes, acquisitions, or unexpected challenges, values act as an anchor. I believe strong, authentic values help us stay resilience, maintain clarity, and move forward together even when the future feels uncertain.

Blog-2.pngAttracting Like-Minded Customers and Partners: Values don’t just matter internally. They resonate with customers, suppliers, and partners. Transparency and authenticity matter more than ever. People want to work with organisations whose actions match their words, and living our values helps attracts like-minded partners who share our vision.

Driving Employee Engagement and Retention: I believe a values-driven culture connects people emotionally to their work and the mission. Gallup research shows that organisations with strong values enjoy higher loyalty and performance. When our actions align with our values, loyalty and performance grow. When they don’t, disengagement and turnover often follow. Values are the glue that keeps us motivated, committed, and excited to contribute.

Blog-3.pngThese reasons are why we care so much about our values at Verifile. They're not an add-on. They're how we work, why we care about what we do, and how we want to keep improving every day. They sit at the heart of who we are.

“Our Values Set Us Apart” is more than a slogan - it’s the essence of how we operate. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to the positive impact these values will have on our company and all those we work with. Together, we will continue to drive excellence, innovation, and success.

Fiona Buchanan
Chief People Officer

This reflection is part of our ongoing
conversations about living our values at Verifile.

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CMS.DataEngine.CollectionPropertyWrapper`1[CMS.DataEngine.BaseInfo]
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July 28, 2025
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Why Real Relationships Still Matter

I’m Angela Thomas and I have spent decades working with people, building relationships, earning trust, and striving to bring growth and value to the customers I work with. If there’s one thing I have learned, and we all realise at Verifile, it’s this: People can feel when you’re genuine and they can feel it just as quickly when you’re not. Trust doesn’t come from saying the right thing; it is built over time and by being consistent, caring about the journey, investing your time, doing what you say you will do, taking accountability and being a true partner.

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In an industry that can feel very transactional, we have cultivated an environment that’s taken a different approach. A significant number of our clients have come to us through referrals and word of mouth. I am incredibly proud of that as it speaks volumes about how we operate, what is important to us and the strength of our values.

It’s important to have honest conversations and really listen to what actually matters to the person or department you are speaking with, so that a truly valuable screening solution can be provided. Not just one that looks good on paper, but one that works in practice.

The journey of finding an amazing background screening solution for your business starts here, with our team of differing characters, differing skill sets but truly aligned values.

At Verifile, our values aren’t just something we hang on a wall. Putting People First is how we operate. What does that mean? It means it’s above and beyond the sale.

Whether I’m speaking to a new client or someone we’ve partnered with for years, trust and respect, and ultimately business growth, come from treating customers like people, not transactions, not targets, not “leads.” Sharing the journey and giving more.

It’s not about being flawless, it’s about being human. It’s about being honest, taking responsibility, and doing what we say we’ll do. That’s what Own It means to us. It’s easy to be present when things are going well. But trust is built when you answer the call late in the day, do extra work on the weekend because you care about the solution, chase down responses that aren’t technically “your job,” or stay in the conversation even when it gets uncomfortable. That’s when people realise you’re not just there for the win but because you care and are passionate. There are easier ways of doing a job, but you get out what you put in. In life, in work. In everything.

Active listening is key as it enables you to be tuned in to what’s really being said… and also what isn’t. That’s where Be Curious really matters. It’s not about asking more questions; it’s about asking better ones, deeper ones, sometimes humorous ones. The kind that gets past the surface and into what’s really going on. That’s where the real value is. And more often than not, that’s where real connection starts too.

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What I’ve learned over time is that when you show up as yourself, people notice. They relax and open up. And that’s when trust starts to build. That’s when the work gets real, because now it’s not just about delivering a service; it’s about building something together.

Here’s what a few of our customers have shared recently:

“From our very first meeting with Angie, she has gone above and beyond… always transparent, quick to respond, and truly understood our needs.”
Avery Healthcare Group, May 2025

“Verifile feels like an extension of ourselves and not just an external provider.”
University of Derby, May 2025

“No request was too difficult, no question too small… Angie’s approach was never pushy, always supportive.”
Grove Learning Trust, May 2025

For us, this has never been about chasing numbers. It’s about building something that lasts. It’s about showing up with integrity, staying true to our values, and creating relationships that go beyond the brief.

Our Values Set Us Apart isn’t just a line we use. It’s how we work. We’re not here to play the game. We’re here to change it, one honest conversation at a time.

Accurate data. Meaningful relationships.

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July 21, 2025
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Hiring for Values: Building the Verifile Team from Day One

I’m Harriet Hunt, Talent Acquisition Lead at Verifile, and I’m excited to share how we’ve woven our refreshed values into every step of our recruitment process.

At Verifile, our values aren’t just banners on the wall. They’re the compass guiding every step of our recruitment journey. We often say, “Our Values Set Us Apart,” and nowhere is that more true than in how we attract, assess and welcome new team members. After all, skills can be taught; values-driven behaviours come from the heart.

From the moment a candidate encounters our job adverts, they meet our values in action. We embed our five values - Put People First, Be Curious, Own It, Succeed Together, and Delight Your Customer - into every job description and pre-screening call, inviting applicants to picture not only the tasks ahead but the culture they’d join. We also share clear examples of what “good” looks like so candidates can decide early on whether Verifile is the right fit, helping people self-select into roles where they’ll truly thrive. If our way of working doesn’t resonate, candidates spot it early, saving everyone time and ensuring a strong cultural fit from the start.

Blog-1.png During screenings and interviews, we focus less on hypothetical answers and more on lived experience: real stories of empathy, problem-solving and accountability. We ask: Tell us about a time you dug deeper to uncover the truth. When did you own a challenge and see it through? How have you rallied a team to succeed together?

To support managers, we provide value-aligned interview guides that link each question directly back to one of our five values. That framework keeps every hiring conversation consistent, fair, and focused on the behaviours that matter most.

When we interview, we carefully select the right people to be involved at each stage, those who bring relevant insights from Operations, HR, and the hiring department. This ensures well-rounded perspectives, reduces bias, and gives candidates a deeper understanding of life at Verifile. Our collaborative approach reflects our value of Succeed Together and reinforces that every voice matters.

Blog-2.pngBy embedding values at each touchpoint, from crafting role briefs to designing onboarding journeys, we create consistency and fairness. The clarity managers gain from this values framework frees them to spend less time policing behaviour and more time coaching and developing talent, fuelling growth, innovation, and the exceptional outcomes our customers deserve.

The result? A smoother process, confident hires, and an environment where new colleagues feel at home from day one. Our induction doesn’t just cover systems and procedures; it brings our values to life through real examples and interactive workshops.

And the proof is in the numbers. Since we began measuring in 2023, our candidate Net Promoter Score - from application to first day - has consistently sat at an outstanding +91. Keeping our values and the candidate experience at the heart of everything clearly resonates with those who choose to join us.

Blog-3.pngThe impact is tangible. Teams formed around shared values are more trusting, more innovative and more resilient. We see new hires asking curious questions, stepping up to own their work, and delivering delightful experiences for our customers; the exact behaviours we explicitly champion. Retention improves, collaboration thrives, and Verifile’s culture grows stronger with each addition.

Recruitment at Verifile isn’t a box-ticking exercise; it’s an opportunity to reinforce who we are. By prioritising values over pure credentials, we ensure that every colleague enriches our promise of Accurate data. Meaningful relationships. And that’s how we keep raising the bar - one values-driven hire at a time.

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