Salesforce Values/Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is a vital part of Salesforce as a company and has been a major priority since its inception 19 years ago. Both internally and externally that culture is described to be an “ohana” which translates to chosen family in Hawaiian. The word “ohana” is not only a reference to the family-like culture of the organization, but the strong Hawaiian influence on the company. From an employee’s first day at the company these family values are instilled in each individual team member. In addition, the company has four core values that drive every aspect of the business: trust, customer success, innovation, and equality. While each value is important there is significant emphasis placed on trust, which the company describes as “Nothing is more important than the trusted relationships we have with everyone in our Ohana.” This is important to understand in context because it refers to both the relationship between the company and its people, but also to the customers who rely on Salesforce to manage their data. Customer success is understood to pertain to the company’s mindset that, “Our growth is based on mutual success. When our customers grow, when our employees grow, we grow.” Furthermore, innovation is another key value as it drives the future products we will create and the way planet conducts business. Finally, equality is also fundamental to Salesforce’s success and that of its people. The company’s leadership has taken a very public, proactive, and activist stance on issues of equality both internally and externally. Examples of this include the creation of internal groups which support minority or vulnerable groups within the company such as OutForce (LGBTQ), WomenForce (Women’s Group), and VetForce (Veterans) to name a few. The company has also made it clear that equal pay and promotion of women is key priority and has undertaken steps to continually be ensuring that their is no pay inequality at Salesforce.