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A company’s core values are the set of guiding principles and fundamental beliefs outlined by a business to help its employees work together as a team towards a common goal.
Here at BioStrata, our people come first (read more in our “3 Ps” business model blog) and what makes our culture unique is that we all truly live and breathe the same core values, day-in and day-out. Our core values aren’t just words written on a wall, they’re the magnets that attract other like-minded people to join our community and work with us as teammates and clients.
The importance of our core values
At BioStrata, we believe that by attracting and retaining like-minded people who live and breathe the same core values and who share the same passion for our mission to help our clients bring game-changing scientific offerings to market, we can give everyone in our team the opportunity to reach their full potential, do great work together and enjoy themselves doing it.
We’re super proud to have recently been shortlisted for ‘Employer of the Year’ at both the Scale Up Awards 2022 and SME National Business Awards 2022, something we couldn’t have achieved without our amazing team of people.
In this blog, we’ll walk through what it’s like to be part of the BioStrata team as we delve deeper into our 7 core values and what they really mean for people looking to join our team. We’ll share examples of how we demonstrate these core values, along with videos from the team sharing what each core value means to them.
Our core values are as follows (and you can skip ahead using the links below if you want to):
- Do the right thing
- Think team first
- Do a ridiculously good job
- Live to learn
- Get stuff done
- Think then do
- Be a modest expert
Celebrating and recognising our core values
Before we dive into each of our core values further, we wanted to share how we celebrate and recognise our core values. Weekly and quarterly, we nominate and celebrate one another with internal awards for demonstrating our core values (no matter how big or small the reason may be). These acknowledgments are a great chance to reflect and share ways we’ve seen each other demonstrate our core values and a gratifying reminder for the team when they get nominated themselves.
Our core values are at the forefront of our minds on a daily basis. Here’s an example of a nomination from the team for our recent quarterly core values award winner Nicole:
“Nicole is the perfect example of a successful multitasker and our "think then do" core value. Her extraordinary attention to detail and organisational skills drives efficiency in the team; she's an indispensable part of the BioStrata team!”
BioStrata’s core values in more detail
1. Do the right thing
First up is ‘Do the right thing’. At BioStrata, our team treats everyone as they would want to be treated, with honesty, empathy, and respect. We embody integrity, even in the face of adversity, and we always behave with professionalism and stay cool under pressure. When a tough decision needs to be made, we always ensure we do the right thing (even if that isn’t the fastest thing, or easiest thing).
As a team, we’re confident, supportive communicators, we always look to understand another person’s perspective and realise that listening is as important as talking (both are an active contribution).
You can watch the video below to find out what our ‘Do the right thing’ core value means to our Senior Account Manager, Jean-Pierre (aka JP).
2. Think team first
At BioStrata we put the needs of our team above our own and truly believe that when we work together for the greater good, every individual wins. We work towards joint success not personal gain, meaning we’re able to make decisions for the good of the team (not just ourselves), even if the outcome isn’t perhaps what we personally want.
We empathise with the daily challenges and pressures of our clients and teammates and communicate accordingly by supporting them and working collaboratively.
We love this example of how our People and Culture Manager, Caroline, has shown our ‘Think team first’ core value in this nomination for our core values award:
“Caroline offers fantastic support to all the team and really embodies the Think Team First ethos. It's been wonderful working closely with her on recruitment over the last couple of months. Working collaboratively with Caroline has been a great experience and throughout she provided a high level of support, encouragement and positive feedback to me.”
Watch the video below to find out what our ‘Think team first’ core value means to our Marketing Executive, Anna.
3. Do a ridiculously good job
We’re big on quality at BioStrata. “That’ll do” is just not in our vocabulary. We have an eye for detail and when something goes to the client, it’s not just good, it’s ridiculously good, even if it takes additional work (without charge to the client) to get it right.
Our team always ensures that we’re thoughtful, strategic and creative across all our projects, and we take responsibility and are accountable for our work.
One of our Account Manager’s April was nominated by the team and shortlisted as a finalist for the ‘Rising Agency Star Award’ at the UK Agency Awards 2022. Here’s just one example of how she ‘Does a ridiculously good job’ every day:
“April is always committed to doing a ridiculously good job for her clients and team. She is collaborative, supportive and dedicated to finding the best results. I can always count on being wow-ed by April's value-added impact to all that she does.”
Watch the video below to find out what our ‘Do a ridiculously good job’ core value means to our Senior Account Director, Jess.
4. Live to learn
The BioStrata team is committed to lifelong learning and self-development, for the good of themselves, the team and the company. We’re always open to trying something different, learning new approaches and methodologies, or adapting to change.
We embrace the opportunity to learn and apply ourselves in new ways. As “feedback is the breakfast of champions”, we embrace and seek out feedback from others, positive and otherwise, knowing even constructive feedback will be delivered in a ‘Modest expert’ way that seeks to ‘Do the right thing’ for the greater good of the team.
Watch this video to find out what our ‘Live to learn’ core value means to our Senior Marketing Manager, Lauren.
5. Get stuff done and get stuck in
As a team, we’re productive, focused and we make stuff happen. We thrive on accountability and proactively look for opportunities to contribute our expertise, knowledge and passion to drive things forward.
When it comes to our work, we get stuck in, even if it's doing something new to us. We teach ourselves and lean on input from others, sharpening our skills along the way. We dig in, we meet deadlines, even under pressure and, when necessary, we go above and beyond to pull out all the stops.
Here’s an example of how our Senior Account Director, Jo, has shown our ‘Get stuff done’ core value in this nomination from the team for a core values award:
“Jo's recently had a lot of work going through, while also having to rapidly become familiar with new content and clients, and line managing new people. Her calm and collected approach to this has been really impressive and perfectly embodies the 'get stuff done' core value. Awesome stuff Jo.”
Watch this video to find out what our ‘Get stuff done’ core value means to our Science Writer, Emma.
6. Think then do
Put simply, we think before we act. We are all on the constant look out for risks and opportunities that might shape the outcome of our internal and client projects. We use these observations to continually iterate, optimise and improve over time.
We don't rely on others to think for us and are committed to checking that we are working against client objectives and briefs. We ask questions of ourselves and of others to ensure we are taking the right approach and to provide the best possible work.
Back in 2021, one of our Senior Account Director’s, Jess, received this nomination from the team:
“Jess has taken on the capacity and forecasting activities upon her return from maternity leave. She has been dedicated to diving into the numbers to help the business have the resources to make the best decisions. Her analytical thinking allows her to look beyond the numbers and generate questions that drive even better results.”
Watch this video to find out what our ‘Think then do’ core value means to Senior Account Director, Jo.
7. Be a modest expert
We’re usually brought in by clients for our industry-leading expertise in life science marketing, but we understand that the very best work is driven by collaboration. That’s why we’re modest, humble and focused on how we can work together to get the best results.
We understand that within the BioStrata team, we can be a student one day and a teacher the next, and that we all have something to bring to the table. We’re able to communicate with respect and diplomacy, understanding egos should be “left at the door”.
Abby is our Senior Content Editor and is one of our long-standing team members. She joined us back in 2016 as an Account Manager but, quickly found her passion for content and these days operates as BioStrata’s Senior Content Editor, which she has firmly established herself within. Here’s what a member of the team had to say about Abby when they nominated her for a core values award:
“Abby has been a modest expert for her six years at BioStrata. She seamlessly mentors her team members and quietly shows her expertise in positive mentoring. As an expert content editor, her comments are to the point and clear, while being supportive and collaborative.”
Watch the video below to find out what our ‘Be a modest expert’ core value means to our Senior Account Manager, Ol.
Do our core values resonate with you?
In this blog, we’ve covered all 7 of our core values and what they really mean to us at BioStrata. Our people and our culture are what makes BioStrata successful; not only in how we work with our clients, but also in the genuine day-to-day enjoyment we experience working with like-minded teammates who share the same set of core values, passions and ethos.
If our core values resonate with you and you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like to work as part of the BioStrata team, check out our Careers page, where you’ll find more video testimonials from the team about what it’s like to be part of the BioStrata team along with our existing job openings.
