Core Group Resources Core Values – Self Motivated

By Bob Sutton - Core Group Resources COO

Just before the fourth quarter of 2022, our executive team met to evaluate the trajectory and evolution of Core Group Resources. One of the most important things we decided on was to adjust our core values. But first, we needed to make room for them by removing our previous core value of "Improving lives through career transition." We realized that our mission statement already encompassed this value. With that free space, our team was excited to add two new values: results-oriented and self-motivated. 

Self-Motivated wasn’t added as an aspirational goal; it emerged from what we noticed the successful members of our team already displaying. We saw that there was a divide in the people we hired - some had an internal energy that propelled them regardless of what was happening around them, while others waited for someone else to give them energy to push forward. In an interview, you'll often hear the phrase “self-starter," but in practice, many people need constant motivation to achieve their personal goals. We saw that when people were underperforming, there was a cycle: set goals that motivated them to run for a while, but then they would go back down. Those who see the most success here all derive their motivation from the goals they set within themselves. They map out their objectives and push themselves to get there. 

What Self-Motivation Looks Like 

We want our values to reflect what we see in our people. It's in the daily decisions they make to hit their specific goals. I spot self-motivation when an employee has only worked here for a month, but they shorten their lunch break to make phone calls. Also, when people don’t leave early on Friday even though they hit quota because they are working toward personal goals. 

As the COO, my goals wouldn’t happen without self-motivation. Because of my position, no one tells me what to do or gives me a task list. Working with that freedom is exciting, but I know it’s my responsibility to get a lot done. My motivation is two-fold. It’s rooted in wanting to do a good job and wanting to serve the people at Core Group Resources well. 

This is a place where people take pride in their work, and we're proud of that. We encourage employees to be self-motivated. In order to maintain our top performance and make our company the best it can be, we need a workforce that knows what needs to get done and does what it takes to get there. 

Do you energize a room? 

Adding Self-Motivated to our core values signals to everyone that we recognize the people who do well here. It’s also genuinely the type of people we want to attract. Adding self-motivation to our Core Values makes it clear that we welcome people who are naturally driven and eager to take on challenges. This is at the heart of what makes us a great place to work and something we seek in every candidate. 

We define Self-Motivated as a person who fully owns the process of achieving their own goals. To us, it means having a firm understanding of why you want those goals and the internal energy to push oneself forward, proactively pursuing the next step. Energy comes from somewhere. It’s everyone’s job to take care of themselves outside of the workplace. Those who come with their own motivation and energy for the job do better, last longer, and enjoy working here a lot more.