IKEA | IKEA values

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Work hard, be yourself

What do we look for in a job candidate?

An ability to do the job is obviously the starting point. But beyond that we look for many other personal qualities such as a strong desire to learn, the motivation to continually do things better, simplicity and common sense, the ability to lead by example, efficiency and cost-consciousness. These values are important to us because our way of working is less structured than that of many other organisations.

A corporate culture based on shared values.

At IKEA, we don’t just want to fill jobs; we want to partner with people. We want to recruit unique individuals who share our values. Co-workers are not restricted at IKEA; we listen and support each individual to identify his or her needs, ambitions and capabilities.
Here are a few examples of our shared values:

TOGETHERNESS
COST-CONSCIOUSNESS
RESPECT
SIMPLICITY

You can take IKEA out of Småland, but you can’t take Småland out of IKEA

Småland, where the company’s founder was born and raised, can be easily identified as the source of our shared values. Simplicity, humility, thrift and responsibility are all evident in the lifestyle, attitudes and customs of the place where IKEA began. An example of the Smålanders’ way of doing things is not to ask others what you should be doing, but to ask yourself and then get on with it!

It was among the small, hardworking communities of Småland that Ingvar Kamprad started his first mail order company at 17, and registered the name IKEA which is based on his own initials. Ten years later, the first IKEA showroom was opened nearby in Älmhult. 50 years on, Älmhult is still at the heart of our enterprise. Amazing as it may seem, from this tiny dot on the map, we continue to develop solutions that will influence the future of millions.