What We Stand for at Penbrothers

Values are at the core who we are and who we want to be.

Much like personal values, an organization’s values determine how it makes things happen with customers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders.

Retention is not the only purpose of company values, however. They are also a way to let people into the business. According to CNBC, today’s jobseekers increasingly look for companies that align with their personal values. The same is true for 82% of customers: they want a brand’s values to align with their own, too.

At Penbrothers, our core values are more than just a list of words. It defines who we are and what we stand for. It is our guide for how we want to behave and act as we grow.

In this 6-minute read, we will walk you through our four core values, so you can better understand our commitment to our community and clients.

1. Core Value: Kapwa-Tao

True to its commitment to creating an inclusive community, our first core value is uniquely Filipino. We are committed to maintaining a culture where all people are respected, valued, treated with dignity and fairness, and are good communicators. In short, we are creating a psychologically safe environment for people to thrive.

Kapwa-tao, or kinship, means a fellow or comrade. It also means fostering healthy relationships in communities among its members. The Penbrothers community splits this core value into four practical applications.

🤝 Respect

First, kapwa-tao reminds us on the value of respect—treating people in a way that they feel valued and appreciated.

Every employee has to feel safe in their workplace and be treated with dignity. A proof of that is how our Head of Customer Success Sierra Trance felt valued by our leaders as one of Penbrothers’ youngest department heads. Read Sierra’s story here.

🤝 Teamwork

Our community listens when someone willingly admits that they cannot do something alone and need help. Teamwork instills the value of collaboration. We believe that everyone has their unique skills, abilities, and experiences to offer, so we make it our mission to share those gifts with others whenever we can.

Our Transformation Team’s Eryn Firmalo attests to how kapwa-tao inspires employees to contribute their talents, skills, and experiences to achieve a goal—the very essence of teamwork.

“I feel that kapwa-tao is important because it allows us to exert ourselves beyond what our goals are.” – Eryn Firmalo, Assistant Project Manager

🤝 Inclusivity and Fairness

At Penbrothers, we uphold inclusivity and fairness. Through the process of pakikipag-kapwa tao, racism, prejudice, and discrimination are not tolerated. 

Diversity is one of the most powerful ways we build our company. It enriches our culture and increases the quality of our services. Discrimination of any kind has no place in our organization, and we believe in the potential that people from all walks of life can bring to the workplaces.

🤝 Good Communication

Lastly, kapwa-tao teaches us that everything can be resolved or achieved through good communication. We are driven by the belief that it is everyone’s responsibility to make an effort to understand the needs of the company, so we can deliver the best service possible.

2. Core Value: Employee Obsession

At Penbrothers, we take it to heart when we say that we are obsessed with our employees. 

Obsessed in the sense that the company’s leaders make themselves responsible for optimizing their employees’ potential by giving them support and trust. 

We stay grounded by giving all our employees an equal opportunity to speak up, encouraging them to join in big decision-making through town halls, group discussions, and more.

We do not limit our relationships with our co-workers to mere work. We indulge our employees in fun after-office activities to build rapport and lasting friendships that go beyond the four corners of the office. 

Priorities have also shifted through time in terms of employee benefits. We take the extra mile to give our employees what they truly deserve: only the best. This comes in the form of flexibility in terms of working arrangements, additional health benefits, and workspaces where they can feel safe and productive. 

Because of these positive changes, our employees have become enthusiastic with everything they do. They actively take part in company events, client pitching, new projects, and performance reviews.

At our core, we are a company built on trust.

We take pride in creating a safe space for our employees where they are trusted with both big and small responsibilities, as well as a space where can express their true selves without the fear of being judged. 

Employee obsession indeed—not just in words but also in action.

Watch the video to know more about how we live up to this core value.

3. Core Value: Beyond the Expected

At Penbrothers, we do the right thing even when no one is looking. We are expected to deliver results beyond what is expected. 

Rooted in integrity as a company, we make sure we stay on the right side of things and see every opportunity as our chance to show how exemplary we all are in our respective fields. 

In our community, everyone thinks outside the box. 

We analyze challenges and information analytically and in-depth. When things need to be clarified, we are not afraid to ask questions, so we can work on projects better and faster. When a problem presents itself, we list the possible outcomes and how we can work around them. 

This core value also pushes us to see our potential when we focus on “what we can do right now” more than the “why.”

Committing mistakes, however, is inevitable. It is how we learn from these mistakes that shape us. 

Going beyond what is expected means being a step ahead of every potential failure—not only to solve problems before they happen but also to turn mistakes into growth opportunities. We do not keep track of how many mistakes you have committed, but rather, how you came back from them strong.

Check out this video to get a glimpse of how we go beyond the expected at Penbrothers, according to one of our valued employees.

We live by the expectation of hard work and excellence to accomplish great things. Penbrothers, through this core value of going beyond the expected, inspires us to be strong and courageous, and capable of everything extraordinary.

4. Core Value: Ownership Mindset

This Penbrothers core value is deeply rooted in a shared commitment to our values and principles, and the understanding that our actions lead to the organization’s overall success. 

Our employees are held fully accountable for their actions. At Penbrothers, we are committed to a clear action plan. From setting goals and responsibilities to the actual development of projects and tasks, everyone in the team must be more than willing to hold one another accountable. 

Penbrothers fosters a community conducive to learning new things and optimizing creativity and productivity. Employees are expected to instill self-discipline and focus in return.

This is vital for everyone in the community to execute their role effectively from the very first day of employment. This includes keeping the company’s commitments, strategies and goals in mind at all times.

Having a sense of belongingness, being assured that no one in the team would wish you to fail, makes a tremendous positive impact on the company. 

In a nutshell, the ownership mindset means ensuring that we hold ourselves to high standards. To be truly effective, it’s essential to create an environment where people can count on us to keep our commitments. Commitment to getting things done “fosters camaraderie, trust, and caring—the stuff a group needs to keep it going for the long run.“

Learn more about how Penbrothers champions the ownership mindset through the perspective of our Paralegal, Bryle Ferraro.

Final Thoughts

Jobseekers look for organizations that align with their values, and for good reasons. One of them is finding meaning and impact in their daily job experience. If these are not found, it could lead to career stagnation for employees and increased attrition for organizations.

We hope that our core values resonate with you, and you identify with the rest of our Penbrothers community. Kapwa-Tao, Employee Obsession, Beyond the Expected, and Ownership Mindset shape our story and our team into who we are and who we want to be.