The document discusses how company values often do not accurately reflect what is actually rewarded within organizations. While companies may espouse values like integrity, drive, and teamwork, surveys show that managers and high performers place more importance on values like ambition, innovation, and execution. As a result, stated company values are "dead on arrival" when it comes to recruiting, performance reviews, and succession planning if they do not align with how people are actually hired, rewarded, and dismissed. For HR professionals, the key is to identify the real values that differentiate top talent and ensure recruiting, compensation, and other policies reflect those true determining factors of success within the organization.