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Our Values

Staying True to Our Values

There have been some exciting developments at Handshake recently, but our commitment to our core values will never change. Read all about the ideals that motivate our team in this letter from co-founder Ben Christensen.

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for the Handshake team. First, we announced that any undergrad student in the US can now sign up for Handshake. This is a tremendous step toward our goal of connecting all students with meaningful job opportunities. And we just revealed a bold new look for the Handshake brand. Although there have been some big changes, one thing that won't change is our set of core values.

I’m so proud of the team and the culture we are building at Handshake. As the company continues to grow, we are committed to maintaining a workplace environment that is inclusive and supportive—and empowers our employees to thrive professionally.

We display our company values throughout the office so we can reference them when making important decisions. Every week we celebrate individuals in the company that are living out these values. These values are not just words on the wall; they are fundamental to the work we do every day.

Handshake company values

Students First

Our mission is to democratize access to opportunity and ensure any student can build a great career no matter who they know, where they live or what school they attend. We empathize deeply with our students to increase career opportunities for all.

Focus on Impact

We stay humble and work hard to democratize opportunity for all students. We like to have fun—and we do—but we’re always focused on how we can best make an impact.

Move Quickly, But Don’t Rush

We believe speed wins, and our operational pace is incredibly fast. Moving quickly while staying aligned requires strategic thought, collaboration, and frequent communication.

Learn. Grow. Repeat.

We embrace a growth mindset, enabling our team to face obstacles with a tenacious desire to turn challenges into opportunities for growth. We are relentlessly curious, working to close the gap between what we currently know and what we need to know to be as effective as possible.

Act with Empathy

We listen closely to understand our users and clients, approach challenges with curiosity, and treat our colleagues and clients with compassion.

Empowered by Diversity

We are building an inclusive and diverse community—both on the Handshake platform and across our team. We believe diverse teams create more thoughtful and innovative solutions and that diverse companies are more successful.

By Ben Christensen, Handshake Co-Founder

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