Basics
Introduction
Goldman Sachs is where potential is realized. And careers are made.
People create success, which is why we go to great lengths to attract, inspire and reward creativity and talent. As a global business, our people come from all over the world and represent different nationalities, educational backgrounds and life experiences. We welcome their unique perspectives, their energy and ideas and their willingness to learn as well as to teach. A commitment to integrity, team work and the pursuit of excellence is at the core of everything we do. As with so many who have come before us, we believe you will find at Goldman Sachs some of the richest opportunities and most interesting challenges of your life.
Clients First
Our success depends on one thing: our clients’ success.
Our primary responsibility is clear – to succeed on our clients’ behalf. We constantly strive to anticipate our clients’ rapidly changing needs and to develop new services to meet them. We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do, and always look for a better solution to a client’s problem. We pride ourselves on having pioneered many of the practices and techniques that have become industry standards. While we understand that our clients come to us to get things done, and stay with us because we do, we know that financial returns are not enough. We must demonstrate integrity and honesty. We must win our clients’ trust, and we go about the business of doing that every day.
Opportunities
You are the future of Goldman Sachs.
It bears repeating: Our people are our most valuable asset. We offer our professionals the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most interesting challenges and influential leaders, while our team-driven culture leverages and rewards individual talent. Ongoing training and mentoring programs help shape exciting and personally satisfying careers. And our diverse and inclusive workforce provides access to other smart, interesting, achievement-oriented people on the road to becoming the next generation of leaders. We believe that Goldman Sachs offers the possibility to move ahead more rapidly than is possible at most other firms. And we have yet to find the limits of the responsibility our best people can handle.
Leadership
Here, leadership is a mindset – not a title.
At Goldman Sachs, we bring together people, ideas and capital to bring about progress. We expect everyone at the firm to be a contributor. No one can survive at Goldman Sachs as just an employee. This is why we make an unusual effort to identify and recruit people who, in addition to their intellect, share our commitment to leadership in business and to the communities where we work and live. A degree in business or finance is not necessary – initiative is. Seeking out great opportunity and responsibility is. Our distinct corporate culture is one of the things that set us apart from other firms. At Goldman Sachs, everyone has a place at the table.
Reputation
At Goldman Sachs, success without integrity is failure.
Goldman Sachs’ culture reflects more than a structure. It is a statement of values. Our commitment to integrity, teamwork, excellence, meritocracy and innovation enables us to build our relationships, with clients and with colleagues, on honesty and trust. It drives our ability to deliver extraordinary client service and to generate superior long-term financial performance for our shareholders. Our values inspire us to give back to the community through volunteerism, philanthropy, scholarships and outreach. Each of us in the firm takes pride in our role as a steward of the Goldman Sachs legacy. We understand that our assets are our people, capital and reputation. If any of these is ever diminished, the last is the most difficult to restore.
Business Principles
Everything that you've read in this section is based on the 14 business principles that guide how we do business and conduct ourselves on a daily basis.
- Our clients' interests always come first. Our experience shows that if we serve our clients well, our own success will follow.
- Our assets are our people, capital and reputation. If any of these is ever diminished, the last is the most difficult to restore. We are dedicated to complying fully with the letter and spirit of the laws, rules and ethical principles that govern us. Our continued success depends upon unswerving adherence to this standard.
- Our goal is to provide superior returns to our shareholders. Profitability is critical to achieving superior returns, building our capital, and attracting and keeping our best people. Significant employee stock ownership aligns the interests of our employees and our shareholders.
- We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. We have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in everything we undertake. Though we may be involved in a wide variety and heavy volume of activity, we would, if it came to a choice, rather be best than biggest.
- We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do. While recognizing that the old way may still be the best way, we constantly strive to find a better solution to a client's problems. We pride ourselves on having pioneered many of the practices and techniques that have become standard in the industry.
- We make an unusual effort to identify and recruit the very best person for every job. Although our activities are measured in billions of dollars, we select our people one by one. In a service business, we know that without the best people, we cannot be the best firm.
- We offer our people the opportunity to move ahead more rapidly than is possible at most other places. Advancement depends on merit, and we have yet to find the limits to the responsibility our best people are able to assume. For us to be successful, our men and women must reflect the diversity of the communities and cultures in which we operate. That means we must attract, retain and motivate people from many backgrounds and perspectives. Being diverse is not optional; it is what we must be.
- We stress teamwork in everything we do. While individual creativity is always encouraged, we have found that team effort often produces the best results. We have no room for those who put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the firm and its clients.
- The dedication of our people to the firm and the intense effort they give their jobs are greater than one finds in most other organizations. We think that this is an important part of our success.
- We consider our size an asset that we try hard to preserve. We want to be big enough to undertake the largest project that any of our clients could contemplate, yet small enough to maintain the loyalty, the intimacy and the esprit de corps that we all treasure and that contribute greatly to our success.
- We constantly strive to anticipate the rapidly changing needs of our clients and to develop new services to meet those needs. We know that the world of finance will not stand still and that complacency can lead to extinction.
- We regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships. To breach a confidence or to use confidential information improperly or carelessly would be unthinkable.
- Our business is highly competitive, and we aggressively seek to expand our client relationships. However, we must always be fair competitors and must never denigrate other firms.
- Integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business. We expect our people to maintain high ethical standards in everything they do, both in their work for the firm and in their personal lives.