Our Culture Framework
Our values, leadership principles, and ways of working
At Zscaler, our culture shapes the way we innovate, collaborate, and deliver results. Our Culture Framework helps guide and focus who we are and how we work as we strive to create a world in which the exchange of information is always seamless and secure.
Our Culture Framework—centered on Ways of Working—offers actionable commitments, behaviors, and mechanisms that align us as one team, enabling stronger collaboration, impactful execution, and sustainable growth. It helps us define how we work every day to deliver outcomes with clarity, trust, and accountability.
Our Ways of Working
Our Ways of Working commitments and behaviors guide how we work as individuals and teams: with clarity and accountability. By embracing these principles and behaviors, we cultivate trust, teamship and alignment that strengthens us.
We believe a successful culture is one in which every employee feels a sense of purpose, clarity, and belonging, and where they experience growth and recognition for their contributions.
Our Commitments
Committed to the Mission
Aligning actions, decisions, and efforts with core goals and values, keeping the mission at the forefront of all work. We take ownership, clarify responsibilities, and maintain accountability in the face of challenges to achieve meaningful results.
Committed to the Outcome
Approaching every challenge and possibility with an open mind, a sense of purpose, and a proactive attitude. We recognize the potential in every moment to innovate, create value and grow while taking ownership of our role in turning opportunities into results.
Committed to Each Other
Fostering a culture of respect, trust, and mutual support, where individuals feel valued and empowered to succeed. This requires actively listening, communicating openly, and building strong collaborative relationships that strengthen the team. We practice empathy, celebrate success, and support one another through challenges.
Our Behaviors
Ownership blends strategy and action, while collaboration emphasizes adaptable support, enabling meaningful contributions to team success.
- Ownership is the foundation of a culture of execution. It means stepping in wherever the team needs us, even when the work feels challenging or unclear. True ownership involves leveraging dynamic range: the ability to navigate seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
- Collaboration is the cornerstone of a culture of teamwork. It means actively contributing wherever the team requires support, even when the path forward feels uncertain or complex. True collaboration entails embracing adaptability: the capacity to move fluidly between brainstorming strategic ideas and diving into detailed, hands-on work together.
- Flex from strategy to hands-on execution. Step in where the team needs you, beyond org charts or titles.
Trust is built through delivering results, maintaining integrity, and prioritizing the team, rather than relying on rank or tenure. It grows from impact and outcomes, fueling effective execution and collective progress.
- Trust is earned by the outcomes we deliver, the integrity we uphold and our team-first mindset—not granted by level, title, or tenure.
- Impact and results build the foundation of trust that drives our ability to execute effectively and propels the team forward. The mindset that the work is never done drives us to continually strive to improve, support more and deliver meaningful impact and continuously strive for greater impact together.
- Launch high-quality Minimum Viable Products, iterate fast, execute with urgency, and be transparent—no surprises.
Effective execution thrives on honest, constructive conversations that challenge ideas and align the team to shared goals.
- We value clarity and productive debate over conflict avoidance as essential to collaboration, fostering candid discussions that lead to co-created solutions and better outcomes.
- Psychological safety enables innovation, problem-solving and high-performing teams. It relies on openness and earned trust but it must not be misused as a shield to avoid constructive feedback and personal accountability, or undermine differing ideas.
- Choose clarity over comfort: Give and receive direct, respectful feedback. Debate to solve problems, then disagree and commit.
TOPIC
Our TOPIC values express how we expect to operate, how we hold ourselves accountable for the work environment we create, and how we show up in our everyday work and interactions.
HUMAN
Our HUMAN leadership principles (Hire, Develop and Inspire the Best; Understand and Innovate with the Customer; Model a Thoughtful Bias for Action; Act Like an Owner; Nurture a Growth Mindset) underscore how we lead with empathy, purpose, and clarity.
