“Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of the business.”
This line has been going around since businesses started sprouting. Unlike the famed “trickle-down” economics, some businesses opted to invest in their people.
This investment in human capital resulted in happier employees, which, in turn, translated to better performance.
One company recently showed that the system works by giving away millions in bonuses.
In a presser, Ruppert Landscaping invested $28 million in its employees.
Ruppert Landscape has been in business for nearly 50 years.
The company, headquartered in Laytonsville, Maryland, serves thousands of clients through its 30 branches in the Eastern United States.
On their website, they said their business principle is to put people first.
They talk not just about the clients, but their employees as well.
“Our goal as a company is not just to build beautiful landscapes, but to develop and grow our people,” their statement said.
They made true to their word by giving out bonuses to their employees this Christmas.
Ruppert Landscape dubbed their investment as an “appreciation bonus.” The bonus is available to all employees with over one year of employment with the company.
The bonus also excluded top management.
The bonus amounted to a whopping $7,000 to $200,000 for over 1,000 employees.
The bonus was calculated based on years of service and salary. The fund was taken from a recent partnership of the company with the investment firm Knox Lane.
The surprise announcement was made internally at Ruppert Landscape branches.
“Everyone receiving this bonus was instrumental in helping create the value that we’ve been able to realize,” said CEO Craig Ruppert in the company presser.
He also described the bonus as “well-deserved” and that it was a way for the company to acknowledge the value of their people.
“Our philosophy has always been to take great care of our employees, who in turn will take great care of our customers,” added Phil Key, President of Ruppert Landscape.
“Every team member at Ruppert is committed to excellence every day,”
The bonus will come on top of each employee’s annual year-end bonus, regular benefits, and 401(k), together with their paid time-off and holidays, and medical insurance.
The company began in the 1970s.
Craig Ruppert was a teenager back then. To earn a few bucks, much like teenagers of that age, he began cutting neighbors’ yards.
On their website, they said the company has gone a long way from a summer project.
From residential lawns, they now cater to developments, commercial properties, corporate campuses, and even parks.
It’s hard not to root for a company such as this.
After all, are businesses not made by the people who worked for them?
While some businesses make the mistake of giving out hefty bonuses to executives, those with the more loyal and higher performing people come from those who invest in their staff.
If you find yourself leading a company, would you do the same?
Good thing there are companies who’ve already done the same and all we have to do is follow their example.
Click the video below to learn more!
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