Employees of Perspectives Corp. don’t just enjoy summer outings, large bonuses and career growth opportunities; theirs is a great place to work, they say, because every day they get to help empower people with disabilities and help them be independent.
Based in North Kingstown, Perspectives has more than 500 full-time and 300 part-time employees who work at 35 locations across the state, serving people with mental retardation, and developmental and physical disabilities.
This is the second year in a row that Perspectives has been named a Best Place to Work, and David Ruppell, president and CEO, says it’s because the company’s employees have crafted their own list of core values, starting with ethics.
“Ethical conduct helps them make decisions every day,” Ruppell said.
Together, Perspectives’ employees decided that health and wellness needed to be No. 2 on the values list, followed by quality, independence and vision.
“Because we deal with people with handicaps, we have to be extremely aware of people’s health issues and that they are leading a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “If we are not leading a healthy lifestyle ourselves, how can we help people?”
To accomplish this, Perspectives provides discounted health club memberships, hosts and supports several road races, including the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Walk Rhode Island Corporate Challenge, and the Memorial 5K Road Race in memory of those supported by Perspectives who have passed on. It also offers free medical screenings.
Providing a sense of independence to employees also has helped build a strong work force, according to Ruppell, who founded the company. There is no hierarchy, and people are empowered to make decisions.
“We find that independence is so important to people doing this kind of quality work,” he added.
Aside from the number of “thank yous” that employees receive from their customers and customers’ families, employees are thanked by management in several different ways.
There is the big summer bash every year in Narragansett for clients and staff, the Christmas and anniversary parties, and bonuses. But Ruppell said the company also shows its appreciation year round with extra time off or a gift card to an employee’s favorite department store.
“Any small way we can say thank you seems to have the greatest boost in morale,” he said. “When we forget to say thank you is when you’ll lose that good sense of morale.”
Another major advantage in working at Perspectives is that there is always room for growth and job change because there are a lot of different jobs that people can do. “If there is no career ladder in an organization, it can be somewhat stifling,” Ruppell said.
Eric Fallon, an associate director at Perspectives’ Richmond Group Home, enjoyed his first step up the ladder. After just a short time with the company Fallon was encouraged to move into the role of assistant director.
“Because of the training and encouragement I received I was able to know the role of an assistant director and it gave me the roadmap that I needed to apply,” Fallon said. “Other companies can learn from Perspectives by creating an environment where you educate your own work force and hire from within.”
