RSM’s 2nd Annual ’90-90-9′ Program Awards Staff $90K

Good morning and happy Monday. It’s another episode of Green Apple Slices. This is John Garrett coming to you with another article. Every Monday, I always talk through an article and figure out how it applies to you. Oh, yeah. I also bring along Rachel Fisch. Rachel, you’re there, right?

Rachel: Sometimes, like kicking and screaming but yeah, I’m here.

John: Absolutely. The Accountants Group Leader for Sage in Canada and you are all over Canada again and it helps me learn where cities are in Canada to be honest with you.

Rachel: Yes. This is how John gets his Canadian geography lessons.

John: Pretty much.

Rachel: I just came back from out west from B.C. I’m actually in Brandon, Manitoba right now. I got a chance to see our singing Christmas tree yesterday so if any of you guys happened to see what is it? Episode 59? What episode was that?

John: Yeah, I think so.

Rachel: Anyway, whatever that episode is, anyway, we talked about my direct inquirer and how that related to me training accounting software for accountants and bookkeepers. Anyway, got a chance to do that yesterday. Amazing as always. Today, I’m in a not-for-profit event in Brandon, Manitoba. Tomorrow is the last day of our Sage One Certification tour in Winnipeg, Manitoba and then home.

John: Oh, that sounds nice.

Rachel: I know. After four weeks on the road.

John: Right, yeah. Very cool, very cool. Well, yeah. Well, stay warm out there.

Rachel: Thanks.

John: That’s for sure. Yeah, but you were able to take the time to talk with me which I appreciate and go through with this article that I found on Accounting Today which I thought was a really cool example of how people’s hobbies and passions can really bring people together as co-workers but also how the firm can support that.

RSM, which is one of the top 5 firms in the U.S. especially but globally, they have this program where celebrating their 90th anniversary last year but they did it again this year. They had people apply and nine people were chosen to be given $10,000 cash as well as nine PTO days to go pursue their passion which I think is so cool.

Rachel: And yet, there was something about this pursuing their passion that there is something benevolent in every single one like reading who the people were, what their rules were, and then what it was that they chose to do with that type and that money was really inspiring. It kind of ran the gamut of climbing Mount Everest to taking a grandfather back to Normandy, to quilting and providing blankets and things like that.

I mean there was a wide range of what some of those things were and a lot of times, we talk about kind of what employee engagement is and how you can help that in your firm and what culture is and all of that stuff. This I think is really elevating, taking this to a much higher level than I think I could’ve imagined and really calling out and brining attention to these people who have these passions for something outside of themselves.

John: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. They even mentioned how other people in the firm that then read about these passions, what they went and did with it because that was the biggest part is you go and do it and you have to come back and report on it so there’s videos, there’s write-ups and all that. And then the other people that work for RSM read these and see these and then they have similar ideas and similar passions and so then they reach out and create connections from different offices and different states and it’s such a cool thing.

Rachel: It’s probably very inspirational to say okay, so if that’s what you can do with $10,000 in nine days, what can I do in a couple of days or what can I do with a little bit of extra money on my paycheck? It’s just an amazing reward system and I’m sure that I mentioned before that Sage has Sage Foundation and they give not only money to charitable organizations but they also give product to charitable organizations but they also give every employee five days off throughout the year to work with their local community charities which is really exciting as well.

John: Oh, that’s fantastic. Yeah, yeah.

Rachel: Yeah, absolutely.

John: Yeah, yeah. I mean when I speak to firms and conferences, sometimes I’ll throw out there what would happen if you just gave everybody four hours of PTO a month, half a day to go pursue your hobby/passion whatever it is that you love to do and then come back and report on it because let’s face it, most people are mailing in at least half a day a month, I mean so actually give it to them and allow them to report on it.

Rachel: If they’re tweaking their hours.

John: Right, right, exactly. But yeah, I mean I thought this was a really, really cool thing and kudos to RSM for doing this and it’s just really neat to see it live in action and then also just to see the benefits that it’s provided are just really, really fantastic.

Rachel: Absolutely.

John: So good job on that and if you’d like to read the article and read about the nine different people that were selected, you can read that at greenapplepodcast.com and be sure and subscribe to the episodes so you don’t miss any of the future ones and we play the game of where is Rachel, so it’s always fun.

So have safe travels and stay warm, Rachel.

Rachel: Thanks. Talk to you later, John.