You may have worked in a lot of places, but how many places have you worked where the CEO sends you a birthday card every year? While plenty of CEOs try and make their employees feel at home and appreciated, this one certainly went above and beyond!
Humble Beginnings
The tradition began years ago when Sheldon Yellen was hired to work at the property restoration company Belfor Holdings by his brother-in-law. At the time, as a new-hire, Yellen was worried that his co-workers would dislike him, as a family member had earned him the job. He really didn’t want to earn a reputation of someone who got places by nepotism. So, Yellen decided to handwrite birthday cards to his immediate co-workers for the first year, hoping to start new friendships and bonds.
Unsurprisingly, the move worked perfectly! The simple, heartfelt gesture got everyone to appreciate Yellen. “It got people talking, we started to communicate more, and I like to think it helped me earn respect within the company,” he said. So, Yellen continued the move the next year, and the next, and the next!
Rising Up
Over the years, Sheldon Yellen not only wrote hundreds of birthday cards, but he also became one of the hardest workers at Belfor Holdings. As such, in time, Yellen raised the ranks, eventually becoming the CEO of the company! Still, even after promotion after promotion, he never changed his ways. Today, Yellen writes more than 9,200 employee birthday cards every year! He believes that it builds a real connection between him and his team, one that results in better business for everyone. “When leaders forget about the human element, they’re holding back their companies and limiting the success of others. Focusing only on profit and forgetting that a company’s most important asset is its people will ultimately stifle a company’s growth,” Yellen said.
Year-round, Yellen actively works to try and encourage CEOs to foster better relationships with their employees. The birthday cards are just one of the unique ways that he does so. “It’s also something that doesn’t have to cost a thing,” Yellen explained. “When I learn of random acts of kindness being performed in the field, I take it upon myself to, again, reach out in writing, and send a thank-you card so that person can know they are appreciated and that their efforts don’t go unnoticed.”
Belfor Holdings Returns the Favor
After so many years of doling out love to all his employees, the workers at Belfor Holdings wanted to return the favor to Yellen. So, on his 60th birthday last year, the CEO walked into more than 8,000 birthday cards on his desk from employees and plenty of other gifts and treats! The man who had given so much to his employees could barely believe his eyes.
“The Belfor family continues to amaze me, and I’m overwhelmed by this incredibly heartfelt gesture,” Yellen said. “People say to me all the time that the customer comes first. But I’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, but my people come first.’ And I truly believe that.” That’s what we call an amazing boss!
Sources: 22 Words, SimpleMost