In 2024, DeSantis Landscapes will reach its half-century mark, five decades of navigating change, pursuing growth, and, most importantly, building healthy workplace culture and a successful business that starts with people. As Richard Branson says, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.”
And that’s what we do. Day in and day out, focus on the needs, engagement and productivity of the people who are key to the success of DeSantis Landscapes.
This commitment is codified in The DeSantis Way, 25 fundamentals that encourage us to walk the talk, pursue a work culture where everyone feels valued, have truthful conversations with our clients and each other, and guide us in making a positive impact in the lives of the people we serve.
“Think Team First”, our seventh fundamental, is a mindset that goes hand in hand with a culture of belonging–where everyone can connect, thrive and grow, and where there is value in diversity and differing perspectives.
When you talk to our people, you’ll hear the spirit of team in the way they view their colleagues and in the way they bring their best selves to work. You’ll see it in the way we hire for talent and team spirit, onboard in a welcoming and exciting way, and in the way we offer opportunities for professional growth.
As we approach our 50th milestone—a journey that has taken us from a Salem landscape and irrigation start-up to a service area that extended to Greater Portland Metro and beyond, we are proud of our growth and our ability to create and enhance the beauty of the world around us. But most of all, we are proud to have created jobs that improve the lives of working families.
Case in point:
- We invest in training for all our new hires; arrange and sponsor certification in technical areas that improve our knowledge and problem-solving in conservation, and training in technology to support an all-digital future. We encourage professional development in areas that strengthen our climate-positive approach, best practices that reduce environmental impacts and accelerate progress on net zero goals.
- We invest in community and in environmental and social responsibility. In 2022, we participated in a coalition of partners that rehabilitated and rebuilt the burned-out Santiam Canyon, and for more than a quarter century, we have sponsored Family Building Blocks and community initiatives that help families in need.
- We invest in employee health and well-being, increasing to 75% our employer-paid contribution to employee health programs to lessen the burden on team members.
- We invest in digital transformation, with cloud-based business technologies that improve employee collaboration, software that improves field service and management, technology that improves water conservation, and digital signage that connects all four branches via closed circuit TV—keeping multiple teams up-to-date on company news and projects, with metrics that give every employee insight into what wins look like.
- We invest in ideas from employees that will improve our ability to have fun and show appreciation. We host events, picnics and award celebrations; have a Wall of Gratitude to honor achievements big and small; and host monthly branch BBQs led by our CFO and BBQ master-of-ceremonies, Ken DeSantis.
- We invest in our employees’ futures by promoting and developing talent from within. This has led to higher retention and engagement, invaluable institutional and cultural knowledge across multiple generations, career building opportunities, and real-life experience that offers significant competitive advantage to our organization and to our network of clients.
DeSantis Landscapes is one of the Best Green Workplaces in Oregon, a career home for a diverse, multi-cultural community of horticulturists, environmental science grads, English majors, business managers, landscape designers, construction, technology and service professionals, and gardeners who care about improving the quality of life as much as they care about improving the quality of the landscape.
Learn more about working with DeSantis Landscapes at: https://desantislandscapes.com/resources/join-our-team/