Kudos to Hyperion

It pleases me to be able to pass along some positive news this morning.

Hyperion, a software company that creates software that is mind-numbingly boring for anyone who doesn’t have a weird business fetish (they call themselves “the leading provider of Business Performance Management software”) has nonetheless done a really groovy thing – they’re offering their employees five thousand dollars if they sign up to get on a waiting list to buy an environmentally-friendly hybrid automobile, or any other vehicle that gets over 45 miles per gallon.

This corporate decision shows some real vision, because it’s not just right for the environment, but it’s good for Hyperion’s bottom line as well. Offering imaginative employee perks is a great way to get the top talent in an industry that relies on rapid innovation.

I’m hoping, but not optimistic, that other high-tech companies will follow suit. In any case, Hyperion deserves some praise for doing the right thing.

Oh, and by the way, that was no mistake when I wrote that Hyperion is rewarding its employees for getting on waiting lists for hybrid vehicles. Hybrid automobiles are so popular in the United States that they’re all sold out, and you have to get on a big long waiting list to get one.

So, along with kudos to Hyperion, I offer a big thumb on my nose to all those grumpy conservative marketing consultants who said that Americans will never be willing to spend money on environmentally positive products because they just don’t care.