THE AMERICAN WAY...

A company doesn’t find its way on Fortune‘s 100 Best Companies to Work For list by skimping around bonus time. That goes double for Houston-based Hilcorp, which landed at No. 20 on this year’s list on the strength of its generous bonus policy. The company told us earlier this year that if employees meet certain goals, that every one of them would receive a generous $100,000 bonus.  Well, it would appear that Hilcorp employees have fulfilled those goals because the firm just issued the bonuses as an early Christmas present, according to a report on KTVU in Houston.  “It’s just a true gift and I don’t think that myself along with everyone is not going to give less than 100% every day,” receptionist Amanda Thompson told the TV station.  This isn’t the first time that Hilcorp employees have been treated so generously by CEO Jeff Hildebrand. Fortune described the company’s attitude toward compensation earlier this year:  A “we are all in this together” culture, installed by Jeff Hildebrand when he founded this oil and gas company in 1989, manifests itself in open book management, rich bonuses averaging 33% of pay and outrageous rewards for meeting certain goals. In 2011 every employee received a voucher for $50,000 to buy a new car, or $35,000 cash (prorated based on hire date).  Fortune has reached out to Hilcorp and will update this story if the company responds.