Fran Doll is known for her benefits. The benefits, that is, that the founder and chairman of Superior Staffing offers her employees.
She’s a legend in the employment business for paying for her employees’ haircuts; giving them three-day weekends so they can run errands; passing out AAA memberships; and providing even her temporary workers with direct deposit, so they don’t have to wait for a paycheck to be mailed.
But what many people don’t know is that her generosity extends well beyond her company. Doll has always placed charitable giving at the top of her priority list, and she’s successfully instilled this philosophy in her employees.
She and her staff have supported Akron’s Haven of Rest Ministries for nearly 10 years. Her staff “adopts” families in need during the winter holiday season, supporting them with clothes, gifts and money. Superior Staffing has an on-site “closet” of donated professional clothing for men and women who need a professional temporary position but may not be able to afford to dress the part.
And Doll has a new pet charity: The American Cancer Society. Doll, who was diagnosed with cancer in November 1997, sits on the board of the Cancer Society and is willing to give almost anything to help others deal with the illness.
“One of my new motivations in my life is to work to try to help somehow — whatever way I can — to raise money for research, to help women who are recently diagnosed, to help women who are losing their hair. Anything I can do to help anybody in this situation, I would gladly do,” she says.
For those who perpetually put off charitable giving until tomorrow, Doll could be an inspiration.
At what point in your career did you start getting involved with charities?
It started before I opened (Superior Staffing) because I was of a mindset that whatever I made, I wanted to share. I saw too many companies where the owner or the president or the CEO wasn’t concerned about giving back to employees.
I worked for companies like that, where those people had everything and they wanted to keep it that way. Whereas I wanted to be rewarded for my work and for the responsibility of owning it, but I also wanted to share it.
And I also was raised by a grandma who said, “Whatever you give you will get back 10-fold.” Now what she didn’t tell me is it’s not always by the person you think it’s going to be. But you will get it.
Was there a person or a company who inspired you?
I’m going to answer that with a resounding no. I had no role model for this. These ideas just came to me — like giving the staff free hair care — because I was getting a perm one day and it cost $50 and I thought, this is a big chunk of money and this company can afford it much easier than each person on the staff.
How do you decide what to give?
What I have tried to do for people are the things that if someone had thought to do for me, I would have been beside myself with gratitude.
How do you motivate your staff to contribute to these causes?
My staff has always backed me on this. Yes, I could go in and say, “I’m demanding that you send your clothes to the Haven of Rest and I’m telling you that the company is going to be sending money to them.”
It’s not like that. These are people who will sit at a staff meeting and say, “I know what, every time a customer refers another customer to us, let’s send money to the Haven in that company’s name.”
That’s the kind of people we have. They are the ones who thought up adopting a family. It’s a team.
Do you believe it’s every company’s obligation to give back to its community?
I think it’s every person’s obligation. If you worked for a company (like I used to work for companies) that didn’t do anything charitable, does that mean I shouldn’t have done anything charitable on my own?
Do you believe that business owners have more of an obligation to give back than individuals do?
I started out feeling if there’s anything to be made, it is absolutely my responsibility to share it. With my employees, No. 1. They’re the ones who are working for us and they’re the ones who are bringing in the revenue. So they have to be treated with absolute utmost respect and appreciation.
You must feel a responsibility to add to other people’s lives, and you’ll never be sorry. You’ll never be sorry.
How to reach: Superior Staffing, (330) 253-8080
Connie Swenson ([email protected]) is editor of SBN.