There’s something exciting about raising the bar on your company’s level of
community commitment.
Rob Huxtable, managing partner of Cleveland-based Socius Executive Search LLC,
says his firm views its social responsibilities
just as it does any other aspect of a business
that needs to be expanded.
“We want to grow our top-line sales, our
account base and our staff size,” Huxtable
says. “We also want to grow the scope and
breadth of our community initiative just as
much as we do those other elements of our
business.”
Socius, an executive search solutions firm
in its third year of business, enjoys 100 percent voluntary participation from its staff
members, along with involvement of their
family, friends and colleagues. Huxtable says
it’s critical to incorporate community service
into a company’s strategic plan.
“Set measurable goals and timelines, such
as board participation, number of volunteer
activity days or number of individuals touched,” he says. Create “a plan to illustrate
how you’re going to make that happen. It has
to be very important to that business, its
stakeholders and employees. It’s not something one can fake.”
Each of Socius’ principal partners is a
board member for at least one nonprofit
organization. Huxtable says involvement at
that level benefits the nonprofit while providing his management team with a challenging opportunity to improve their leadership skills and creativity.
The company sponsored a fishing fundraiser last year for the American Red Cross’ hurricane relief efforts. Employees also led an
activity day at the Berea Children’s Home,
built a playground for the Boys & Girls Club
of America/Kaboom!, and worked at Camp
Cheerful, a horse-riding camp that benefits
diabetic children.
Why does Huxtable put so much emphasis
on community service projects?
“If smart companies like Key, National
City, Eaton and Sherwin-Williams are saying that the community’s critical, then
above and beyond our own ethical and
moral views, it’s also smart business,” he
says. “If it works for them, then we certainly want to emulate a lot of their best practices — community being one of them.”
HOW TO REACH: Socius Executive Search LLC, (216) 344-5500 or www.socius.com
PHOTO BY MORT TUCKER