Charlie Saffro is the founder and president of CS Recruiting, a 35-employee recruitment firm in the supply chain, transportation and logistics industries based in Highland Park. “It’s our mission to make meaningful connections to empower and inspire others to discover their full potential; that applies to our clients, candidates, and team,” Saffro said.
Saffro is a dedicated yogi, mother of three boys and volunteers with Feed My Starving Children. She recently shared her thoughts on the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with Better.
What CSR practices do you employ at your business?
One of our five core values is “Make a Difference,” and this is something we focus on both internally with our team members and externally with our candidates (job seekers), clients, and community. Giving back to the community has always been a priority and something we encourage and support on a companywide and individual basis.
Prior to the pandemic, our team used in-person volunteer opportunities as a chance to connect as a team and bond over giving back to our community. On a local level, we supported our neighborhood food pantry by designating time on Monday afternoons for our employees to volunteer on-site. Many of our team members got into the habit of not only donating their time, but also doing their part to collect or purchase food items, knowing that they would be offered to local families in need. In addition to the food pantry, we have also been involved in a nationwide charity called “Feed My Starving Children,” where our team spends two days a year packing food for under-privileged children in developing countries.
Once the pandemic hit and there were restrictions for in-person volunteer opportunities, our team shifted focus to help others by leveraging the skills we know best, resume writing and interview prep.
We are currently joining forces with organizations that support females that have experienced trauma and are looking to re-enter the working world … These small sacrifices of time have brought our team together for a greater good and we see tremendous value in supporting our team to volunteer during business hours and showing our support for them and these causes.
What CSR trends are you seeing in your industry and how has that changed how you conduct business?
Our team has transitioned to a fully virtual environment, and we are seeing a surprisingly high number of companies in our space pivot to this model as well. In addition to employee happiness and increased productivity, we are proud to make a positive impact on the environment by reducing hours upon hours of unnecessary commuting. Not having a commitment to an office space not only provides significant financial savings but also helps eliminate unnecessary waste with utilities and office supplies.
How do you balance the importance of CSR while meeting revenue demands?
We are fortunate to be in the business of connecting people … Our revenue comes from making introductions, so there is a tangible social value in the work we do.
Whether we are helping individuals find their next job or assisting companies in identifying the perfect person for their hiring needs, we can make an impact and enhance the lives of others.
We are also big believers that taking care of our team members is our No. 1 priority. By investing in them and recognizing their purposeful work, we see hard work and productivity in return, which enhance our bottom line.
What philanthropic endeavors are important to you and/or your company and why?
As a woman-owned organization, we are passionate about supporting other women. Our team seeks opportunities where we can volunteer our time and recruiting expertise to benefit women that might be struggling with their job searches. Additionally, we can’t play in the transportation industry without supporting truck drivers! While we don’t recruit truck drivers specifically (we focus more on executive-level recruitment), we recognize that trucks make our world go ‘round and you can’t move freight without drivers. We’ve made it a tradition to make holiday donations on behalf of our clients to provide truck drivers with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners while on the road.
What’s next for you and your business and where do you see things progressing in the coming months with regard to CSR and/or the pandemic?
The future is bright for CS Recruiting and I’m excited to see where we go as we grow and continue to add to our own team. The job market is insanely strong, and we’ve never seen more opportunities to use our influence and lead by example by promoting a human approach to business.
The pandemic did a number on everyone and created feelings of uncertainty and burnout. I’ve felt the burnout personally and seen it with my colleagues and within my network. Because of this, I have never been more focused on working for a purpose and going above and beyond to give back internally and externally.
