Tozour Energy Systems President shares his ideas on choosing CSR causes that grew his company and attracted (and kept!) better employees.
Tozour Energy Systems President Kevin Duffy says “Our company makes its home in the Philadelphia region, and our team is committed growing the business and making the community a great place to work, live and play. “
Tozour Energy Systems’ President Kevin Duffy had a few approaches for strengthening his business. One was attracting more top-notch technicians (a key to his business) to handle the increasing amount of orders for the company’s products and services. The other was to be known by customers and employees for Tozour Energy Systems’ culture of giving back. His CSR focus helped him solve both.
Recruiting people is not easy now. You must differentiate yourself.
“It is remarkable how thoroughly people investigate and know about companies in today’s connected world. Even before applying for a job, quality candidates want to know what a company does and does not do. And this is not just for the big-name consumer brands. It is for all companies – large, medium and small. This is especially important for millennials who are driven to work for organizations that have higher causes.”
Publicizing CSR activities on LinkedIn and Facebook.
“When conducting interviews, we find that people have checked out our social media pages and know a lot about what we are up to. In our office, we have a ‘Giving Back’ wall near our Human Resources office that shows the causes that we are committed to supporting. When candidates come in for interviews, we show them that giving back is part of our core culture. This gives us an advantage.”
Recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the “Best Places to Work” for six years in a row.
Tozour can get the cream of the crop of people who want to work for them. According to Kevin, the company has a drawer full of applications even though the market is at full employment.
“This is a big deal for us when we recruit technicians. If we can’t get good people we can’t do the work for our clients and we can’t grow. Our CSR activities help us attract superior people who want to work for us. This year we increased our team of 198 to roughly 220 employees, which is large growth for us. There were only one or two jobs we had difficulty filling.”
“Our vision statement for 2020 is to be recognized in the market as a company that has a culture of giving back. It was in our 2015 vision statement and will continue to be part of our business plans.”
We find out what causes our CUSTOMERS are passionate about.
“It is powerful networking to be active in causes clients support. For CSR success, it is vital to know what causes they contribute to and why. Business leaders want to do business with people they trust. Many of our clients have asked us to get involved. They like seeing us helping their cause, which can lead to more business. If they are engineering a new building, it could be a chance for Tozour to get involved. You build relationships with companies that share similar values. It gives them another reason to choose us as a BUSINESS partner.”
We find out what causes our EMPLOYEES are passionate about.
“Employee involvement is a critical part to the success of our CSR program. Asking them which community causes to be involved with gets the team excited and people enjoy participating in them. Empowering people to take ownership in activities amplifies their commitment of putting in their time and money.”
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation cause is near and dear to the Tozour team. Tozour supports “Team Quinn” with monetary donations and pounding the pavement in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual “Great Strides Walk.” Additionally, Tozour supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual “Breath of Life” Gala.
Why Tozour chooses to be a member of the Satell Institute.
“As a corporate affiliate of the Satell Institute, we are with a high-power group of executives who are world leaders in CSR. As a collective force, we are taking the lead and setting an example of the value of long-term commitments to causes that make communities better for business and for those who live there,” says Kevin, who is a member of the Satell Institute Advisory Board.
Tozour grew from 30 to more 200 employees. And is still growing.
Tozour Energy Systems was established in 1979 with 30 employees. Presently, with a robust and diverse team of more than 200 professionals and growing, Tozour has become the greater Philadelphia area’s leading distributor and service provider of high performance building systems and a full array of SMART energy and building performance services.
The company’s tradition of giving back to the community was established by founder and chairman, Doug Tozour, who personally supports many endeavors and events throughout Greater Philadelphia. Learn more by visiting http://www.tozourenergy.com/tozour-story/community
One of these projects is the Young Heroes Outreach Program with the National Liberty Museum in partnership with the Satell Institute. You will be able to read more on this innovative business program that is engaging and provides enthusiastic elementary students with opportunities to engage with local business leaders on fun, educational projects in a future CEO Weekly INsight.
“Everything we accomplish is through people. Employees like working for a company that gives back. Clients like working with companies that visibly participate in building up communities.” – Kevin Duffy, President Tozour Energy Systems