Gone are the days when companies can engage in practices to solely benefit their fiscal bottom line without feeling backlash. Expectations from both stakeholders and consumers have changed, resulting in an increased focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Spanning across industries, fields and professions, this emphasis on CSR brings expanded opportunities for business professionals to pursue careers in CSR management.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility?
Corporations around the globe have adopted CSR into their business practices to address social issues and make a positive impact on society. CSR is a model that applies to decision-making, company policies, business operations, community impact and employee relations. This approach to business often stems from stakeholders demanding that corporations act responsibly and demonstrate ethical behavior in their local communities. However, it’s become something consumers and employees increasingly want to see as well, choosing to only engage with responsible companies and brands.
Consumers want to know how products are made, where they come from and how they affect the environment. They want to shop at businesses that promote and follow philanthropic responsibility. Communities want to welcome businesses that provide local employment opportunities and competitive wages, care about the environment and support local initiatives. Employees want to work for employers who care about their wellness, encourage professional development and growth, and offer flexible scheduling for life needs. All these examples fall under the umbrella of CSR.
Corporations that follow CSR practices are often committed to programs that address employee wellness, environmental responsibility and other societal needs. The purpose of CSR is to guide corporations to have a positive impact on the world.
The Power of B Corporations
Some for-profit businesses have chosen to take their sustainability commitment a step further by becoming Certified Benefit Corporations, more commonly referred to as B Corps. Earning this designation means that a business is operating for the greater good and utilizing its practices in a way that benefits both people and planet.
Organizations with this designation, like American College of Education, have elected to take the B Impact Assessment, which is a digital tool used by more than 150,000 businesses to assess and identify needed improvements to ensure positive impact performance for environment, community, consumerism, supply, employment and shareholders.
Corporations with this legal distinction have more flexibility than traditional corporations that must focus on shareholder primacy. Benefit corporations have legal protection to address stakeholder governance before shareholder primacy, meaning benefit corporations can make decisions based on their mission and vision statements, rather than fiscal reasons.
Skills Needed to Work in CSR
CSR professionals should be proficient in skills like active listening, transparent communication, critical thinking, systems thinking, creative thinking, public relations, stakeholder engagement and problem-solving. A CSR professional needs to engage with internal and external stakeholders, so it’s important to have effective communication skills, flexibility and empathy as well.
Often those who work in and support CSR are change agents. According to Indeed, a change agent is “action-oriented leader who seeks to improve an organization’s logistical, technical and interpersonal functions by changing policies, systems, processes or operational norms.” This operational-focused mindset, along with strong interpersonal skills, is critical to ensuring a corporation is both implementing and following current CSR best practices.
Tips for Building a Career in CSR
Developing a genuine and effective CSR strategy is a complicated endeavor, which is why corporations have sought expert advice and developed CSR career positions, such as sustainability directors and coordinators. A focus on CSR initiatives have created the need for consultants, offering opportunities for entrepreneurship. Working as a CSR professional involves working across diverse industries and business sectors.
With the growth of corporations seeking employees with CSR knowledge, more and more business professionals are considering corporate social responsibility careers. Post-secondary institutions with their pulse on industry trends have developed curricula to address this need. How does a college graduate jump from coursework to real-world experience? Below are suggestions to help you pursue a career in corporate social responsibility.
- Get Involved
An essential part of CSR is community engagement. For example, a sustainability coordinator might organize a community project where employees volunteer to help plant trees at a local park. Therefore, applicants seeking CSR positions should share past involvement in community-focused events. A community might be the city where you live, a school, an employer, a nonprofit organization, a church or other groups.
In interviews, you’ll want to describe how you positively engage in your community. Your role might have been as a leader, volunteer, participant or employee. Reflect on your experiences and what you learned. Questions to guide your reflection can include:
- How did the community communicate internally and externally?
- How did the community set goals and objectives?
- What styles of leadership were observed within the community?
Nonprofit organizations around the globe are working to address and solve sustainability challenges. The best way to get involved is through a nonprofit organization. They have the systems, structures and skills to organize and manage volunteer engagement. That’s what they do best!
Volunteering for a nonprofit organization offers you the opportunity to work directly with a specific interest. For example, American Forests and One Tree Planted support healthy trees and forests. Seek out what nonprofits are in your community to make the most impact where you live.
- Develop a Professional Learning Network
Professional learning networks (PLNs) are meaningful, purposeful communities that support professional growth. They offer informal and formal learning, mentorship, sponsorship, job recommendations and skill-based support.
Thanks to technology and social media, PLNs can be developed online. Dr. Dave Mulder, a professor of education at Dordt University, is an expert in developing PLNs online. He advises his students to approach social media with a growth mindset and by asking the question, “I have five minutes. What can I learn today?”
You can also develop a PLN through the people you know. Do you have a group of peers interested in similar professions or working for specific industries? For example, your colleagues at work, classmates at school or acquaintances through other professional settings. They could be interested in being a part of a group that shares knowledge and information. As mentioned above, you can use social media as a platform for discussing topics and sharing information; however, you can also organize in-person or online-based meetings to connect in a live setting.
The nice part about establishing an online platform is that you can engage with the PLN as you are available. These kinds of networks are meant to function as a supportive community of peers and should be a benefit instead of a hindrance. Sometimes you might have more time to engage than others, but that is okay and expected. These networks are meant to be enjoyable, and groups can create guidelines and expectations that work best for the collective.
- Join a Professional Organization
Joining a professional organization, such as the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, is a terrific way to stay connected with others in your field. There are numerous sustainability organizations nationwide and globally. Since there is generally a membership fee, take time to research and learn about an organization before joining. If it isn’t a suitable time to pay for a membership, that’s okay! The organization should have an email distribution list you can sign up for to receive newsletters and other emails.
- Create an Online Portfolio
Show off your knowledge and skills in an online portfolio. Online portfolios offer an innovative way to highlight your experience, projects and goals.
Unsure of where to start? You can include:
- CSR initiatives or related projects that demonstrate your creativity and innovation
- Your resume
- Photos from events you attended
- Your personal statement on diversity, equity and inclusion
- Your career and personal goals
- Referral statements from professional references
- Snippets of scholarly writing
Then, you can link the portfolio to your resume/CV, making it easily accessible to potential employers.
- Seek Mentorship and Sponsorship
You are most likely familiar with the idea of mentorship. However, sponsorship is a valuable relationship that can propel careers. Sponsorship is what Janice Omadeke referred to as, “phase two of mentorship.” A professional sponsor goes beyond the expectations of mentorship by adding advocacy to their role. Omadeke described a sponsor as someone who is willing to recommend you for employment and help expand your visibility within an organization. Thus, a sponsor is putting their reputation on the line, which is why it is important to first establish a mentorship relationship to build trust and confidence in your abilities and knowledge.
Your current employer might offer a mentorship program or, if you’re job hunting, you might seek out employment with a company that promotes their investment in professional development. It also never hurts to ask someone you admire to be your mentor to help guide you to your professional goals.
The above suggestions can help jumpstart you into a career in CSR. It’s important to note that CSR strategies can be applied to any job or career. Having these skills means you are considerate of others, knowledgeable of sustainability and the triple bottom line, able to perform systems thinking and able to engage in continuous learning to stay updated with research and stakeholder needs.
Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills you need to build a fulfilling career in corporate social responsibility from a college that puts its own social responsibility first. Explore American College of Education’s fully online business programs.
