How To Make A Career As A CSR Professional?

In this blog post, Mohammad Farooq, a fourth-year law student at Institute of Law, Nirma University, details the process of making a career as a CSR Professional. 

After the enactment of the new Companies Act, 2013, (“Act”) certain companies have become statutorily bound by Corporate Social Responsibility. This provision was introduced based on the principle of giving and taking  in order to foster a duty towards the society and promote a socially responsible corporate culture in the country. Under section 135 of the  Act, certain kind of companies shall have to contribute 2% of their net profits towards CSR activities.

The practice of CSR had been present earlier as well but with the advent of the new Act, the demand for CSR professionals is on the rise as more and more companies have crossed the eligibility threshold and are now required to adhere to the compliances mentioned under the CSR provisions.

In addition to the legal compliances, companies have found other incentives stemming out of  the benefits of  pursuing CSR. These benefits include the attraction/ retention of customers owing to the positive brand image thus built, improving employee engagement, attracting potential investors and thereby opening of new business opportunities, reducing external scrutiny and monitoring risks and eventually leading to ethical business practices and public value outcomes.

Given the advantages of CSR, the demand for CSR professionals to spearhead the CSR programs and activities of the companies is on the rise. Companies are looking for professionals who can not only implement philanthropic initiatives that result in public value outcomes for the society but also contribute to building their brand and reputation in the short and long term. CSR professionals are at the helm of the programs to design, lead and manage the company’s CSR vision, meeting the aspirations of all the stakeholders.

If you have had a passion for bringing good to the society, the moment to practice and get into the profession is now. Just to give you an idea, around 16000 companies in India are liable for CSR activities which require more than 40000 CSR professionals.

As things stand today, there is a dearth of such persons with the requisite managerial skills or possess a background in social work.

Why become a CSR Professional?

If the above figures do not adequately paint a picture that is compelling enough for one to move towards CSR, here’s another argument that may finally drive home the point. What does becoming a CSR professional entail? Well, for starters, it’s a role of instant leadership. The position of a CSR professional involves a mix of marketing, sales and management functions as well as legal knowledge. Right from its inception, they are at the cynosure of decision making by creating feasible welfare programs and implementing them efficiently.  They provide advisory and consultancy services, high-level strategic advice on CSR.  Consequently, CSR professionals get the exposure of directly working with the upper echelons of the company such as the CEO, directors or the top management. However, there is a huge whole world of drudgery beyond fancy dinners and rubbing shoulders with the top management.

Further, large and mid-sized private and  public sector companies across sectors like FMCG, BFSI, Pharmaceuticals, etc. are hiring talented individuals having seasoned social sector experience from diverse backgrounds like CSR institutions/foundations, civil engineers, architects, etc. Amid a paucity of supply, companies are dishing out hefty pay packages for this position. Mid-sized firms are willing to offer Rs. 50-60 lakhs for the appropriate candidates. For an entry level officer coming from a top social work school, the average salary varies from Rs 5 Lakh to Rs. 10 Lakh per annum and for a senior CSR professional including the CSR heads having an experience of 18 – 20 years, the salary may be as high as Rs. 30 Lakh per annum (or higher). Thus, it is evident that CSR has moved from mere charity and donations for the brand building of organizations to a more strategic function that involves serious money.

So, how difficult is it really to find a job in CSR?

The number of CSR professionals varies with some companies employing as little as 1 person while in other cases, it could also be as high as 20, but that is highly uncommon.  In most cases, the job of a CSR professional is never an isolated one as it overlaps with other departments like communications, marketing, human resources, etc. Naturally, it is not as easy to get a job in CSR as it is for other jobs partly due to the scarcity of available seats and partly due to a broad range of specialized skills required.

But, hey, it’s not all gloomy in terms of opportunities. As mentioned above, the CSR map of the country is rapidly changing. The area and the scope is expanding. Companies are gradually beginning to realize that success without CSR is not possible and the hiring spree of companies will grow exponentially in the next 10 years. So, the time is ripe for you to make a move and consider making a career in this emerging area in corporates.

How To Get There?

At the outset, a switch to CSR may appear incredibly formidable and competitive. But, with the following steps, you could increase your chances and break into the limited number of seats available for CSR:-

• Prior  Research – The decision to enter the CSR arena has to be an informed one. You must be well aware of the responsibilities a CSR professional is given and the level of freedom and discretion at your disposal. Begin by  researching and figuring out the type of company you want to work with. Contemplate their stance on CSR and how far is it embedded in their core values. Explore their websites and CSR sections. It is imperative that you concur with its values and culture because whatever activities and decisions you take later will be ultimately furthering the same. In addition to this, also assess your area of interest in CSR and work towards building the relevant skills for that area. Your research must also include the prevalent strategies, see which of the social sector has not been much experienced. Be up to date with what have companies be doing, what have they been goofing up with, what has been working out and what is yet remaining to experiment.
• Read and write – Staying updated on the latest CSR trends and developments is pivotal in order to leave a lasting impact on the potential recruiters. Follow CSR related online resources like websites, articles, etc. and join social media groups that deal with CSR. The fact that you are reading one such article at this very moment means you are on the right track. Write your views on the prevalent initiatives. A lot of leading professionals tweet, blog and post their mind,hence also been given enough scope in the eyes of the recruiters.
• Talk to people – Meeting or contacting with CSR professionals engaged in the area of your interest or organization is a good way to learn, build networks and exploit potential job opportunities. Explore your contacts and set up informational meetings or interviews.
• Engage in responsible resource management at your current job – Active engagement with the office management of your current job in order to foster green practices like reusing, recycling, saving electricity will enable you to take the lead and gain real world experience in promoting green practices at a corporate set up. Such individual efforts may result in great consequences like the creation of a CSR related department in organizations that lack one. Even if your organization isn’t liable to comply with the rules, good activities can yield strong results in brand management. You can mention this experience in your CV.  
• Build your CV – Often, companies prefer working in collaboration with NGOs and other non-profit entities in the social sector because of their huge experience.  Try securing internships, work placement or merely working as a volunteer at such organizations that have links with big corporates.
• Enrol for CSR-related graduate or diploma courses – We have launched a new course, an Executive certificate on Corporate Social Responsibilities,which has been created by the best-known names in the profession. Talk about the course

So while it is clear that you can start from where you are and then follow a path to get into the social and ethical department, what is unclear to most aspirants are the caliber and qualities of a good CSR professional. It is imperative to get inspiration from the best personalities who have succeeded.

Seven Qualities Needed In A CSR Professional

There are seven undeniable qualities that need to be present in a CSR Professional. Let’s take a look at them.

Salesman of sustainability

A strategic CSR policy focuses on the profitability of sustainable businesses. Since a CSR professional is at the helm of these activities, it is imperative of him to believe in the vision of creating value by sharing value with the community, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. A CSR professional is required to be an excellent salesman of an idea. He is required to cause others to feel a certain way about the initiatives the company takes. Unlike a routine salesman, every stakeholder, inside or outside the company, is his client and it’s his role to have them all buy the idea and be willing to bring about the impact that the CSR efforts are focussed on to. You are required to not just urge people for sole charity, but to empower them to lead your CSR initiative  while they can clearly map their own,companies and society’s development through it.

Although most of the people say they would spend more on a product made by a company that’s committed to sustainable development, but there is a huge say-do gap when it comes to sustainable purchases. While communicating to the society, the leader should highlight why these purchases are not just morally correct but also profitable in a larger sense.

Each day can be a fight, yet as long as you are fastened to what you believe is right for the company and society as a whole, the fight is only a subtle persuasion against the inertia of the society for being collaboratively flourishing.

Empower and enroll employees to engage

As per human patterns go, the insiders or the outsiders of the company are always building walls to not let the other pierce through. The businesses and societies always push each other away or have these walls built to separate themselves. An effective CSR leader incessantly builds the ladders to scale these walls for the betterment of both the company and the society.

Marketing department of a corporate may see CSR dressed as a PR vehicle, finance professional would first react to it as being an obligatory, unnecessary expense, the management may consider this an opportunity to weigh down the competitor, it is how a CSR leader enrolls them all to be on the same page for effective performance of the company. For example, if the CSR visions sweep in the operational and the supply chain of a company, the procurements can be more sustainable, cutting down on a lot of operational costs. The branding and competitive advantage are what are probable and only some of the by-products of this integration.

A CSR department might not exist in most of the companies, yet an internal workforce is required for execution of the initiatives. What should the person do in this case? The solution lies in enrolling people from various departments in the possibility of the project, in communicating well with them about how volunteering can open many opportunities for them. For many, it can be a leapfrog race with the colleagues,where they advance their career by  rubbing shoulders with the CEO or country managing director at a Sustainability or CSR event or presentation, and also getting considerable benefits in their career.

Vigilant and Meticulous

In other countries, common practices that are incorporated in the companies act,like good labor practices, environment-friendly processes and efficient corporate governance etc are regular practices in corporate social responsibility. To be at the forefront and create profitable initiatives, a CSR professional must not only have the ability to think out of the box but to also vigilantly measure the impact of the activities. They have to be visionary in their approach because aligning a not well thought of strategy with the whole mission and vision of a company. Initially and also subsequently, the policy may require a quick change of action, the person in the leadership and in charge of these activities got to be meticulous in gauging the effectiveness  of any activity, and be willing to change and shift to newer ones too. Mahindra and Mahindra,which has topped the list of companies has surpassed even TATA group as it has always been looking for more initiatives, even though it be under the umbrella of its already defined CSR vision.

Believe in the Non-Profit Sector

CSR stands on four pillars, which separately should be well cemented, which are workplace, marketplace, planet and profit.  Strategically to excel as a profit maker, every single rupee spent on CSR should add 2 rupees to the company’s profit. For that to happen, CSR professional must be able to negotiate and get into strategic partnerships, while working its way to deliver the CSR initiatives. You may often need an implementing partner and it may at times be not advisable to steer clear of such partnerships. These partners may be from Not Profit sector,who can bring a lot to the table when your knowledge sole can’t suffice for a profitable initiative.

Ability to work and share your vision amicably with the upper management

One of the notable support that sustainable professionals have is from the upper management and the board. Though it may seem like a merit but it has to be hard earned. An upper management has no sympathetic bonding in a corporate. It is the effort that the person makes to liaise the vision of the project with the vision of the company and carry it out in a profitable manner,that fills in the air with the level of trust and genuine understanding of the project.

Join a company where you concur with its raison d’etre

Understand society and question businesses. When you wish to work with a company or go for interviews, ask many questions until you understand the existence of the business and realize that what they believe is also strongly visible in their actions.

Raison détre is the thing that is most important to someone or something : the reason for which a person or organization exists. For you to be working in this division with a company, you need to strongly adhere to their beliefs and then branch it on the same tree.

The best practice for it can be to know your drive,understand company’s context for the initiatives and then see if they can run parallel.

Balance your idealism and drive

So here let’s clear this out. You may be an ideal social worker, your morals and ethics may be a strong characteristic you wear around, you would have to rethink about being a business cynic to enter businesses. Hard realities of global businesses can impair or be a threat to your corporate idealism. If a company fails in its CSR vision, it is not to be seen as being evil, as being destructor of the society. As a professional, you should be able to swim pass the cliched antagonism for corporate culture and study what is it inside the company that didn’t work out, see the inauthenticity of the company, find out where the loophole was. The picture that an idealist frames in his mind of CSR being a brunt for the evil businesses is not how it looks likes on the go.

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