Jobs in CSR

Corporate Social responsibility in the past few decades has intrigued not only the scholars but the practioners as well. It is ‘essentially a concept whereby companies decide voluntarily to contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment’ (European Commission, 2001). Companies consider themselves as an integral part of the society and act in a socially responsible way (EC, 2001). Till very recently it was viewed as philanthropic activity indulged into only when the firms were in jeopardy. But it is now viewed to be inclusive, broad and diverse. CSR is now viewed as integral part of business strategy to minimize the business risks linked to uncertainty. Though the critic are of the view, CSR is nothing but Corporate Conspiracy to Snatch Resources (CSR), in the name of CSR.

Where are the jobs?

Most of the multinational Corporate have their CSR wing and Deptt exclusively dedicated for doing community development and CSR activities directly or indirectly in the vicinity of their operations. In other companies CSR is running under HR or Environment Dept. They recruit professionals from Social work,rural development and other developmental fields to undertake and manage the CSR activities of company. It is observed that companies whose operations directly impact the nature like mining, manufacturing, power generations etc have CSR wing quite active to tackle the grievances of nearby population and engage the stakeholders. In green field projects we have seen corporate giant and Govt struggling hard to get the land acquisitions and Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) issues solved, here also CSR professionals are in great demand.
Due to the diversity of this career area, opportunities exist within the private, public and voluntary sectors. It is important to highlight that many CSR roles may not be titled as such but their job content may reflect CSR activities.
Private Sector - Larger companies may have CSR departments or have CSR functions located within particular areas including marketing, communications, environmental management, public affairs, investor relations, finance, operations and human resources. Opportunities are also opening up in the large accounting and consulting firms, many of which are trying to compete with the niche CSR consulting firms by offering their own CSR client services.