The CSR expert: the focal point of your approach
At a time when sustainable development is gaining ground within companies, the CSR expert has a key role to play.
He/she offers expertise and skills that are essential to the sustainable transition of the company he/she supports.
Key points of the article
What is CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility?
Before turning to the CSR expert, it’s important to understand what Corporate Social Responsibility is.
For a company, it’s a voluntary strategy aimed at getting involved in sustainable development through economic, social and ecological issues.
The aim of a company committed to sustainable development can be manifold: to improve its reputation and image, to strengthen the involvement of employees and customers in a responsible project, to stand out from competitors, to limit its environmental impact…
A sustainable, cross-functional CSR strategy requires the implementation of a sustainable development action plan.
This is where the CSR expert comes in.
What is a CSR expert?
The profession of CSR expert is fairly recent, and there is a wide range of training courses: grandes écoles, business schools, sustainable marketing, responsible finance, CSR chartered accountant… Specialized in sustainable development, the CSR expert must be versatile if he or she is to succeed in his or her missions. Essential skills include the ability to carry out a CSR diagnosis of the company, and business management skills, if possible in one of the company’s key sectors, whether in communications, marketing, finance, management, consulting or sales. This knowledge will enable them to rally their various contacts around their action plan. Ideally, he or she should be familiar with the constraints of the company’s sector of activity.
The CSR expert’s career is constantly evolving, and he or she needs to keep up to date throughout.
What is the role of a CSR expert?
The CSR expert advises and supports the company in its sustainable transition. Working with management or CSR managers, the CSR expert’s role is to define the company’s CSR strategy objectives, evaluate the actions to be taken at each level of the company, and take into account the best way to involve employees, the necessary budgets and the savings to be made.
The CSR expert also has a role to play in supporting the company, particularly during the implementation of the various stages of the action plan.
His role may also involve evaluating the results and proposing adaptations if necessary.
The CSR expert may work in-house and be part of the company, but may also be a consultant in a strategy consulting firm, a consultant in a CSR accounting firm, or an independent consultant.
Why call in a CSR expert?
Calling on the services of a CSR expert is a key factor in the success of a company’s sustainable transition process.
A CSR strategy implies many changes within the company, both in terms of operating methods and mentalities.
In addition to their expertise in sustainable development, CSR consultants bring a fresh, cross-functional perspective.
It’s easier for them to question the company’s habits, without offending the people they work with.
The CSR consultant can also dialogue more easily with employees on the social aspect of the CSR strategy, in order to understand their needs, improve their quality of work and their commitment to the company. Indeed, for a company to become sustainable, it is important that employees are involved and feel concerned.
How do you choose a CSR expert?
It’s important to choose an expert who is familiar with the company’s sector of activity, and who has previous experience of assignments in this field.
In addition to their training, it’s essential to check their communication skills.
Indeed, the CSR expert will be in contact with many stakeholders: management, employees, suppliers, etc., and he/she must be able to communicate with each party by listening to their needs and questions.
Finally, the consultant must also be attentive to the limits set by the company, and not seek to exceed them.
Contacting several sustainability consultancies and meeting several consultants is a good starting point for finding the right person for your company.
