Has the recession rocked Corporate Responsibility?

May 13, 2010 3:00 PM ET

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) May 13, 2010 - When the recession first hit the UK there were concerns within the Corporate Responsibility sector that budgets and teams focusing on this business function may be the first and worst hit by cuts. However the results of the most recent Corporate Responsibility Salary Survey suggest that this has not been the experience of CR professionals surveyed, and their outlook is in fact largely optimistic. 

The CR Salary Survey was conducted by specialist recruitment company Acre in partnership with consultancy Acona and the publication Ethical Performance in January and February this year, and surveyed 595 CR professionals around the world. 
 
The results showed that over 10 per cent of respondents were responsible for budgets over $2 million with a further 10 per cent managing a budget of between $1 million and $2 million, which is in line with the budgets respondents were controlling in the UK centric survey conducted in November 2008.
 
The results also suggest that during this period team sizes of CR professionals around the world have remained the same, with the majority of CR professionals working in teams of between 4 and 9 people.
 
But the biggest and most positive indicator that CR has withstood the recession and could actually being coming out the other side a stronger and more significant business function, is the increase in salaries in the UK. Comparing the salaries of this year’s UK respondents with those of last year’s, the evidence shows an average salary increase of around £5,000 for professionals working in CR.
 
Andy Cartland, Managing Director of Acre, comments, “It appears CR has just started to emerge from the recession and there is much to be optimistic about. I have observed a rapid pick up in the CR job market - a reflection perhaps of the opportunities emerging from the transition to a sustainable world and economy”.
 
Paul Burke, Senior Partner at Acona agrees “the survey confirms what we see every day in our work with clients: namely, that CR has moved from the periphery to the mainstream. Whether in relation to climate change, ensuring high labour standards within the supply chain or promoting diversity amongst the workforce, businesses are increasingly acknowledging the strategic nature of these issues and the opportunities they present.”
 
With 80 per cent of respondents feeling as or more secure in their job now than 12 months ago it is definitely true to say that CR has not been rocked by the recession and remains an integral business function, growing in strength and significance.
 
Notes:

·       The CR Salary Survey was an online questionnaire completed through out January and February 2010 by individuals working both in-house and for consultancies in Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability around the globe.

·       There were 595 Participants in total

·       46% were living in the UK, 25% in North America, 16% in the Rest of Europe

·       56% Female to 44% Male gender split

·       The survey used the US dollar($) as the base unit

·       Overall, the median salary was between $85-90k

·       Just over 10 per cent of respondents had control of budgets in excess of $2m.

·       Over 80 per cent had a first and or postgraduate degree, 10 per cent of these were in CR related subjects.

·       Women continue to occupy less senior roles and therefore are on average paid less than men.

Partners in the CR Salary Survey
 
Acre: Acre is an international recruitment firm specialising in the corporate responsibility and sustainability sectors. With offices in London and Chicago and a growing team of passionate individuals, we have placed hundreds of sustainability professionals in a range of organizations around the world, from leading corporate brands to specialist consultancies and innovative start-ups. More info - www.acre-resources.com
 
Acona: society and groups have expectations of how businesses should treat their customers, their employees and suppliers, the communities in which they operate and the environment. Acona’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) team works with companies to understand and respond to this agenda. The team is based in London, with staff all over the UK. We have a wide range of expertise and advise large, mainly corporate clients on the full range of social, environmental and ethical matters from tentative first steps through to measuring and reporting the outcomes. More info - www.acona.co.uk
 
Ethical Performance: Ethical Performance is a subscription-based monthly newsletter for senior executives now in its ninth year of publication that is read by more than 3,500 CSR and SRI personnel in large companies and investing institutions and related organizations in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. More info - www.ethicalperformance.com

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