CSR specialist to be officially added to the Polish list of occupations of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy

1 marca 2019

A corporate social responsibility specialist will be officially added to the Polish classification of occupations and specializations for labor market purposes in its next amendment. This is the result of nearly two years of work done by the Responsible Business Forum in cooperation with experts from companies participating in its Partnership Program, which together with the association contribute to the popularization of CSR standards in Poland.

Preceded by consultation with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology, the decision of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy confirming the addition of a corporate social responsibility specialist (official designation) to the list of occupations was adopted in early February this year. The occupation will be registered in the next amendment of the classification planned in 2020, which is also the twentieth year of operation of the Responsible Business Forum.

By decision of the Ministry, a CSR specialist is to be located in Major Group 2 “Specialists” (a degree in tertiary education is required for all occupations listed in this group), in Unit Group 2421 “Management and Organization Specialists” (which includes, inter alia, the following occupations: 242106 Organizational improvement specialist; 242108 Logistics specialist (http://psz.praca.gov.pl).

– The idea that a CSR specialist should be added to the classification of occupations and specializations of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy was conceived as a part of our works developing the topic of the role and place of CSR people in Poland, which was initiated by the Responsible Business Forum with inspiration from the representatives of BGŻ BNP Paribas Bank. It is a milestone both for our organization and for the development of CSR in Poland. We appreciate this decision of the Ministry and their supportive attitude. We also appreciate the commitment of our partners – says Marzena Strzelczak, general manager, Responsible Business Forum. – What is important for all those who deal with this topic is that the occupation in question was classified under the unit group of ‘Management and Organization Specialists’. This is exactly the category which is supposed to include occupations that support ‘efficient organizational management’. This is the status we have been seeking and this is the model we have been propagating in the world of business. The role of CSR is to make a difference for companies and organizations – she adds.

CSR specialist as an occupation

In June 2017, the Responsible Business Forum invited representatives from its partner companies to a meeting dedicated to the discussion of a CSR person’s job profile. During the workshop, the participants debated about how the position of a CSR person should be called, what regular responsibilities they should have, what their education level should be, who they should report to, and who they should cooperate with. Representatives of the following companies also took part in the workshop, held at the head office of BGŻ BNP Paribas Bank: Antalis Poland, Santander Bank Polska, Citi Handlowy, Deloitte, Siemens, Castorama Polska, Lafarge Poland, Lyreco, PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna.

The next step was to learn what stakeholders of the Responsible Business Forum thought of the topic. A survey was conducted in order to enable them to present their comments and ideas. The activities were summarized in two publications: an infographic and a thematic study, both entitled “A CSR person: who’s that?” (links to the STUDY https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/publikacje/analiza-tematyczna-csr-owiec-czyli-kto/, INFOGRAPHIC https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/publikacje/infografika-csrowiec-czyli-kto/).

In December 2018, the Responsible Business Forum completed the application form for adding a new occupation/specialization to the classification of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy. In February this year, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy informed us, after consultation with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology, that a corporate social responsibility specialist would be added to the classification of occupations and specializations in the next amendment, planned in 2020. This will also be the Forum’s twentieth anniversary, which has some symbolic significance.

In the thematic study “A CSR person: who’s that?,” CSR competences are defined as follows: they “develop and enlarge professional competences rather than replace them. Combined, they transform the mindset in which an organization is seen as a single entity into a mindset in which organization is a part of a network of entities which focus on values within a broader economic ecosystem. They facilitate a modification of the perspective: from a focus on the shareholder to a focus on social and environmental objectives, and on the stakeholder.”