A brand-new Profession in Georgia You Might not have Thought About

By Etuna Tsotniashvili, Communications Manager at CiDA and Global Compact Network Georgia. 

Behind every forward-thinking successful company, there is a Corporate Sustainability (CS) Manager! The position is considered to be one of the most highly paid worldwide and absolutely critical for the success of the business.

While the world’s leading companies are well-aware of the importance behind having a CS Manager in place, the understanding and respect for this role in Georgia is less developed. Last year, our organization - CiDA conducted a research on Corporate Sustainability involving more than 1000 companies in the country. On the question - WHO GENERALLY OVERSEES THE CS PROCESS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? -  the vast majority of the companies replied that they had neither a CS department nor its manager. Instead, CS duties were usually incorporated into the duties of HR, marketing or public relations units/managers.

As a matter of fact, for any company that seriously considers and makes effort to improve its image, increase the revenue, ensure company’s long-term sustainability, and strives towards progress, it is essential to have a full-time CS Manager.

Is there a set path that one needs to take to pursue the CS profession today in Georgia? The answer is NO. If you’ve ever wondered how your colleagues ended up with this position, I can tell you straight away, - most of them did not have a chance to graduate from Sustainability Studies, therefore their path to success has not been easy. What unites these professionals is a dedication to improve the world by ensuring that their companies’ actions and products are ethical, responsible, sustainable and safe.

And again, what are the key competences that one needs to have to become a successful CS manager?

I briefly outlined some of them below.

Interest

Today there is no opportunity in Georgia to learn exclusively about CS at academic institutions. By pursuing the education in business management, international relations, human rights or law, you are one step closer to the new profession.  At the same time, there is a possibility to take online courses from leading universities, or a brand new opportunity to complete a certificate course on corporate sustainability in Georgia.

Passion

A CS Manager supervises company’s sustainability policy and is in a position to lead it towards positive changes. Guiding the entire team towards big change will cause continuous challenges and will require not only skills and knowledge but also a drive and genuine love for the job, the staff and the company.

Innovation

A CS Manager must be ready to merge existing ordinary business management and innovative approach so as to create modern, trendy and sustainable strategies which will bring the company’s overall success.   

Juggle tasks

A CS Manager should know company and staff inside-out. As this job requires direct communication with all levels of management, apart from technical and relationship-building skills, this person should have enough capacity to listen, understand and act accordingly, even when under pressure. In other words, CS Managers should be able to juggle multiple tasks, without burning themselves out.

So, those interested in pursuing a must-have career of tomorrow, are encouraged to deepen their knowledge in the field and of course, encourage their employer (if applicable) to:

• embrace CS in order to minimize negative effects on the environment, climate;
• promote human rights, ethics and safety;
• act responsibly both internally and externally.

Those (employers) who are not yet sure whether to incorporate sustainability into the business plan and everyday operation, so have not yet decided whether to announce a vacancy, here are some more arguments: international surveys by leading research organizations/ academic institutions show, that by having a strong CS strategy and a dedicated manager, the company:

• raises the efficiency of its operations;
• gains more trust from its partners and investors;
• attracts more loyal customers.

By putting a sustainability strategy into the company’s life and ensuring ethical behavior, a company becomes more profitable, boosts its reputation, and eventually gives something back to the communities and countries it serves.

I do hope that in the nearest future more and more professionals will grow their interest for Corporate Sustainability in Georgia, the Universities will add Corporate Sustainability Studies to their curricula, and we will see more emails with the signature – Corporate Sustainability Manager.

This article has been published within the Swedish Government funded project "Leadership for SDG in Georgia".