Member Story: Hannah Grimstead, Corporate Responsibility Coordinator, WSP
- How did you get into CR&S, and why did you choose this profession?
I had worked within in the charity sector for 15 years, initially within the arts before working in the Corporate Partnerships teams at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Teenage Cancer Trust. New Business is rewarding, nothing beats the win (!), but it’s also relentless. The no’s outweigh the yesses and there definitely comes a time when you think, wouldn’t it be nice to be on the other side - the one writing the cheque?! While I loved the causes I worked for, I was also keen to broaden my support for different communities, both in the UK and globally. I am passionate about education, so getting to know businesses which had a mix of schools’ outreach work, charity of the year, volunteering and humanitarian aid really sparked my interest in switching from new business to CSR. Lastly, I was keen to get to grips with the ever-growing ESG, social value and climate field to develop my career and learnings. CSR gave me the opportunity to combine my expertise in charity with my passion for sustainability.
2. What are the most essential skills for working in CRS?
I found it really disheartening how difficult it was to secure a CSR role. I knew of many charity peers who had successfully made the switch from in-house account manager roles, but few who had made the transition from new business. However, understanding how to create and deliver successful corporate partnerships within large complex businesses, along with knowledge of Third Sector nuances and governance etc are a huge asset and shouldn’t be underestimated. Working in new business you develop a whole bank of skills which are entirely transferrable and valuable in CRS – internal communications, employee engagement, stakeholder management, strategy and planning etc etc are all going to be core skills you can draw on. And of course resilience – struggling to get volunteering sign ups or fundraising ideas off the ground is a universal issue - if you’re working for a charity or in a business, you’ll still need to persevere, adapt and mould your strategy to the specific business culture you’re faced with.
3. What advice would you give to others on getting into CR&S?
I am not an expert on how to switch from charity to private sector, but this is the journey I took…firstly, I self-funded an eight-week course in Business Sustainability Management with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership. Courses aren’t essential but it at least covered some basics around climate change, business risks, the UN’s SDGs, policy and legislation, greenwashing etc.
Secondly, I networked, networked and networked some more. Working in new business, I already had a huge bank of contacts across CSR, social value, ESG etc, so I asked for a 20min chat with as many people as I could. I grew my network and learnt a huge amount. Although my new role wasn’t a direct result of networking, it still gave me incredible insights and the motivation to keep going. I am sure that if I hadn’t secured my role at WSP, networking would have ultimately been the golden ticket.
If you’re trying to transition from charity to private as I did, just don’t give up! It might not be easy to secure your dream role, but don’t underestimate the core skills and knowledge you bring to the table.