Gen Y by its definition is revolutionary and has more interests in diversified areas. Most young professionals have career interests in diversified fields and shows potential in learning faster and expanding their learning horizons compared to the Gen X. I have met many individuals who have various interests in different fields who are willing to take up different functions and work in different industries but the biggest challenge that is faced by many of them is that the job market not allowing them to do so.
If you look at any job advertisement, job description, most highlight the relevant industry experience as a must neglecting the fact that an individual who is fast in grasping concepts, who has excelled in many different areas, who has performed extraordinarily in professional exams, who has managed time between work and studies, who have performed well in their current functions could well be the next leader for an industry that they are new to. This might not work in very specialized industries such as software development if the requirement is a coder but there are so many other functional areas from marketing , branding, management accounting, analysis, research,operations management,etc where the diversification actually could bring in new blood to the organization.
I am not certain if it is the risk averse nature of the Sri Lankan job market and corporate that doesn't facilitate the diversification at greater extent, but in my opinion it does affect and limit the capacity of most of young individuals who are ready to take up challenges in unknown horizons. Learning the building blocks of the industry is something that can be done on the job always, it is the qualities such as creativity, determination, work ethic, willingness to take risks, hard work, multitasking capability and ability to grasp new concepts that are key to success in today's competitive business environment. So why not give a chance to an individual who has excelled in many other areas a chance to prove him/herself?
In my opinion, risk adverseness in current corporate are largely due to the non availability of succession planning within the Organization. Most of the time, the recruited individuals are expected to perform as soon as they join in. I believe with the changing environments and given the entrepreneurial spirit in Gen Y members, it is critical that Organizations have a succession planning strategy where individuals with diversified experiences are brought in to the Organization and industry exposure is given so a new perspective is allowed in decision making. This would not only be a ground for success for Organizations but also for young individuals who have started their career at very early ages and who are ready to take up challenges no matter what they are exposed to.
It is true that Industry experts are required to head an Organization, Unit , Division but if the doors are opened for individuals with diversified industry experiences, I am certain there will be a flow of cross industrial best practices that can facilitate growth in any given Organization. Sri Lanka is not yet there in terms of being open to young dynamic resources but it could be the right time for Sri Lankan job market as well as corporate to re-think their strategies to get the best out of the Gen Y.
They are different and they want it differently.
