In an era where professionals have been counseled to ‘be a specialist’ in order to raise their value in the workplace, we are starting to see a new line of thought that is favoring generalists.
In the past, generalists played a secondary role, filling skills gaps not covered by specialists. Today, about 87 percent of companies report they have skills gaps now or expect to have gaps within the next five years, according to O.C.Tanner data.
This isn’t to say that expertise is no longer important but rather that the ability to integrate diverse knowledge areas is becoming increasingly vital, especially for those in leadership positions.
Today’s business environment is increasingly complex with leaders having to understand not only the typical market variables, but now also apply advanced technology as more than simple backend solutions.
From e-commerce through to automating manufacturing and digitizing product development and demand planning, there’s a lot more on the table these days. And it’s unlikely to get less complicated.
That’s leading more companies to lean towards hiring multidisciplinary talent in leadership roles.
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