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Young professionals seek that bit more

Sankar Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, July 2

DESPITE good compensation packages and fancy designations, young professionals today yearn for emotional support and recognition. They want to be `taken care of' and increasingly look towards the human resources (HR) department for fulfilling this need.

Yet, the key drivers for this group are money and an enhanced market value (perceived to be a function of job content and the brand one works for). This was one of the nuggets of information thrown up by a survey on the `mind of the Indian professional' conducted by the Chennai-based Totus Consulting Services (P) Ltd.

According to Mr Ganesh Chella, the founder of Totus Consulting and former HR head of the RPG group's retail business sector, the survey was the outcome of the belief that not much information was available on how the attitudes of the Indian professional had evolved over the last two decades, given the background of the sweeping changes that occurred during this period.

The objective of the study, he said, was to determine how two groups of professionals -- those with less than five years of experience and those with over 12 years of experience -- reacted to a variety of work-related factors. The areas covered included how they made career decisions, what factors influenced their career decisions, how they defined success and so on.

The survey, which covered professionals in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, took the form of focus group discussions and depth interviews.

The study also sought the views of HR professionals, CEOs, academics and consultants on the beliefs and attitudes of the two groups of executives.

Another aspect of the study was the grouping of the participants into four sectors -- intellectual, human, brand and material -- based on the nature of the work they performed. And while `intellectual' refers to those in knowledge-based industries, `huma n' includes all those in the traditional services sector. `Brand' refers to all those in the FMCG sector, while `material' includes those working in capital-intensive sectors such as engineering.

The survey found that there had been a redefinition of the concept of security -- from being job-based to knowledge-based. For the young professional, security comes from the skill set he possesses and not his job.

Hence, there is no stigma attached to job hopping or being laid-off. Similarly, careers are no longer driven by the needs of the organisation, but are dictated by the needs of the individual, with youngsters very clear on not just the area they want to w ork in, but also on the company they want to work for and the area of specialisation.

Another sphere that has witnessed a dramatic change is the orientation towards a career. The emphasis has shifted from a long-term outlook to a short-term one. This has been accompanied by the shrinking of the different phases in a professional's career.

In the past, there were three distinct phases -- learning, giving and taking. The study found that this has changed today, with all three activities happening concurrently.

According to the survey, today's young professionals do not have the benefit of natural mentors and are increasingly relying on self-learning. The study also found that young executives no longer have the time or inclination for details. Instead the emph asis is on width instead of depth.

However, the intensity of these behavioural patterns vary across sectors, with youngsters in the `intellectual' and `human' segments more prone to behaving on these lines. Education too plays an important role in determining the patterns of behaviour say s the study, with youngsters with MBA degrees from premier institutions and IT professionals likely to behave in a similar fashion.

The rider, however, is that this behaviour is viewed as the benchmark for all young professionals, something all of them must aspire to.

And while CEOs have been able to cope with these changes, for many senior professionals, the transition has been almost impossible to make, says the survey.

And this, declares the report, has led to a situation where the CEO blames senior executives for the slow pace of change.

The reports adds that most organisations have little sympathy for the tribulations of senior executives and expect them to change in tune with the new circumstances. The message for this group seems to be `shape up, or...'.

The study found that for the HR function too things have changed. For one there has been a return to the welfare function of yore, but with a difference -- greater sophistication.

HR professionals are also increasingly being expected to understand the business and the needs of those in the business and then tailor the HR function to meet those specific needs.

The message, the study seems to be sending out, is that Indian corporates need to invest more time and effort in developing managers. And that the need of the hour is to create a culture that is sensitive to the needs of older professionals while encoura ging younger executives, stimulates learning and helps create leaders. India Inc, it seems, has its task cut out.