How to compete for the next generation of development talent

It’s no secret that competition for top international development professionals can be fierce. “A foot race for intellectual talent” has begun as new actors and players enter the sector, RTI’s International Development Group Executive Vice President Aaron Williams aptly put it during a Devex Career Forum. With buzzwords like innovation, localization and sustainability becoming common vernacular and new technologies and approaches rapidly disrupting how we do development, we wondered: How is this changing the face of the modern aid worker? Devex recently conducted a survey, in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and Population Services International, of our community of development professionals to see what tools, skills and approaches they think the next generation of development professionals will need to thrive and how the evolving aid industry is impacting what kind of talent will be needed. One finding was clear: Eighty-four percent of respondents believe that in 10 years, the technology, skills and approaches used by development professionals will be significantly different than they are today. The results paint the picture of a well-rounded, flexible professional who takes a holistic view of development work. Just as likely to be a venture capitalist or high-tech whiz as your traditional aid worker, the future development professional will need to be agile, collaborative and constantly learning new skills. Here are three key findings from the survey and what they mean for your organization’s talent needs: 1. Cultivating a highly diverse well of talent The majority of respondents believe that localization will drive down the need for long-term expatriate development experts, but increase the need for short-term expatriate development experts. Localizing your recruitment outreach to program countries is a given as is developing an arsenal of experts that may be even more diverse than it is today. The expertise you need may not come from within traditional development players. Respondents predict people working in global development are more likely to be someone from a high-tech firm, social enterprise, corporation, large-scale funds or venture capital firm than they are today. To stay competitive, your organization may need to attract professionals from these nontraditional actors either through partnerships or short-term engagements. And while specialists will still be in demand, 27 percent of respondents said it would be the most in-demand career path, integrators, with 47 percent of the vote, are predicted to be the most important role in development. Yet few positions today have these skills and duties written into the job description, let alone use this term in the job title. 2. Jack of all funders, master of none Ninety percent of respondents believe that in 10 years time, professionals with a basic understanding of working with a wide range of funders will be more successful than those specializing in one. This would be an obvious shift from the reality today where development organizations and their staff tend to specialize in a single donor like USAID, the U.K. Department for International Development or the EU. The way job requirements are typically devised and departments structured, today’s professional is almost forced into specializing in one funder. To help groom a more diverse talent force, organizations should consider bringing in expertise with more well-rounded funding experience and providing learning opportunities for their staff to work on projects and proposals from multiple funding sources. 3. Constant skill development critical to a professional’s success The number one piece of advice respondents gave to the next generation of development professionals is to invest in skills development and continuously upskill. The skills professionals wanted the most training and education in were multidisciplinary and cross-cutting approaches, new methods of financing, public-private partnerships, impact evaluation and data-driven and evidence based programming. Seventy percent of respondents between the ages of 25 and 44 ranked sustainability as the number one approach the next generation development professional will need to master in order to succeed. Organizations that invest in the development of their staff will not only better serve their mission by cultivating the skills they need to thrive but also be more competitive for the next generation of talent. Professionals seek employers that will provide these growth opportunities and will likely base career decisions on whether or not you can provide them. For more analysis of the Next Generation Development Professional Survey and what it means for the future of development talent, download this report from PSI and read the following: 5 things to know about the next generation development professional and Who will you be working beside in 10 years? Whether you’re a seasoned expert or budding development professional — check out more news, analysis and advice online to guide your career and professional development, and subscribe to Doing Good to receive top international development career and recruitment news every week.