From Students to Managers: Myth, or a Pressing Need for Today’s Economy?
Since 2017, hundreds of thousands of young people in Russia without any management experience have taken part in selection programmes to help them unlock their leadership potential. At the same time, the public and private sectors are continuing to evolve, and their requirements for candidates are changing accordingly – there is a desire to attract more dynamic and adaptable young people. However, lack of experience remains an issue, to say nothing of the economic consequences of the pandemic. Indeed, these are causing organizations to turn to experienced candidates capable of hitting the ground running. As a result, long-term considerations are being neglected, and youth unemployment is growing. Do selection programmes of the type alluded to above offer real value to the public and private sectors, or do they more resemble CSR or marketing ploys? What is the objective of initiatives of this kind? How can they be best employed, and how are they different to selection programmes for current managers? What skills do students lack in terms of beginning a managerial career, and what selection programmes employed by international companies for their management trainee programmes could be applied in Russia? And could international selection practices for fast-track leadership programmes be adopted in the country?
