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A versatilist (also known as a generalizing specialist,^[1] technical craftsperson, renaissance developer, T-shaped person or master generalist) is someone who can specialize in a particular discipline and assume other roles with similar levels of ease.^{[citation needed]}

The term "versatilist" was used in a 2005 article from Gartner, where it states that "Versatilists are able to apply a depth of skill to a progressively widening scope of situations and experiences, equally at ease with technical issues as with business strategy."^[2] A 2006 article by George Hayward mentioned versatilism in the Industrial Safety and Health Network publication "FDO" (For Distributors Only).^[3] George Hayward wrote articles for the publication from 1997. He died in 2009.^[4]

It is advantageous for organizations to employ versatilists because they will be able to easily redeploy these type of employees based on changes in business requirements or strategy.

To illustrate this using a mathematical concept, versatilists have a higher area under the curve rating. A person with some level of knowledge/experience in 15 knowledge areas may have a very high competency (score 5) in 3 areas, a medium level of competency (score 3) in 5 areas, an introductory level of competency (score 1) in 4 areas, and no competency (score 0) in 3 areas. This creates an area under the curve of 34. This is different from a specialist who may score very high in one area and have no competency in others. This is also different from a generalist who may score a 1 or 3 in every area.^{[citation needed]}

This breadth of knowledge and experience enables faster changes to other roles.^{[citation needed]}

• Recruitment

• Gartner Says Technical Aptitude No Longer Enough To Secure Future for IT Professionals, Gartner Press Release, 9 November 2005.
• Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005.
• Generalizing Specialists - Improving Your IT Skills

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