How the times have changed for potential recruits
There was a time in the late 1990s and early 2000s when the software
companies were hiring anyone with some basic computer skills. A popular
joke that did the rounds was about a leading software company having the
message of “Trespassers would be recruited”. Such was the demand for
software professionals that graduate from all fields were eager to join
the bandwagon. The situation now is completely different with stringent
entry norms, raising the skills bar, and paying the minimum salaries
instead of large pay packets and associated benefits.
Indeed, there is a sea change from the time when candidates used
to take calls from other companies when the interview for a particular
company was going on. This is an indication of the change from the
exuberant times in the 1990s and the early 2000s to the present where
the overall mood is of stagnation and low growth.
Hiring Strategies in a Low Growth Economy
The hiring strategies have similarly changed with the change in the
economic scenario. Earlier, the HR function used to be given a target of
the number of employees to be recruited in a specified period and their
performance and the bonuses were measured in terms of how well they met
these targets. The present scenario is one where the HR function is
given qualitative limits instead of quantitative limits. What this means
is that quality matters more than numbers and companies are no longer
tolerating low skilled or low quality candidates. This has increased the
pressure on both the recruiters as well as the HR functions. Whereas in
earlier years, the pressure was on finding the high number of people
required, now the pressure is on finding the right candidate.
Some Strategies for fresh graduates
These trends have implications for those who are graduating now and
those who have graduated in the last couple of years. The best bet even
now remains campus interviews and targeted placements as these avenues
of recruitment are still numbers driven. The other aspect is that the
fresh graduates have to invest their time and effort in upgrading their
skills and learning more skills as that would make them stand out from
the competition. The key aspect here is that one must be distinctive in
order to score over the competition and as the hiring now is tougher and
based on finding the fit between the employee and the role, it is
advisable to study the requirements of the role thoroughly and then
prepare for the test and the interview accordingly.
Closing Thoughts
Finally, when times are tough, the tough get going and so, the hiring
of those with mental toughness and the ability to work under pressure
is the norm. Apart from this, the fact that the hiring is more location
based because of various factors means that proximity to the major
cities would be an added advantage. The recent encouragement of the
development of Tier Two cities means that candidates who are not near to
the cities can still benefit if they are located in these up and coming
cities.
