With 63 percent HR managers at India Inc. buoyed about hiring amid the COVID-19 lockdown, this quarantine period may not be as gloomy as it seems.

In a recent TimesJobs survey, a majority (63 percent) of HR managers said that their company had been hiring amid the COVID-19 crisis time. Out of these, nearly 65 percent of respondents stated that they were hiring for niche positions only.

TimesJobs survey titled ‘The Indian workplace response to COVID-19’ gathered responses from 1,145+ HR managers working across different industries. The important takeaways from this survey include:

– Diversity topped the hiring agenda: A majority (61 percent) of HR managers asserted that hiring diverse talent was their top priority even when compared to other factors as Learning & Development.

– Leadership response was proactive: Around 34 percent of respondents said their executive management was working proactively to ensure business survival amid the crisis.

– Employee well-being gained the centre stage: More than 34 percent of respondents stated that restructured the employee health initiatives in sync with the public health advisory.

– The virtual workplace is here to stay: Nearly, 49 percent of respondents claimed that companies were investing in preparing for virtual work-ready modules, followed by compulsory upskilling activities.

Explaining the findings of the TimesJobs survey, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The last few months have been a roller-coaster ride. However, on the brighter side, it forced companies to adopt virtual operations more seriously. The survey also pointed that most companies were hiring for the niche roles only, and in my sense, these are the organisations which are virtual-ready, and have restructured/are restructuring their products and processes for customers and employees via technology.”

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Other notable insights from this survey were –

‘Business survival’ crucial for top leadership
Around 34 percent of professionals stated that their top management was working aggressively to find new solutions for business survival. Nearly, 24 percent of respondents said that their top brass was working on building a strong and transparent communication network within the organisation to smoothen the processes. While 16 percent of respondents asserted that their leaders were seeking ways to collaborate with competitors for business growth.

Companies investing in assessment tools to evaluate skills
TimesJobs survey asked how the hiring managers were assessing candidates in the present lockdown. Around 42 percent of respondents stated that their company used assessment platforms to evaluate skills on candidates, this hints that companies are becoming more cautious of who they bring on board.

Corporates held hiring audits to uphold D&I agenda while hiring amid COVID-19
Around 24 percent of HR managers said that they wrote neutral job posting to encourage diverse hiring during the COVID-19 lockdown. About 21 percent of professionals said that their company conducted a hiring audit to ensure the Diversity & Inclusion mandate was fulfilled. While 16 percent of respondents said that they were writing job posting using a tech-based tool to ensure they were hiring a diverse talent pool.

Download the complete report.

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