IT/telecom sector hiring continues to grow; talent demand shifts focus to core functions

Talent demand shifted focus from support to core roles in Jan-Jun 2015, even as India Inc. consolidated hiring, reveals the RecruiteX Half-Yearly Report 2015 by TimesJobs.com.

Middle and senior-level professionals dominated hiring across industries in Jan-Jun 2015. Professionals with 4-15 years of experience were most in demand during this period, reports RecruiteX.

"As businesses plan expansion and more startups emerge, the trend of hiring experienced senior professionals is expected to continue. Niche skills in change management, risk management, controls and compliance expertise are some key areas that will be sought at middle and senior levels across sectors in the coming months." Says Vivek Madhukar, COO, TimesJobs.com

Talent demand shifts focus to core functions

Hiring increased for core functions, especially tech profiles, during Jan-Jun 2015. Demand for Engineering, Project Management, Product Development, Finance, and Technology professionals all saw upticks. The previous 6 months (Jul-Dec 2014) had seen hiring trending upwards for support functions.

Sales & marketing professionals continued to have high demand during the first half of 2015 and saw a 2% spike. Within the sales function, B2B, corporate and channel sales were in the highest demand according to TimesJobs.com
In technology and engineering domains, most of the demand was for product, design & development and quality engineers. At the junior and middle levels, tech jobs in the IT sector accounted for 71% of the total job share. A new trend emerged as embedded technology specialists made entry into the top ten sought-after job roles at junior levels.

Recruitment up in IT/telecom, e-commerce; Start-ups add jobs

Similar to the trend in Jul-Dec 2014, among the top 10 industries, IT/telecom topped the recruitment chart during Jan-Jun 2015. Moreover, it was not just giants who ruled the roost. Young tech startups, entering domestic and international markets with innovative products and solutions, created significant employment opportunities in the first half of 2015.

In BFSI, demand grew by 3-5% for professionals with online and digital marketing skills and the ability to develop innovative sales models, especially in insurance.

In healthcare/pharmaceuticals, as focus shifted to innovation and research, demand went up for R&D talent with specialization in clinical research and biotechnology. 67% of the jobs in this industry was for middle level professionals.

The eCommerce and startup craze grew bigger in Jan-Jun 2015. It didn’t just create new jobs but also pumped up hiring at middle and senior levels, especially for technology, engineering, sales/business development and marketing professionals.

The impact of Make in India initiative seemed to level out as hiring activity in core manufacturing and related sectors such as automobile, healthcare and consumer durables/FMCG alleviated, finds the RecruiteX Half-Yearly Report 2015.

Jobs continue to grow in small cities

Locations such as Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala all witnessed growth rates of over 20% during Jan-Jun 2015. Also noteworthy, Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai & Pune) showed a strong hiring sentiment reports TimesJobs.com

Among metros, Bengaluru and Delhi NCR were the highest gainers in share of jobs clocking over 50% of the total jobs across sectors, according to TimesJobs' RecruiteX Half-Yearly Report 2015.

Key findings
· IT/telecom industry topped talent demand during Jan-Jun 2015
· Demand for core engineering and tech profiles increased during the first half of 2015
· Tier II and III locations continued to see greater talent demand
· Middle and senior level professionals dominated hiring space
· The overall job sentiment during the period was guarded with demand index witnessing an average 1% drop.