There is an interesting shift in hiring patterns in recent times. While earlier companies preferred to hire skilled employees, the trend has now shifted, and now employers focus on hiring professionals with job-relevant skills as well as investing in upskilling their current employees.
Today the industry and academia innovate and update learning and development modules with a strong focus on skills to address industry-specific requirements. It is especially true for technology led careers.
The reasons for the gradual shift in company hiring patterns arise from the key principles of loyalty, productivity, and growth.
1. Employees associated with companies long-term are loyal and display trust in the institute and its growth. They are aligned with the culture and ethics of the organisation and prove a value addition. However, companies must recognise this loyalty and upskill them with relevant and new-age tech/operational skills to ensure optimum skills transformation and competency building.
2. Existing employees are aligned with the organisation’s vision and policies. The cost to train them with relevant updated skills is lower than investing in hiring, training, and employing a new professional. The productivity and delivery disruptions in operations are at a minimum.
3. In hiring an employee with exceptional industry experience and behavioural skills, it is beneficial to train a candidate with tech skills rather than hiring a candidate with limited behavioural and problem-solving skills. These skills are beneficial to the company and the professional in the long term.
Technology is ever-evolving, and so are the skills attached to it. Hence, hiring employees based on their managerial aptitude, behaviour, critical thinking, and problem-solving approach is a long-term investment rather than an employee who hones a skill but lacks the right work attitude and ethics. While technical skills can be learnt, behavioural skills are nurtured traits. An example is Ratan Tata choosing Shantanu Naidu as his private secretary rather than a skilled employee with experience. While Shantanu may not have had the technical expertise, he showcased the personality sought after by one of the biggest leaders of all time. To promote growth and scale with minimum disruption and
maximum human capital building, a company must invest in its employees. The growth by upskilling its workforce in line with the technological advancements that are bound to transform in years to come. However, while companies look to retain professionals, the responsibility of upskilling and skills transformation should be on the individual. Professionals should continually look for relevant courses and programs to train themselves on the latest technologies and tools. The solution lies in progressing as a team in sync with the technological changes rather than disintegrating and integrating a team to fit the changing landscape.
Views expressed by Robin Bhowmik, Chief Business Officer, Manipal Global Education Services(Skills Academy).
