Half the employers in India face a talent shortage
For the first time, India is suffering a severe shortage of skilled manpower, especially in the information technology (IT) sector, with 48% of all employers finding it tough to fill job positions, said a report by HR specialist Manpower Group.
The “2016/2017 Talent Shortage Survey” released on Tuesday is reportedly based on a global survey covering 42,000 employers across the world.
Apart from IT and accounting & finance, the most challenging job roles to fill are of project manager, sales manager, customer support, technician, quality controller and procurement staff.
AG Rao, group managing director of Manpower Group India, said: “The demand index for IT and accounting professionals has been on a continuous rise. Focus on technology upgrade and better financial access will drive growth in these sectors in the coming months.
“Further, with government and the RBI aiming to provide financial services in rural areas, the demand is set to grow across core and support functions.”
Rao also said that increased automation will lead to a rise in demand for high-skilled jobs. The areas, which will see high demand and lucrative pay packages include big data, analytics, mobility, design, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence.
The report also said employers couldn’t fill vacancies due to lack of soft skills (36%) among prospective employees, and aspirants looking for higher pay (34%).
Around 36% of the employers surveyed in India train their staff, and 33% offer higher pay to new recruits to tackle shortage of skilled workforce.
According to the report, as skills change rapidly, employers are looking inside for solutions, with 36% of Indian employers choosing to develop and train their own people.
Globally, 40% of employers surveyed are facing difficulty in filling job vacancies. Region-wise, 46% of Asian employers reported hiring difficulties, with Japan (86%), Taiwan (73%) and Hong Kong (69%) reporting most of the challenges, while just 10% of Chinese employers faced such an issue, the lowest of all countries surveyed.
Source: Hindustan Times, 20-10-2016
