The Hindu Business Line : They are beginning to look beyond IT space

Bangalore, May 21 From ‘no way’ to ‘may be’ and now ‘OK’ -- there’s a perceptible attitude change among employees in the job market. Thanks to the hiring slowdown in the IT/ITeS sectors, the country’s young employable talent pool is now more open to opportunities in other active sectors (insurance, hospitality, core engineering), say recruiters.

“Life’s easier now for manufacturing companies that had to compete for talent with IT all these years,” says Mr E. Balaji, COO, Ma Foi Management Consultants. Professionals in industry-neutral functions such as finance, facilities and human resources are now more open to trying out opportunities in chemical, oil and gas, insurance, hospitality and auto sectors.

Campus hiring

Mr Rishi Das, CEO of CareerNet Consulting, a Bangalore-based recruitment firm, sees a change in the campus recruitment trends too. “Though the top five per cent students at IITs still look at tech jobs in MNCs, there is a large number willing to try out core sector engineering jobs such as mechanical or civil.” Even investment banks, which recruited from the IITs last year, may refrain from visiting campuses this year, he adds.

“Young employees are more aware of the need to look at opportunities other than IT/ITeS,” says Ms Nirupama V G, Managing Director, Ad Astra Consultants, a Bangalore-based hiring firm. In her opinion, there will be a bigger shake-out in ITeS than in IT, and this is likely to benefit retail and telecom sectors in terms of talent acquisition.

Ms Priya Gopalakrishnan, Director, HR, ING Vysya Life Insurance, welcomes the ‘wait and watch mood’ in the hiring intentions of the IT sector. “We see candidates displaying lot more willingness to look at other industries now. There was always a resource pool available in the country, but it’s easier to attract it now.”

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