To have the skills to match the job profile, it is important to change recruitment policies, says RACHIT JAIN
Hiring is the essence of progress for any industry and when considering a country that has a population of 1.2 billion, manpower should be the least of the issues. Yet, India suffers from a shortage of employability, as the majority of the youths stand unemployable, affecting the hiring and human resources trends greatly.
Present scenario
Unfortunately, the twist in the tale keeps getting complicated as instead of being an asset, human resource in our country is slowly declining into a liability.
The comparison is stark- India has the 7th largest economy in the world, growing at more than 7% rate and yet, it is dragging along a stagnant job market, which spells death-knell to growth and progress. Government data shows that the number of students passing from colleges is at least five times greater than the number of students getting placed. What the nation has forgotten is that the betterment of the youth of a nation should be treated as making a long-term investment which will yield results in future. But in order to bear fruit, one has to take care and nurture the plant- you reap what you sow.
Understanding the Gap
The actual number of unemployed youth in India is more than 31 million according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Youth4work, a path-breaking agency providing end-to-end solutions for professionals and employers, has skill tested the profiles of 3105423 users from all States of India.
However, the total number of jobs listed is 44970, which proves that the number of jobs isn't rising as per the requirement. This gap between job seekers and available jobs will get wider if we add the number of fresh graduates entering the job market and immigrants coming in search of jobs from other cities.
Social media hiring
Older, staid practices in hiring have also been a problem that the nation has been facing. With stagnant practices, the majority of the employers failed to lure in the right talent for their positions. Here social- media will play an important role, with its ever-evolving characteristic. Social Media enhances the outreach, helping HRs to tap a larger number of candidates while eliminating the biases the recruiters often have.
Training helps
Skilling is also an issue that the nation is heavily lacking in. With an undue focus on rote learning, student's are kept in a blindside, far away from the right kind of knowledge and training that they really require. Artificial as well as virtual reality makes the content and mode of learning more engaging, helping students learn easier. Visual cues, set in simulations are an engaging way to learn and disseminate information and hence should be considered as a worthy asset.
Corporate training will be aided by VR and AR for better understanding to employees, teaching them the nuances in a more real-time setting. Also, with the help of such technologies, HR departments can conduct webinars and conferences to counter stress and promote corporate wellness as well as teaching new joiners the essence of the organisation.
An edge
There are many dedicated education players and marketplace models leveraging technology to fit the right candidates to job profile requirements. Digital platforms like Youth4work.com direct today's highly competitive youth on the right career path.
The platform encourages and guides the youth to help them grow in their respective fields.
They offer online courses, certification, and train students to get high scores in competitive examinations. They ensure that their investment in skill development and education is optimized for maximum job market penetration, helping the young stay employable and relevant in an increasingly demanding market.
The writer is Founder-CEO,Youth4Work