CEIPAL Next Recruitment Magazine

TALENT MANAGEMENT IN THE NEW NORMAL Published On: September 2021 CEIPAL Next - Pilot Edition

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PARTNERS

FROM THE

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF It has been almost a year since all of us have been in the “New Normal” or the “Normal 2.0” as several like to call it. We could never imagine a year like this, like this one, plagued with … well, literal plagues and murder hornets and deadly bushfires, and so much more. Despite the rollercoaster of a year, the resilience of businesses reminds us of the semblance of good that came out of the past year – the ways we’ve embraced a terrible moment in history and still found ways to highlight the good in it.

If there’s one thing every community needs to thrive, it’s big ideas. With such ideas come the usual buzz phrases – grabbing the hearts and minds of a local populace. Words like “bold vision,” “entrepreneurial mindset,” and “blue-sky thinking.” These sentiments can rightfully stir up talk of what great things could be possible in any organization, from a small business to a large city.

There was a time when technology would impact human lives. Today is the time when technology has influenced our lives more so in the sense that it is increasingly redefining our everyday living. Whether it is education, healthcare, infrastructure, or business everything is run on technology. And technology is not having a one-way effect, it’s affecting how we consume, reflect, and represent our thoughts. Technology is not just a tool anymore; it has entered our daily lives and has become an extension of ours. The question as the human generation we face now is not how technology will impact our lives in the future but how we will evolve with technology. The best thing that has emerged out of the pandemic is technology equalizing it all. Anyone can study from anywhere from wherever they like, which means human created boundaries are being pushed back. Digital learning is available for all and not only for the chosen ones. All this can happen only because technology treats everyone as equals – without any bias. For me, technology has been a great leveler.

Last year, after questioning where we are, this year we will get answers on where we will be as the adoption of technology has accelerated our needs to work together. Over the years, technology has intertwined our lives and now technology and humans work in tandem. How we are adopting this technology for the greater good will lead us to what more we can achieve.

This is a quarterly magazine for the Talent Acquisition & HR Industry. Every issue has 30 (sometimes more) original, curated and commissioned feature articles and essays on a broad range of topics relevant to the industry and function of Human Resources as a whole.

We have both print and digital versions of the issue. You can view and download all editions of the issue at this link: www.ceipal.com/ceipal-nextmag We write about talent, talent acquisition, talent management, talent engagement, talent communities and all things Talent. We mix thought leadership pieces with insightful industry-centric content pieces.

Our articles have a connection, from a thread to a rope, from a tale to a technology and everything in between. For instance, when we run an article on the benefits of technology to talent acquisition, we peel away the mystery and provide useful information. When you read about Artificial Intelligence, you’ll learn that 91% of businesses are looking to adopt the tech but don’t know how to. Our clean, reader-friendly design integrates everything from business to tech to process and provides insightful perspectives on how to make the best of everything.

Most importantly, we show the utmost respect for your time and attention.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Saahit Togaru

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Alibha Priyadarshini Manisha Nagarale

CREATIVE HEAD

D.O.P

RESEARCH

Narendar Vosuri

Sai Vignesh Nair

Sai Vamsi

Want to contribute? Contact - ceipalnext@ceipal.com

Contents

Empowering Change - Nirupama Vellore Ganapathy

The HR Services sector is taking a lead to support businesses post pandemic

03 05

- Bettina Schaller

CEIPAL Next, What’s Next for HR? - Fareeda Begum

The cio handshake for tomorrow’s Virtual talent landscape - Sathidevi S Raj

Cyber security talent in the Covid-19 era - Christine Wright

Managing The Workforce Amidst Pandemic - Manu Saigal

Impact of pandemic on Human resource and Development - Nikita K

India Inc: How to choose a staffing company?

- Suchita Dutta

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24 27 30 33 35 38

The Talent Landscape Today Implications Of Covid And Test Of Resilience - Vijay Sivaram

How To Build A Diverse Workforce And Why Procurement Is So Crucial - Sameer Penakalapati

Enriching The Workforce - Gaurav Sharma

Robotic Process Automation Disrupting Business!

- Amarnatha Reddy Chadipirala

Future Of Recruitment - Mukul Thuse

Ever Heard Of Assignment Selling?

- subhash

Top 4 A.I trends in the staffing & Recruitment space

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Hr tech trends during covid-19

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Recruitment ecosystem in the new normal

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Exemplarii: Case Study

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THE WOMEN GAME CHANGERS Sathidevi is a business leader with 20+ years of experience in IT consulting services. Her career is marked by remarkable achievements in setting up new business initiatives, strategic alliances and building customer relationships. She is highly entrepreneurial and relationship driven, with a deep passion for customer delight.

sathidevi

CIO -Country Head Randstad India

Nirupama is the brain behind Ad Astra. She is a serial entrepreneur and comes with more than 25 years of experience in HR and Recruitment Consulting. Nirupama has co-founded & built three of India’s largest HR consulting firms which were acquired by Randstad, Aon Hewitt and ADP. She is considered a thought leader in the recruitment industry. She mentors family businesses, especially women entrepreneurs to strategize and scale. She serves on the Board of Milltec as an Independent Director She was on the executive council of Executive Recruiters Association and a career mentor with Monster- the worlds’ largest job portal. She has been recognized as a top 25 women entrepreneurs building India Globally by Silicon India.

Nirupama Vellore Ganapathy Founder & Ceo Ad Astra Consultants

Bettina Schaller oversees the Group Public Affairs activities of the Adecco Group, encompassing regulatory and policy issues, and the Adecco Group’s engagement in Employers’ Associations and Strategic Partnerships at global and European scale. Bettina joined CIETT, now WEC, shortly upon her on boarding at the Adecco Group, with roles in the EUROCIETT Public Affairs Committee and as Corporate Representative of the Adecco Group. Soon, representation on the EUROCIETT Sector Social Dialogue Committee ensued.

In August 2014, Bettina took on the Chair of the EUROCIETT Public Affairs Committee, and consolidated the Adecco Group Corporate Membership Representation in the CMC Committee and at CIETT Board level. Since December 2017 Bettina had been acting as President of WECEurope and Member of the WEC Board and Executive Committee.

bettina schaller

World Emploment confederation Public Affairs The Adecco Group

Fareeda Begum Director HR Hitachi Solutions

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Fareeda Begum oversees Talent Management. As a HR Consultant in Hitachi Solutions. She is involved in helping people and organizations set up different HR Processes, HRIS Systems, Performance Management processes, Operations, Company Culture and customer-driven excellence, leading them to a successful path full of exciting challenges and achievements. She has been a Talent Acquisition Specialist for over 17 years, she has been in building the most effective workforces possible, she has been helping businesses find their perfect hires. Fareeda truly believes that building a strong relationship with people makes her a better person because she is always learning from them. Fareeda is a data-driven person who is passionate about building teams and dreams. Data backed with metrics helps the organizations to develop action plans that will support different operations within the organization. She has consistently delivered & fine-tuned strategies to ensure greater employee satisfaction and welfare, by keeping abreast of the latest trends. All of this has allowed her to acquire a cross-functional experience, working in a dynamic multinational environment, influencing and partnering with stakeholders at all levels, focusing on improving people’s experience and business growth. Fareeda is also someone who cares about quality, strategy, and results.

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Christine Wright is responsible for the growth and expansion of the Central and West US Region and leading national strategic projects. This is the latest function in her extensive 25-year career with Hays where she has lead the establishment, turnaround and management of high performing businesses across 4 continents. Prior to her current role Christine was the Managing Director of the Asia region where she was responsible for the day to day operational management and significant growth of Hays in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and India. Christine has also played key roles in the management of Hays’ business in Australia and in the United Kingdom. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Statistics and Computing, has attended business programs at IMD, Ashridge, De Ruwenburg business schools and is a member of the Director Institute of Australia. Christine lives in Denver with her husband and is an executive mentor in her spare time.

Christine wright Senior Vice President Hays

Manu Saigal heads the Contract Staffing & Permanent Hiring Business and is responsible for driving growth and coordinating operations in the region. She comes with over 20 years of rich experience and her background includes P&L management, go-to-market strategy, and sales leadership - growing and managing large scale businesses. Her passions are creating and maintaining client relationships, as well as developing and executing growth strategies and team management. In the last 5 years, Manu has donned multiple roles within The Adecco Group, India; driving the Professional Staffing, Managed Services, Permanent Placement, Pharmaceutical, and Life-Sciences business lines. Manu holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Mysore University and a MBA degree from Dayalbagh University, Agra.

Manu Saigal

Director, General Staffing Adecco

Nikita heads the Delivery, Operations, Payroll, Accounts, Technology Development and Solution Designing teams. Her current role as a centralized Leader incorporates designing organizational structure, creating policies and processes; developing work model for new business; partnering in diversifying our line of business and services; managing financial equations for Offshore; liaison with US counterparts; interacting with clients; and providing directions for enriching our human capital by investing in training and technology.

As the head of the business in India, her role entails ensuring financial growth as well as overall stability/sustainability of the business. She is a vibrant and compassionate leader who has a clear vision for collective growth. She has been backing up the vision of the company and leading it through crisis to new heights since 2015.

NIKITA K

VP - Delivery & Operations Kyyba Inc

Suchita comes from a background of spearheading roles in marketing communications, technology and research for over 19 years in both private and non-profit sectors. Her experience stems from managing roles in a global staffing firm for establishing & streamlining communications, brand development and technology initiatives. The overall involvement in business helped her understand the nuances of the staffing industry in depth. Prior to that her experience encompasses strategizing across industries and companies for marketing communications and media management with teams across APAC, EMEA and US. As part of ISF’s endeavour, Suchita aims at strengthening the efforts of the staffing Industry towards comprehensive growth, building strategic relationships and establishing effective linkages between industry, employers, government & temporary contractual employees. She is an alumni of IIM Kolkata (Strategic Management) as an advanced degree, Post Graduate of Mass communication and an honors (graduate) of Economics.

SUCHITA DUTTA

Executive Director Indian Staffing Federation WWW.CEIPAL.COM

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EMPO W E R I NG CHANGE - Nirupama Vellore Ganapathy

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irupama Vellore Ganapathy has always been an entrepreneur who looks for the right opportunity at the right time and brings it to reality. She has over two decades of experience in the staffing industry. She has co-founded three of India’s largest HR consulting firms which were later acquired by Multinational HR firms. She also co-founded Ad Astra Consultants in 2007.

If you see the meaning of Ad Astra – it is Latin for “Reaching the Stars”. With a similar vision in mind to make Ad Astra an industry leader in the Recruitment sector. Nirupama wanted to provide a service according to the client’s requirements instead of the standard services that most consulting firms do.

Ad Astra provides full suite bespoke talent solutions across more than 40+ countries and specializes in Board and Executive search, Recruitment process outsourcing, Contingent search, Temporary staffing, and HR consulting services like Payroll, Policymaking, etc. Our clients come from a large spectrum of industries from Information Technology, BFSI, Engineering, Manufacturing, Transportation, Venture engine practice, etc.

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Ad Astra has been awarded the “Best Vendor” and “Quick turnaround specialist” and ranked as one of the five Most promising HR Consulting companies in India. Ad Astra was also the only company from India to be published as a case study by “Oxford Economics” through an Amex study on SME pulse as to how global SMEs are unlocking growth. Ad Astra is now expanding their global outreach in Europe as well. They have also been featured in Forbes India 2021 June edition for their Global outreach.

With the brightest minds and hardworking employees, Nirupama now heads close to 200+ employees.

The leadership team has a combined experience of 150+ years. Ad Astra’s vision is to be the industry leader in HR Solutions provider in Asia and Europe and be thepreferred vendor of choice. It has been Ad Astra’s mission to change lives every day – one job at a time.

Technology is the backbone of the company. With product features like configurable dashboard for bespoke solutions to the clients, are becoming more and more helpful every day. Ad Astra has automated its internal platforms end to end from business development, candidate and client life cycle, invoice and collection cycle and payroll making it a key player in the staffing industry.

The pandemic disrupted the workforce globally. Nirupama pointed out that for the initial three months when the pandemic started, things got hampered, but thereafter, the business grew exponentially.

“COVID did affect their business in the first quarter of 2020. We were all thrust to work from home. No one had any idea after how long the offices will open again. And we saw a decline in requirements from our clients as they were also facing a similar situation. However, we did not believe in letting any of our employees go to manage the losses. We believed in our employees and they rewarded the same level of trust in us. We quickly came over the difficult times like never before. It is so surreal that the work has amplified in online modes now compared to pre-covid times.”

As a roadmap ahead Nirupama points that she would like Ad Astra to be the first topmost women-owned enterprise in the staffing industry in India, apart from global expansions.

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The HR Services sector is taking a lead to support businesses post pandemic

- Bettina Schaller

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New ways of working are a new frontier for in supporting businesses in emerging into business too and McKinsey finds that over 20% the post-pandemic era. We have a host of expe- of the workforce could effectively work remotely 3-5 days a week post pandemic. Implementing rience in working alongside companies to tacksustainable, hybrid models that recognise the le the challenges and opportunities presented by shift to remote and flexible working while reevolving labour markets. flecting the needs of business and workers is set to be a major challenge for organisations around Our sector plays a key role in simplifying labour the world. Employers will need support and new market complexity. Let’s start with the impact approaches to leadership and management. he HR Services sector is ready to take a lead

of technology: harnessing new technology is a key theme right across the business community.

A McKinsey global survey finds that 36% of companies have accelerated the digitisation of supply chains since the start of the Covid-19 crisis – with 67% speeding up automation and the use of AI in particular. The HR Services sector can help business to make sense of how these changes will impact recruitment supply, career management and selection procedures.

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Making sense of complexity and supplying agile workforce solutions has become a permanent feature of Covid labour markets and much of this will remain. Our industry can help by reconciling individual expectations with mass-customised solutions, developing digital solutions to simplify routine tasks, and using on-the-ground knowledge to deliver an in-depth understanding of labour markets - including talent analytics, vacancies and skills shortages.

we will need to monitor evolving needs as a priority. Failure to attract the right staff - whether permanent, temporary, contractors or interim - is a material risk to business success. Over the past year we have worked collaboratively with many companies in facilitating a safe return to work for all workers, regardless of their contract, following periods of lockdown.

Setting in place the right hiring and workforce management procedures and supporting companies to establish compliant and ethical recruitThe ‘new normal’ will also bring new market op- ment supply chains will be a key element in repuportunities for the HR Services sector. External tation management strategies. This goes hand in recruitment services for example – normally the hand with mitigating the risk of unemployment preserve of large companies – are now more like- by enabling work, providing new opportunities, ly to be sought by SMEs and micro businesses. A facilitating transitions and increasing job creation further opportunity will be in helping policymak- in a low-growth environment. Career manageers to understand the variety of different working ment experts play a huge role in facilitating tranoptions and the new business models and com- sitions and have supported large numbers of peoponents within recruitment supply chains. In ple around the world in gaining a foothold in the particular, they will need to better understand the labour market. In Chile, Greece, Germany and complexities of certain sectors such as hospitality, Mexico for example, over 50% of agency workers airlines and real estate which have been hit hard were previously unemployed or inactive. by the pandemic. I believe that one legacy of the pandemic will be an enhanced focus on risk manThe HR Services sector supports both employers agement. and workers by delivering responsible intermediation that makes jobs markets work. The crisis Our industry is uniquely placed to be a solution has shone a light on the importance of flexible provider here, working alongside clients to en- and agile staffing and on the need for diversihance their brand and drive reputation manage- ty in every area of the labour market - in labour ment. The crisis is likely to have a lasting impact contracts, working time and work location. Our on workforce-related risk and in the current stop- sector is uniquely placed to help companies sucgo economy, agile workforce solutions will play a ceed by harnessing technology and driving innocentral role in quickly addressing and pre-empt- vation. We operate within a clear and established ing risk. In essence we are moving from a just- regulatory framework in most markets and abide in-time approach to staffing to a just-in-case one, by a Code of Conduct to behave responsibly. as employers struggle to anticipate the skills and It will be important to promote a regulatory level playing field for those offering workforce manstaff they will need. agement services in order to protect both companies and workers and uphold their rights and McKinsey found that 87% of organisations ex- protections. With this in place intermediaries can perienced skills gaps or expected to do so. Com- support employers in embracing speed and oppanies have always turned to temporary staff to erational flexibility as they build back in the new address short-term needs and in the post-Covid normal. era skills will continue to be in high demand and

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What’s Next for

HR?

- Fareeda Begum

The Talent Landscape Today; Implications of COVID and Test of Resilience The Talent Landscape today

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he talent requirement within organizations and industries are changing at a rapid rate, envisioning companies to adjust to the latest norms and reorganize the operations around the workforce. TheCOVID-19 pandemic is a boon in disguise; forbidding organizations to accommodate their working environments encompassing the Workers. The Human element has abruptly gained importance and companies are reaching out to the employees to support them in the difficult times by providing Group Medical Insurance coverage to the employee and family, free Covid tests, healthy work atmosphere, encouraging remote work and staying abreast of their whereabouts.

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On one hand, the start-ups and mid-size organizations, who are unable to survive the competition are closing down the operations raising the unemployment curve; while, certain companies on the other hand, have relied on salary-cuts, with top management taking the largest share, holding on the appraisal discussions and salary hikes, performance bonuses; each organization has augmented and scaled their approach surrounding the workforce. Nevertheless, IT sector has recovered earlier than expected in the pandemic and has been a saviour as people are returning to Jobs. In this highly competitive digital business environment, it is crucial to stay relevant, competitive, and marketable. You’ll need to make sure that you’re continuously improving and evaluating yourself regularly. Employers have higher expectations from their employees today than they did in the past. Digital Transformation isn't a choice anymore for enterprises! Enterprises are quick enough in adapting digital transformation solutions, which in turn has necessitated employees to be more up to date with technology to stay relevant.

Implications of COVID

T

he pandemic has changed much in our lives – the way we work, the way our customers work, the way our kids’ study and the way our family is coping with our demands both at home and on the go. Every situation comes with its share of advantages and disadvantages and COVID-19 is no different. Employees are navigating through an emotional phase, losing the near and dear ones, fighting the virus constantly. The journey is distressful and painful with social distancing norms in place.

Employees are unable to report to offices physically; and the remote work continues. Less/No human interactions and Late hours of work has spiked up the anxiety levels of employees. On contrary, the HR teams are ensuring to engage the employees on regular basis from having one- one interactions, organizing events and associating with Employee engagement organizations in order to ease the stress; Companies are investing in activities to engage the employees by providing health targets, marathons etc., right from their place of functioning. Employees are finding it immensely satisfying to work from their comfort zones balancing their personal and professional commitments without hampering the interdependencies. IT Sector is leading the change by rewriting the work culture across the globe. The Nine to Five work schedules are replaced with perform to deliver. ‘Skills are placed before experience’ and the new normal is fitting in. Employees are keen to upskill and stay apt and relevant with the competition while productivity and optimal utilisation of resources is the criteria to validate the workforce. Additionally, support departments have geared up to embrace the virtual mode of operations and are learning and innovating virtual functioning, lest providing the utmost satisfactory experience to the employees.

Test of Resilience

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he past couple of weeks and months are exhaustive and both employees and employers are finding themselves amidst challenges in terms of lock-down, surge in Covid cases and the slow pace of vaccination. Inflation, has kept the folks on their toes, wanting to earn more and focus on creating a bank balance due to the uncertainty of future and hence, forcing the workforce to look out for highly paid jobs or counter negotiate with the current employer. Hence, the workforce of an organization is disrupted. Nevertheless, companies are empathising with the current trend and willing to expand the salary grids, bringing about a welcome change for the deserving and high performing individuals. The Personnel and firms are going through a massive change in terms of the work culture and experimentation; eventually bringing about a holistically win-win situation for the days to come.

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THE CIO

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t’s a new world order that has fast-forwarded the future to the present.

Profound changes have been created overnight on how individuals and organizations engage and execute work.

The ‘at scale’ and accelerated shift to remote work has been as exhilarating and it has been challenging – bringing digital transformation as an imperative to grow and thrive.

It is in such a scenario that the role of the CIO with respect to the HR function needs to be looked at.

HANDSHAKE FOR TOMORROW’S VIRTUAL TALENT LANDSCAPE - Sathidevi S Raj

Raising the organization’s collective digital fluency

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ithout a doubt, the CIO in an organization has been a solid pillar of both support and innovation during the ‘restore’ and ‘recover’ stages of the pandemic. @scale and @speed have been the CIOs’ focused mantra as they transformed change into a business-as-usual practice – be it in distributed working, or in the deployment of digital tools, or in virtual communication…

As HR gears up for a completely changed future of work, how can the CIO become their strategic partner? How can they help HR to unravel the impact of new technology on the readiness of the workforce – for today, tomorrow, and the day after? In a new environment where every employee has to be, in effect, a technology worker, how can they collaborate with HR to enable them skill, re-skill and cross-skill the workforce?

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The key responsibility of the CIO here lies in helping the organization bridge the critical gap between digital knowledge and digital fluency. This goes beyond just training, however specific and niche it may be. It calls for enabling the entire workforce to imbibe a creative understanding of what it means to be digital, so that they can leverage their skills and knowledge in any role they are in. It is when employees become digitally fluent that the organization becomes agile to grow, innovate and succeed.

Building a sustainable digital foundation, on which the organization can mount a human-centered approach, providing opportunities for workforce self-enablement – this is a key responsibility for the CIO. This will raise the workforce’s will to work as much as their skill to work – and the overall result is a collective enhancement of enthusiasm, expertise and value realized across technologies. That is what we have successfully implemented at Randstad, with our ‘human forward’ culture and ‘tech for touch’ approach.

Once this technology enthusiasm is realized, the CIO and her team will need to work closely with the Learning team in HR to build a reimagined digital fluency curriculum, one that links the skilling to its deployment and execution. This will positively align and integrate learning to the impact it creates on business growth, and enable HR to build the right work structures for a new era of remote and hybrid work models.

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Helping HR move from a transaction-driven past to a purpose-driven future Perhaps the greatest change that HR technology has to adapt to is the move away from a task-oriented approach to a purpose-oriented relationship between the organization and its workforce. It is here that the CIO has to rapidly rise from being an excellent IT provider and strategic partner to being the value provider - by creating and sustaining an innovative IT culture.

The foundation for this was seen in the manner that CIOs upped their game to enable more than 90% of their workforce with workfrom-home technology. This actually bound the employees to the purpose of making technology a powerful and innate disruptor of business. They were an active participant in overcoming the challenges in making the transition to remote work – be it in the management of workload concerns, be it in the awareness and implementation of cybersecurity measures, or be it in the enthusiasm and alacrity with which they have moved to upskill themselves to meet the future needs of remote and digital working.

This is the capital that CIOs have helped to build amidst the challenges of COVID-19 – and it is the same capital they must transform into a culture of purpose, in collaboration with HR. Into the future, technology will be an intrinsic part of organizational collaboration. Work communities will be built through software in tomorrow’s reality of remote and gig work. If purpose has to be the fulcrum of successful teamwork, technology must be transparent and easy to use to foster virtual collaboration. This will further enthuse employees to embrace the new world of work by expanding their skills and acumen, and will usher in a reimagined culture of work that will be rooted in purpose and co-creation.

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A transformational CIO for a ‘never before’ future Gartner’s 2018 CIO Agenda Report expanded the responsibilities of the CIO beyond traditional IT into the business areas of innovation and transformation. The post-pandemic normal has irrevocably added and linked talent development to building their organization’s digital muscle and technology-led innovation. The CIO has to • Align the IT strategy with the aims of business leaders across the various lines of business • Collaborate closely with LOB heads to deliver new capabilities for their teams, and address their unique needs and challenges • Break down cross-silos to architect a holistic solution suite to positively impact organization outcomes

In short, the transformational CIO is a visionary of how IT will not only future-proof organizational capabilities, but also keep it future-ready and future-relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. In doing so, the CIO will ensure that it seamlessly connects the dots across the organization – from its strategic goals to its transformational needs to fuel growth – and, most important, to aligning its people with technology and digital fluency to be willing and productive partners in progress.

It is an accelerated pace of change that we are witnessing today in the work ecosystem, fueled largely by technology and alternate employment models. Even as the human share of labor time will progressively decrease, the human impact on innovation will rise rapidly.

The CIO of the future will recognize the symbiotic relationship between talent and technology and will position himself as a strategic and consultative partner to design solutions that enhance the human-machine handshake.

Whether it is job re-invention, talent re-skilling and redeployment, enhancing employee engagement and experiences in a remote work culture, or designing reimagined metrics for valuing human capital, the CIO is a crucial and integral cog in the wheel of HR 4.0.

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CYBER SECURITY TALENT IN THE COVID-19 ERA

- Christine Wright

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any of us had to quickly adjust in response to COVID-19 and the world of work was no exception. It seemed like overnight, many companies shifted their working arrangements to remote work in an effort to protect their staff and business.

Prior to the pandemic, the demand for cyber security jobs was steadily rising, and the rapid shift to remote working further increased the urgency for organizations to build their cyber teams. Simply put, COVID-19 has made Cyber Security talent shortages more acute and changed the way we work forever.

Last year, the average total cost of a data breach was $3.86 million, with the United States absorbing the highest costs. Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated while attacks on backups are on the rise, leaving companies in increasingly vulnerable positions. For every set of defensive measures organizations put in place, cyber criminals seem to return with more clever strategies.

This means that organizations’ hiring and talent development strategies must keep pace with the speed of cybersecurity needs. According to our recent Hays Cyber Security Talent Report, 60% of respondents reported difficulty recruiting for cybersecurity talent, reflecting the talent shortage. Companies must continuously recruit new talent and develop existing talent to guard their networks. In addition, our respondents said:

This year, there will be an estimated 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity roles , with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that demand for cybersecuty roles will increase by 31% through to 2029.

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Re-evaluate the requirements for the role:

Partner with educational institutions and offer internships

Take a moment to re-evaluate and challenge the assumptions or requirements you have set for the role you are recruiting. For example, if you’re looking for someone with ‘X’ years’ experience in a similar role, consider whether the same skills can be found in different roles out there.

Likewise, are IT security qualifications essential or could a candidate with relevant work experience be just as suitable.

Higher education institutions will play a key role in boosting the ranks of cyber security professionals and industry needs to collaborate closely with the education sector to help ensure it produces graduates with the skills needed. Yet only 24% of organizations are collaborating with other organizations in industry training or development programs to assist in overcoming the cyber security talent gap.

Look beyond tech skills Determining the technical requirements for a role, and how well a candidate meets those requirements is the easiest part. However keep in mind, a candidate’s soft skills are just as important than their technical competencies, and can be the largest determining factor on how well they perform. So how can you recruit for such skills? During the interview, use behavioral interview techniques to establish if the candidate possesses the soft skills required for success in your team and organization. Ask questions to establish various core competencies relevant to the role such as teamwork, adaptability, business awareness or communication skills.

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Managing the workforce Amidst Pandemic - Manu Saigal

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s many parts of the world gradually emerge from the acute phase of the Covid-19 pan-

demic, it is becoming clear that the world of work and employment markets have been profoundly altered. Within this shifting environment, many opportunities have been revealed or accelerated for employers and senior managers. As organizations plan for their future beyond Covid-19, assessing altered working patterns, brought about by enforced lockdowns in countries around the world, can inform their approach to workplace optimization. Those who embrace the transformation opportunity will position themselves ahead of the curve. To do so, organizations must now navigate this unchartered territory and the new set of employee expectations that have arisen, defining the new working parameters for a

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People-first mindset The pandemic has been a punishing reminder for organizations across the globe on the importance of a healthy and motivated workforce. Empirical data has clearly established that individual purpose has a direct impact on the performance and motivation of employees. Most forward-looking companies now have a clear focus on a people-first mindset with a broader effort to ensure talent is given the priority it deserves. Human values are a vital aspect when defining individual purpose, as they motivate both individuals and organization what is important to pursue in work-life balance.

Collaboration Cross-functional teams are a growing trend particularly to complete project work.Companies that focus attention on the best way to create but then leverage the strengths of diverse teams will reap the rewards. Just creating cross-functional teams is not enough. Such teams require superior communication skills to enable professionals from different skill backgrounds to come together and develop a common language to get the job done. Leading diverse teams also requires a different skill set – particularly to manage employees in job roles that are new and emerging where managers may lack knowledge.

Managing for outcomes not ‘facetime’ Employers that harness the benefits of an untethered workforce will stay ahead of the curve in 2021. Empowering employees to work from home or a workspace closer to home means less time spent getting to work and more time spent getting work done. Also, as job roles keep morphing rapidly in line with fast changing business conditions companies must adopt different ways to find candidates to fit the bill. This includes hiring candidates that don’t necessarily live in the same city, region or even country as their manager. Top people leaders know how to structure, manage and value an employee’s outcomes rather than the hours they see them in an office. Not every job can be performed remotely but with the right device, connectivity, video technology and collaborative platform an ever increasing number of roles can be done from anywhere (except for some of the sectors like manufacturing, logistics, ecommerce etc).

Going old school

More employers are telling us they are placing greater value on traditional qualities such as soft skills, reliability, punctuality, active listening skills, attention to detail, being proactive, personal presentation and even good eye contact. Digital and social media are making short and split Hybrid working models/ Man- attention spans the new normal. Standing out in aging a contingent workforce 2020 is as easy as practicing greater professional civility.

With falling job tenures and rising levels of contract and temporary staff, employers will focus more attention on making all staff feel a stability, Side hustles an increasing trust, resilience and shared commitment to pro- trend fessional goals. Companies cannot afford to have 2 distinct groups inside their organizations – per- Once upon a time, an employee with a business manent and contingent staff. Talent must be able on the side was viewed as not committed to their to come together seamlessly and work on pro- “real job”. Now the side hustle is nothing to hide jects and common goals with an equal sense of from a boss or a LinkedIn profile. Employers still accountability and excitement for companies to want 100% effort from these employees but they maintain an edge in their sector and navigate dis- recognize they need some entrepreneurial thinkruption and changing economic conditions. ers in the mix to stay ahead of the game in their

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Impact of pandemic on Human resource and Development - Nikita K

One of the biggest noticeable impacts of the pandemic has been on organizations and the nature of workplaces. In the wake of this catastrophe the way companies operate has completely transformed.

The pandemic has significantly increased the emphasis on the ‘human connect’ aspect of the HR function. Agility, creativity, flexibility -are the attributes that became most critical to manage remote work and people. As employees started logging in remotely, HR functions stepped up to transform brick-and-mortar offices into virtual workplaces overnight. Guidelines to ensure that employees could manage WFH seamlessly and securely had to be quickly defined and disseminated. A commitment to make that happen was demonstrated by everyone in the HR fraternity amidst the lockdown, pandemic and all the volatility that came with.

The conventional way of working has been completely transformed and considered the new normal.

A few highlights of the changes are: Remote Working

Business Continuity

As expected, organizations are reviewing the effectiveness of remote working almost on a daily basis. While there is a consensus about considering WFH a long-term adjustment; still many are yet to make any commitment to long-term remote working. Although remote working may affect performance and productivity, employee’s safety comes as a first priority. New systems, policies, and procedures for remote working are also being formed for smooth functioning until offices reopen. Organizations are certainly vetting the option but there are no clear-cut decisions as to whether remote working will continue beyond the pandemic as yet. A hybrid work model is also being implemented for the optimization of resources.

Employee willingness to collaborate with each other and with human resource professionals and departments in making changes is the key. Employee willingness to be; • flexible and adaptable • complying with necessary changes and a • willingness to learn and upskill quickly has helped to maintain a productive workforce.

Such positive behaviors have enabled organizations to manage rapid changes effectively. HR professionals are gaining expertise in advising managers on how to effectively manage the performance of a remote workforce. The issue of micro-management is often a cover for lack of trust which needs to change and a more trusting ecosystem must be promoted.

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Working practices

Great Resignation period

Overall, people management is going to be even more challenging. HR teams have become more agile and responsive as a consequence of the changed situation. In particular, employers have mentioned the need to differentiate between compliance that is required and compliance with internal policies and procedures that can be sidestepped to provide greater agility and flexibility.

More specifically, because many of the central issues involved in business continuity are around working practices and people management.

The matter of ensuring that employees are enabled with functioning technology at home as well as ensuring effective communication, supervision, productivity, performance management, employee engagement, and support, re-aligning employee benefits, and re-designing policies in relation to remote working have become integral.

The role of HR professionals and their expertise has increased insignificance.

A huge number of employees are resigning leading to this “Great Resignation” period. More than 50% of people across the globe are considering leaving their job in 2021. The primary reason for such massive attrition is the shift in mindset post this catastrophe. Wanting to spend quality time with family, early retirement, overload of digital intervention, remote working are some of the major reasons. HR leaders think that more flexibility and hybrid models are the best alternatives in the current scenario. Keeping in touch with employees and finding out the optimal way of functioning may control the high rate of attrition.

Shift in the Talent demand Recruitment has always been and shall remain to be the key requirement for any organization to sustain and grow. This makes recruitment an ongoing engine for any business. A trend of surging need for a tech-savvy talent pool that can perform better in a predominantly digital workplace is quite vivid. Recruitment for Tech skills is going to be in demand. To attract the talent pool companies are facing steep challenges and competition. Adaptation to changing needs is imperative.

Social media platforms are utilized more than ever in recruitment and selection processes.

These platforms are going to be utilized to learn about the aspirant’s social activities, inclinations, work experience, cultural fitment, etc.

Leadership connect Remote working has reduced opportunities for one-on-one meetings with Leaders of the organizations. Employees think that leaders are out of touch and a personal connection is missing. This also leads to dissatisfaction and attrition. Employees expect leaders to understand their unique position and be empathetic. More than work-related, a personal touch base is desired and advocated by HR leaders.

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Wellbeing and Safety of Employeest The major impact of this catastrophic event has been on the mental and physical wellbeing of people.

An employee working from home needs to manage family, kids, and work. A lot of mental, physical, and emotional pressure is built in such situations. Counseling sessions for sound mental health are certainly needed. HR team’s regular connection with employees helps to understand their current situation and concerns.

Virtual health and wellness sessions are being conducted by companies to create awareness and sensitivity. The HR domain has quickly adapted to the changes and kept employees productive, motivated, engaged, and connected.

Being empathetic to everyone around us, understanding their unique situations, and being flexible and inclusive are the things that the HR team continues to do.

HRD at Kyyba Since March 2020 we are 100% operating remotely. Before declaring work from home pre-planning and preparations were done to make sure that delivery remains uninterrupted and we take care of our employees as well as the clients. To get adapted to a completely virtual and digital workplace we did detailed continuity planning. As a part of which we formed a framework of operations like; recruitment, onboarding, appraisal, training, exits, online meetings and reviews, engagement activities, employee counseling, contingency mapping, IT support, financial support, etc.

Virtual R&R programs are conducted and it has been a motivating factor for employees during pandemic times. Annual awards events were also conducted virtually which was very much encouraging to the employees.

The traditional method of hiring has been transformed into a digital model. Currently, we follow the virtual method (video meetings) to meet the candidates and it is likely to continue the same way in the future. Technology played and will play a predominant role and it will continue to be extremely essential in the future. Online testing and assessment tools help us to evaluate candidates and filter the right talent.

Onboarding tools are in place to have new joiners experience seamless virtual onboarding.

We promoted L&D activities greatly. These difficult times can be a blessing in disguise. One can engage in learning new concepts and upskill the existing talent in the corresponding field. That is what we encourage our human capital to engage in. Digital marketing concepts, certification programs, online courses, etc. is always an added advantage to the profile. Self-development is critical.

The future looks bright with the world moving towards digitization. There is a lot of scope for learning new things every day.

Although we are regularly dealing with new challenges and are having to be very vigilant, the focus on organizational goals has not shifted. Our performance and productivity have been improving and new milestones are being created. I am grateful to all the employees of Kyyba for this.

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INDIA INC: HOW TO CHOOSE A STAFFING COMPANY? - Suchita Dutta

G

iven the complexities and rigidness involved in the jobs market, organizations are striving for agility to respond quickly to meet their business demands. Flexi staffing industry allows both employers and workers to better adapt with the increasing volatility in labour market. An organization can adjust its manpower according to the demand dynamics, giving them an upper edge in the wake of alarming competition. As the recent study of Indian Staffing Federation says that 75% of corporates prefer hiring through flexi staffing agencies, there are some important factors which should be kept in mind while associating with any staffing firm.

Governance/Compliance strict adherence

Service Track record

Corporates (principal employers) should prefer to work with staffing organisations when it comes to critical compliance management. Today, the reason the labour reforms are greatly impacting business houses is purely due to improper compliances and possibly miss outs on various accounts of negligence. Robust systems that are a key business area of a staffing company means their channels of compliance will be well controlled.

Most of the client companies choose staffing firms based on their Past Work, Compliance Track Record and Geographical Spread as top priority, however the decision making is also based on the staffing partner’s brand and ability to be a partner. Noticeably, Reference Check and Compliance Proofs are the top most checkpoints for the customers across region and across the flexi staff strength of their workforce.

Understanding of Laws/reforms Corporates find it cumbersome to deep dive into all amendments and labour reforms, thus the staffing partner, whose core business is to operate basis the laws and reforms, are best equipped to guide the client company during critical/business impacting changes. The more knowledgeable the partner, better they will be acting at the right time to avoid legal issues arising from miss outs

Understand customer’s criticality of turna- Process orientation through standardized round time Staffing firms that keep active relationship with customers, can understand their requirement much in advance and that helps the customer in fulfilling his internal commitments well in time.

In a dynamic business environment, ask is always to be able to fulfil requirements as of yesterday.

In such an environment, the better relationship with job seekers and a good understanding of the customers’ business processes, will always be an advantage to partnership.

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Visibility into prevailing practices for e.g. redeployment rates, employee satisfaction rates, grievance handling process etc. - Ability to support across different cities and countries, are a critical part of the customers to look at a staffing partner.

Customer organisations prefer process oriented and transparent approach, thus, it becomes a critical partnership supplement.

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Cost model

Value Additionstool

All businesses run for profit, so the partner who tries to cut short on pricing, to gain business, will also cut short of processes to meet his costs. A corporate always need to be wary of such companies. Low cost never means good quality, or event safe partnership. End of the day, principal employer is the corporate and the law binds them to ensure their partner is compliant with the laws.

Thus, establishing a profitable partnership will be the only win-win situation for both.

Customers always likes to be treated with care and have well maintained relationship. Thus staffing partners, who are able to go beyond the obvious assignment, though at a minimal cost, but able to add knowledge/value to the customer organisation, should always be given an opportunity. Only relationships which has potential to grow, will be advantageous for the customer.

Relationship with employees/job seekers

Staffing companies are providing candidates engaged in different professions to their client organization, who are looking for perfect employees that fit in with the concerned organizational goals and work environment. Staffing companies helps in providing the right skill sets as well as right candidates to the corporates for the better growth of the Indian economy. Staffing industry acts as an enabler for the growth of the economy.

A staffing partner provides people who are the brand for the customer’s organisation. If they are not treated well, the brand of the customer is the first to get challenged. Thus, ensuring that the staffing partner maintains good relations with the placed candidates/job seekers at all time, become advantage to their customers.

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To Summaize

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THOUGHT LEADERS A seasoned Sales & Consulting professional, Vijay has over 16+ years of experience in areas of WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT I TECHNOLOGY STAFFING & SERVICES I ASSET & FACILITY SERVICES, Vijay currently serves as the CEO for the Professional Staffing Division (Magna Infotech) & Asia Pacific Operations. He is responsible for driving the growth of Magna Infotech & business operations in the APAC region by developing customer relationships & key vendor strategies. He has been part of the founding team for Quess Corp (IKYA) since its inception in 2007. Throughout his tenure at Quess, he has been instrumental in driving businesses such as Recruitment, Temporary Staffing, Technology & Call Centre Outsourcing , Facility Management, Engineering Services etc.

Some of the key objectives being enriching Tech Talent in the industry, Using latest technology in identifying talent & creating employability in the Tech Sector. Personally, an active investor always looking for interesting ideas & companies.

VIJAY SIVARAM

CEO Quess IT Staffing

Sameer Penakalapati is a serial entrepreneur who is dedicated to advising and investing in technology startups, specifically in the HR & AI space. In the past 10 years, Sameer has founded and acquired over six companies, including a staffing firm, multiple SaaS platforms, and a digital marketing agency, serving thousands of customers around the world.

Sameer’s key interests include talent acquisition, talent engagement, and total talent management. As a regular contributor of thought leadership pieces to HR publications, Sameer was recently inducted into the Forbes HR Council. To date, Sameer has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, including accolades from Inc500/5000, Rochester top 100, Deloitte Fast 500, Forbes Best Startup Employers, USPAACC, SIA Fastest Growing Companies, and others. Sameer also takes an active approach to Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, contributing to philanthropic activities in the US and India focused on children’s education and youth development.

SAMEER PENAKALAPATI Founder & Ceo CEIPAL

An intrapreneurial leader who captivates businesses and organizations by driving change, creating innovation, implementing new solutions, and developing business growth.

Gaurav has over 15+ years of experience in staff augmentation and employment services, including senior leadership experience in building businesses. As the Director of Operations, Gaurav is at the forefront of Zenex Partner’s venture in India to be an industry leader in staffing services. With a passion to help and pay it forward, he is responsible for building and leading the offshore team for the organization. He has been instrumental in developing Zenex Partner’s end-to-end RPO strategy, refining methods to be the bestin-class solutions. Gaurav has also been influential in developing Zenex’s PEO services, leading Zenex to be a premier business partner for customers seeking growth in India.

gaurav sharma

Director - Operations Zenex Partners

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Amar has a flair to look into the future. He joined CEIPAL in 2011, where he was tasked with building an internal database of the most sought-after profiles in the market. Little did anyone realize, this database would evolve into one of the most versatile and efficient HCM systems available on the market today. Now with three offices globally, CEIPAL has managed to make its mark in the HCM market. Amar, known for his congenial demeanor, has and is playing a key role in molding CEIPAL to its full potential.

Amar chadipirala CTO CEIPAL

Mukul is the founder of Raecroot Talent Search Solutions and has been an industry leader in providing highly efficient recruitment solutions globally from India. He has been creating an empowering business ecosystem through factors that are available naturally in the current system by building stronger and more viable products by enriching the competitive advantages. Mukul believes in navigating the team with collaborative mission statements to achieve desired results. Mukul has also been the founder and CEO of Shalmore Technologies Private Limited from 2016 till 2021.

mukul thuse Founder Recroot

Currently the Vice President – Strategy, Sales & Operations, running the show at Ceipal’s India Office. Driving Ceipal to evolve into a Global market segment leader in the HCM solutions space.Before Ceipal, he was responsible for helping OYO to set up their Flagship Hotels business from scratch.Previously he was heading the Business Development arm of MySmartPrice.com. Responsible for handling the top e-commerce/e-retail partners in India in the Affiliate Marketing area, Developing new Revenue opportunities and also the Overall Business Cycle of the firm.

subhash potturi

VP - Sales & Strategy CEIPAL

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The size of the Indian gig economy is projected to grow by a 17% CAGR and generate a gross volume of -$455 billion by 2023 23

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The Talent Landscape Today Implications of COVID and Test of Resilience - Vijay Sivaram

With the global pandemic kicking off 2020, the start of the new decade has been fevered with discussions about our health, wealth, jobs and well-being – but the overarching sentiment is one of collective resilience. We’ve embraced new technologies more rapidly than we could have imagined. We’ve adopted remote working at speed. However, Covid-19 disrupted the world of work as we know it, and the talent landscape today reflects this change.

In India, businesses and other organizations seized the opportunity to respond with agility and empathy in managing the disruption. Adopting digital technology at scale, mindset change in terms of implementing remote and flexible work, unprecedented actions to support employee health and well-being, and a strong focus on virtual learning have characterized the response. Many of these practices are here to stay and are swiftly becoming a part of the new normal.

Let’s breakdown the implications of the pandemic and discourse resilient strategies for organizations to power through this change.

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Go the ‘Gig Economy’ Way! The gig economy witnessed an industry-wide surge in 2020 with workers enjoying the freedom to choose their hours of work, pay and location and organizations enjoying their independence to hire candidates on a need-only basis. That’s right!

Moreover, the Online Labour Index published by Oxford University, stated that the information technology and software industry were the most targeted in terms of a gig economy in India. Indian IT Services and Consulting firms have already stepped up their hiring of gig workers in areas like Robotic Process Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

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Remote Working: The New Normal The lockdown brought with it a new wave of flexibility to work remotely, blurring the lines between office and home. In regards to new hires, India witnessed a 7x growth in applications for Work From Home jobs in the last few months as compared to pre-COVID times. Many firms are moving towards a remote-working only paradigm to safeguard their employees’ health and reduce their operating costs. It’s a win-win.

After living through more than a year of a hybrid work model, we’ve noticed that people are putting in longer hours, but they are also reporting higher levels of happiness and productivity. We So, if you are looking to hire highly skilled pro- can reach one simple conclusion with this: flexifessionals on a project basis and want to cut down bility brings empowerment. However, a report by on your administration and compliance costs, Gartner suggested that flexibility is witnessing a gig economy is the way to go. For the job seekers shift from location to time. reading this, the gig economy will empower you with flexible timings, additional income sources and independence to choose where and what you want to work on. It’s time to make that shift from a 9-to-5 job model to an on-demand and taskbased workforce!

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Flexi-staffing; hire as you need!

A flexi-staffing strategy helps organizations hire just-in-time and right-skilled resources, aligned with their business growth and needs, without having to bench, redeploy or retrain their employees. Imagine this – you require resources with niche skills for a short-term project and instead of hiring a full-time employee, you choose to hire a contract employee with high proficiency in the specialized skill. It’s the perfect solution to managing such staffing peaks and troughs that can help you scale-up easily. Flexi-staffing makes recruitment, on-boarding and payroll flexible and efficient.

Organizations that offer employees flexibility over when, where and how much they work, see 55% of their work force as high performers.

In 2021, a rise of new jobs where employees will be measured by their output, as opposed to an agreed-upon set of hours, is expected.

Digitization: The Time Is Now! The most repeated axiom of 2020 was that organizations implemented digital transformations across the board, and it’s true for a reason. Technology is a paramount enabler and must be harnessed to its full potential. Implementing digitalization solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) Moreover, the Hire-Train-Deploy model in solutions will automate recruitment processes flexi-staffing provides cost-effective solutions for and improve compliance accuracy. Let’s put it this skilled and verified talent hiring and deployment. way, online video interviewing, online training, The structured training modules meet the specif- and digital candidate experience strategies were ic skill requirements, bridge the knowledge gap, “nice to have” before the crisis. Now, they are and top performing candidates are deployed. business-critical.

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You can implement AI to help automate up to 75% of your recruitment touch points.

As an HR Lead, it is essential to plan virtual strategies for staffing, training, employee engagement, assessment and exit procedures if you want the company to survive.

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Race to Reskill Reskilling is both this decade’s biggest opportunity and its greatest challenge. Companies that rallied employees and invested in their up-skilling achieved the ability to build a ‘future-focused’ organization that can harness skills at scale to outpace competitors. Mercer reported that for nearly 65% organizations in India, the 2021 transformation plans are concentrated on up-skilling and reskilling critical talent pools and more than 50% are focused on expanding the talent and learning ecosystem.

Organizations can take a ‘carrot approach’ to encourage greater workforce participation in up-skilling programs through reward incentives for skill acquisition. If budgets are constrained, it’s useful to focus on a select critical talent pool and provide a nurturing environment to the rest so they can enhance their own capabilities

To conclude, I want to leave you with some questions.

How will you remember 2021?

Will this once-in-a-generation pandemic fuel your company to reset focus and redesign people practices?

Or Will everyone fall back into old habits?

While I believe that only time will tell, organizations must carve out flexible, sustainable people models that will serve as a bedrock for growth as we chart our journey towards an ambiguous future.

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How To Build A Diverse Workforce And Why Procurement Is So Critical - Sameer Penakalapati

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he demand for top-tier talent has reached a fever pitch as the C-suite comes to recognize that the major market disruptions we’ve all shared over the past year have drastically changed how we go about building tomorrow’s workforce. Meanwhile, diversity has skyrocketed past its former buzzword status to become a major strategic consideration for any organization that’s serious about finding a competitive edge. So, now that everyone is in agreement that diversity is critical to building a future workforce that can thrive, how do we capitalize? Like most goals that are worth pursuing, there are no shortcuts when it comes to establishing a strong, diverse hiring practice. But, simply put, it all starts at the source which, of course, can be a complicated matter. Let’s dig in.

THE CHALLENGE If we take a look at the sources of hiring talent, we find that generally speaking, the full-time equivalents (FTEs) are hired by HR teams, while temp hires are sourced through supplier networks that are managed by procurement teams (also called contingent workforce management teams). As I said, it’s complicated. So, there are two different teams (HR and procurement) involved in hiring FTEs and the temp workforce. These two talent sources often operate in silos.

To further complicate matters, the sources of prospective candidates for both FTEs and temp hires are typically isolated from each other within those silos and are usually generated and hosted by disparate systems.

For example, typical sources for FTEs include employee referrals, internal recruiters, job portals, executive recruitment firms, alumni networks and career portals. Meanwhile, temp work sources usually include supplier networks and managed service providers, among other sources. Now, imagine curating a list of prospective candidates from these disparate sources — an undertaking that becomes exponentially greater the larger your firm might be.

How do you take advantage of pooling all the sources of talent into a single AI-powered database — aka a talent container — to identify qualified candidates with ranking and relevance? An advanced talent container can enhance your search by connecting all sources seamlessly and allowing you to search prospective candidates for both FTEs and temp hires.

But there’s a catch. Once you have a talent container strategy in place, it doesn’t automatically curate candidates that bring diversity into the workplace. So, you must ensure that your prospective candidate sourcing is curated from various talent sources with a specific goal of building a candidate pool for future hiring.

The Solution This starts with a proper audit of the overall diversity of your workforce, which can be done in four steps:

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1. Audit your current workforce Leverage advanced AI-driven automation tools to audit your current workforce and dissect its demographic makeup with categories that include gender, ethnicity, equity (wage disparity and position disparity) and every other category available to see where your organization currently stands.

2. Set a diversity goal Based on the audit results, set a target to meet specific diversity goals. For example, if a company’s workforce is comprised of 64% men and 36% women and the goal is to eliminate gender disparity, then set a goal to increase the number of women in your talent container. Of course, the same principle applies to diversity as it pertains to ethnicity, geography, etc.

3. Define a strategy Once your goals are set, define a strategy that curates a qualified list of diverse candidates. This sets you up for your current and future talent needs. Just imagine a talent container with 10,000 qualified candidates of which only 2,000 are female. With this ratio of applicants, assuming all are equally qualified, you’re more likely to end up hiring more male employees than female, thus the disparity continues and your organization loses. Remember, it starts with your sources. If you ensure that you pick from diverse sources, you’re not only ensuring equity but also ensuring that your workforce is statistically more likely to perform at a higher financial level. What organization doesn’t want that?

4. Hold your partners to the same standard Mandate that your suppliers are equipped with an appropriate percentage of diverse candidates to meet your specific diversity goals. You wouldn’t accept anything less if you were procuring a specific supply of nuts and bolts, for example. So, why would you allow your talent suppliers to offer you 90 of one and 10 of another sort of candidate if your needs were so clearly different?

Additional Considerations Having a source of diverse candidates for your temp workforce makes an enormous difference in meeting diversity goals. Why? The answer is simple: According to a 2016 survey, the average temp-to-full-time conversion ratio in the U.S. is about 10%, so if you hire 1,000 temp workers, about 100 of them become full-time employees.

Traditionally, diverse workforce programs are managed by DE&I teams, who work closely with HR. But as you can see, it’s important to fit your procurement teams into this equation if you hope to build a workforce that can thrive both today and in the future.

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sector. Side hustles take resilience, innovative thinking and problem solving plus lots of determination – all must haves for sectors facing disruption and constant change. Enabling employees to succeed and even be promoted in their job while also keeping their side hustle means talent don’t have to choose between their job and their passion project – at least not right away.

Reinventing Leadership It is clear that expectations for leaders have risen over the past few months. This applies to the way they lead and the emphasis they place on various aspects of management. While it is clear that employees want greater flexibility, it will be more complex than simply implementing a new work-from-home policy. The prior model of management is insufficient in a remote world. This was laid bare during the pandemic where a clear gap emerged between what employees wanted and needed from their managers, and the level of preparedness of leaders to effectively motivate, engage and support employees virtually. Emotional intelligence is the new gold standard - Emotional intelligence matters more now than ever before. Employees have raised their expectations and want to see managers do more to ensure the workforce remains motivated, collaborative and positive. Mental wellbeing should remain front of mind. Holistic wellbeing and workforce vitality are rising areas of focus for individuals and organizations, but many companies lack the blueprint to embrace these trends. Taking time to invest in building a stronger set of soft skills will be paramount.

Digitization & Re-skilling

New skills for a new era – accelerated digitization and the re-skilling imperative. The pandemic has accelerated many of the trends related to digitization that have been underway for some time. As a result, the post-pandemic climate will call not just for new types of work but also a new type of worker. This new and evoltved workforce will be confident collaborating digitally and embrace online productivity tools. As our work, consumption, and lifestyle habits change, accessibility will increasingly be dictated by an ability to interact with artificial intelligence and other rising technologies. Additionally, the skills needed by companies to successfully embrace technologies such as machine learning and automation will become more complex. Enhanced technical and soft skills will be required. Universal appetite for mass up-skilling. Employers have an opportunity to audit the skills they currently have within the business, identify what they need for future growth, and address these gaps, rather than simply supplementing staff with talent from outside the business. Making such a commitment to skills investment is less costly to the organization in the long-term, addresses skills gaps before they worsen, and boosts employee engagement and loyalty. This is an opportune time for businesses and employees to prepare for the digital future while building on the base of talent they already have.

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ENRICHING THE WORkFORCE - Gaurav Sharma

Tell us a brief about yourself and your company?

I

I was attracted to the opportunity to work with an exceptional company that had a unique approach to recruitment. Here at Zenex, we provide a bridge between companies seeking to enrich their

workforce and candidates searching for an ideal opportunity to perform their best and elevate their careers. We see ourselves as more than just recruiters, but as changemakers, talent matchmakers, and happiness managers.

By genuinely taking the time to meet both candidates and hiring companies, we can add a personalized touch to each job requisition, giving us the flexibility to dive deeper into touching untapped sources to find the ideal candidate that fits the company’s culture. This approach has enabled us to build a relationship with both the candidates and employers, which has created opportunities for us to have been able to work with some of the largest companies in the United States, consecutively coming out as their top vendor for quality candidates.

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How has technology impacted What is the biggest challenge your operations? that you face today, do you think technology can solve it?

Technology, especially in the recruitment indus- If yes, what technology is that? try, is rapidly changing. One of which is artificial intelligence; we are already experiencing its sig- One of the biggest challenges we still face today nificant impact on recruitment. AI has been vital is finding the best person for the niche job. Indito our operations by automating and simplifying viduals with the right set of skills are not actively various recruiting tasks such as our candidate sourcing and discovery process, matching can- looking for a new job but instead wait for employdidates, and having an efficient and organized ers to reach out with opportunities. One of the workflow with a diversely remote workforce, especially in this Covid age. Search algorithms that can be personally tailored to scan resumes for specific job requirements or skills enable us to effectively reduce the time it takes to find the best

reasons this is still a challenge is that these individuals often do not show up on job boards, and usually, recruiters would have to take the time to reach out instead personally. In niche positions,

candidates. I can say with experience that this we would often have to target passive job seekers technology has helped us navigate through this

because of the lack of qualified job candidates to

COVID world, and we will continue utilizing this

fill these roles. Technology plays an integral part

technology post-crisis. However, even though AI may streamline recruitment processes, I still have to emphasize the importance of the human element; recruitment to this day is still primarily fo-

in being able to reach out to these candidates. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and tools like Lusha enable us to connect with passive job

cused on two individuals talking about an oppor- seekers directly. With that, our presence and how tunity. We already see the early development of we are regarded in the community, and our rehuman-like voice AI, however as it stands today views on websites such as Glassdoor help us inand for years to come, it is yet to be applicable in fluence potential job candidates. Ultimately, these our industry. However, this means the future potential of AI is ever more exciting, for the recruit- technologies amplify the foundations of how we ment industry, especially in the age of disruptive work as a team. In the hands of an effective retechnology.

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cruiter, they are indispensable.

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How have you emerged from Covid burnout? What are your learnings?

The arrival of Covid challenged us; however, I can say that we are one of the lucky ones. In the early months of Covid, we did see a reduction of job requisitions, however in the mid of 2020, we were receiving a steady stream of positions, and by early 2021, to this day, we have seen an overwhelming amount of job requisitions. I believe the reason for this was first and foremost our work ethic to deliver excellence and the relationship of trust we have built with our clients and partners over the years, which has been key to opening new opportunities.

We have learned that culture is incredibly vital.

A culture of service and relationship builders, recruiters that treat clients and candidates as people is the most important. Though it may be easy to say, in practice, it is meticulous. You have to treat your candidates as unique individuals, walk with them hand in hand, not treat them as just another number—their experience and how they feel matters. Our job is about connecting people with more people. Despite all the speed and automation, people still want to feel that there is another human being on the other end of the line, and the experience we provide makes all the difference.

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robotic process automation disrupting business!

- Amarnatha Reddy

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obotic process automation (RPA) automates a lot of processes via pre-defined process workflows within any organization. From the technology industry to healthcare, bioscience sector , Engineering & manufacturing to the services industry. It can streamline the management of everyday tasks, improve productivity and help disrupt existing process issues.

Industry-Specific Applications - What RPA can do for Staffing?

RPA can take repetitive and mundane tasks and automate and streamline them in any industry – it’s a really broad application that ensures a lot of customization and flexibility. It also can have some specific benefits to individual industries.

The Staffing Industry, for instance; automation can help to distill down large data sets to supply more insight into understanding the job, faster Any enterprise keen to stay competitive and agile sourcing and also aid in engaging with this talwithin the face of change and disruption should ent automatically. This will ensure that you build be watching strategic options for implementing a talent container with the right, qualified talent RPA. communities, which are engaged and also help Where Does RPA Make a Difference? automate managing regulatory changes that affect the industry to make your business more agile, Robotic Process Automation disrupts the way resilient and compliant. business is conducted everyday by automating RPA can process huge volumes of data , whether most of the mundane manual tasks. that relates to systems or customers, and replace data entry and data rekeying jobs. Back-office Automated processes are faster and more accutasks are often streamlined and structures like a rate, and virtually zero errors due to lack of hu- CRM are often made more efficient with the utiliman intervention. zation of AI-powered bots

Time saving is one among the major benefits of • Increased accuracy of machines over manual human handling.

• Data management is accelerated Data is the most valuable asset for any organization as long as it’s being effectively handled. RPA takes basic processing , transfer and storage tasks out of human hands, improves speed and efficiency and frees employees up for other important tasks that need the human element.

• Analysis is optimized Vast volumes of data sets are impossible for humans to parse and organize to build complex inferences; this is handled swiftly and efficiently by RPA, opening up the advantages of advanced analytics to any enterprise that invests in it.

• Costs and productivity are more manageable One of the main purposes of RPA is to enable organizations to bring costs down and boost productivity by using robotic applications where they can exceed human ability.

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Future of Recruitment - Mukul Thuse

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he COVID-19 pandemic has divided time into pre-COVID and post-COVID, and the world has changed significantly. ‘New Normal’ is the phrase used for deviation or improvisation to any

process that has been changed due to COVID-19 limitations. The economy was shaken with COVID effects, failure to keep the manufacturing up with demand, failure to cope up with supply chain or cold chain, failure to procure raw material, managing employees, and conducting business virtually.

Recruitment, the most important function, was shut down during the initial phase of COVID. Post October 2020 the economy started to unfold and created the modus operandi for the new normal.

Manufacturing and IT sectors, which drive Indian GDP, have started to open up. The demand for skilled workers spiked up. The manufacturing sector had increased demand for automation was high for reducing manual work and the IT sector had increased demand for technical experts.

Corporate has adopted virtual working. This proved to be a blessing in disguise to many. The IT sector had found a great methodology to increase productivity and decrease operating expenses. As per many IT leaders, the New-Normal has blessed their organization with great talents.

Talent acquisition budgets are increased by many organizations to manage the recruitment pace.

Of course, recruitment is evolving every year, and recruiters are adapting as well. Our industry is influenced by new technologies, just like other industries, and new technology improves our jobs, makes them easier, and also brings new challenges. Recruitment has evolved with the help of automation, strategic planning, and a holistic approach to company objectives. New normal has evolved recruitment from just hiring for the next position, or the targets of the next quarter and the fiscal year.

The talent acquisition team should not only focus on current requirements but also have a flexible approach for future requirements. Your advantage point is not creating a rock-star hiring strategy, but building and implementing a framework that will contemporize the talent acquisition and recruitment strategy ahead.

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The future of recruitment lies in the following

Diversity Companies are now focused on creating a diversified workforce. It includes various strategies like building a stronger Brand or making the Brand centre of your hiring strategy.

As per Time of India, “Diversity, which is important for India Inc to achieve in lateral roles and leadership positions, is now finding a place in campus hiring drives as well. Companies including Intel, Cognizant, Accenture, Capgemini, PayPal, and others are sensitizing their hiring managers and stressing the diversity of gender and sexual orientation while hiring from campuses for both full-time roles and internships. Those with ‘special needs is another key segment they look to hire.”

This creates a lot of flexibility and also boosts productivity. It creates PR and helps companies raise their CSR budgets into talent acquisition. Brand diversity helps attract a lot of good talent without much marketing.

Virtual Meeting All of the interviews in the new normal are conducted via video conferencing. Though sectors like Sales and Marketing and BPO, that needs to evaluate all the candidates via face-to-face interviews have pivoted the interviewing process to virtual methods.

Though the BPO and sales employees hiring numbers are significant, many companies have shifted to the virtual methods and are happy with the results delivered.

Improvisation Recruitment has evolved drastically, it has gone from face-to-face interactions to virtual, which is now an integral part of the process. Companies are constantly adapting and simplifying their processes as the present and future when in-person events may not be as plentiful.

The increased usage of an applicant tracking system (ATS) to schedule interviews and collaborating with hiring managers to collate feedback on candidates. Extensive usage of talent assessment software’s to offer additional visibility into candidate’s skills and capabilities.

Talent Assessments Companies have adopted many assessments platforms to assess the candidates for behavioral styles. The talent pool has increased and hence, the application and short-listing equation of 10:1 has now changed to 25:1. These platforms have helped companies to compare job seekers and benchmark the top performers. This increases efficiency after automating parts of the recruiting process. It also encourages more objective hiring after soliciting feedback via their ATS to formalize the review process.

Career Boards and Recruiters

“Recruitment is Marketing. If you are a recruiter nowadays and you don’t see yourself as a marketer, you are in the wrong profession,” said Mathew Jeffery. Companies sticking to a single approach to source candidates is out of trend now. It is not even a useful practice to follow. It takes multiple contact attempts and postings. Using multiple channels be used to engage the best-suited candidates with open opportunities. Career and network boards are one productive way to reach job seekers. A lot of companies have approached hiring consultants and staffing companies for contractual positions. The recruitment companies are offered incentive plans for quick hiring. The most important parameter in this journey is marked by the urgency of hiring.

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Artificial Learning and Machine Learning

About 60% of managers decide on a candidate within 15 minutes; more experienced managers take even less time. Companies have increased the levels of filters and interview owners to create a seamless and non-biased interview process but adapting to more objective means like AI and machine learning tools leads to improved results. Just like AI assessments even the ML helps find candidates with skills and capabilities that are overlooked in the bundles of resumes. It skips the overlooked candidates and focuses on candidates via skills that matter. While human recruiters used keywords to identify the skills, few of the company’s like Litmusblox.io help screen the shortlisted candidates via AI and ML-based cognitive algorithms. These tools create non-biased, diversified, and equal configurations to shortlist the best-suited candidates. It is also necessary to periodically evaluate the AI and ML-based systems algorithms to make sure it is upbeat with the company goals and objectives.

Hiring Wars

The unemployment situation in India has experienced an unexpected reversal. The job market that was once tight on talent, post COVID-19 crisis spurred millions of layoffs. Unemployed job seekers are searching for positions but through non-traditional channels. More organic methods are used and this has caused hiring wars.

A candidate with a salary of ‘X amount, is offered via Company A for ‘X+40%’. The candidate starts serving 90 days’ notice at his current company. Meanwhile, Company B looking for similar skills and capabilities, interviews, and offers the candidate ‘X+80%’. Before the candidate could accept the offer and share the compliance documents, Company C offers the same candidate with ‘X+120%.’ Finally a week before joining Company C, Company D offers this same candidate with ‘X+250%’. There is no solution available digitally or manually for this problem statement.

A lot of companies have now started to offer bonuses to employees, as these are the candidates who do not need to be sourced from the open market and are inside people. These are the candidates who are used to the culture of the company.

The companies need to work upon hiring strategies and create a brand to attract the talent organically.

Also, companies need to finalize the tech stack they need to use for implementing tools, systems, and processes.

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Leverage Assignment Selling to scale your Staffing Business

- subhash

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on’t let the term confuse you; “assignment • Understand and empathise with their concerns. selling” has nothing to do with convincing a prospect they need a staff augmentation service. • Are honest and transparent.

•

Are an expert at what you do.

Well, almost nothing (all of us are in the staffing industry, after all).

• Are willing to provide answers to their tough questions and objections they might have.

Assignment selling is a powerful concept. And if you master it, you’ll dramatically improve the quality of your sales pitch — by addressing pros- Sharing the right information in advance of any pects’ concerns and answering their questions be- sales call or meeting has been shown to increase fore you ever pick up the phone. close rates.

Intrigued?

Here’s a little bit more about the process and how you can use it to accelerate the sales cycle and increase close rates: Assignment Selling: A practical definition Assignment selling is the process of leveraging educational content (e.g., blog posts, videos, eBooks) to resolve prospects’ major concerns and answer their burning questions in advance of your sales call, so they are more prepared for the conversation.

Sometimes, assignment selling literally involves giving your prospect an “assignment” — such as a video to watch or an article to read — before speaking with them. Simply put, assignment selling is about providing your prospects with high quality and relevant information to show that you:

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The idea of assignment selling came up after examining the behaviors of two groups of prospects: one had a close rate around 27%, while the other had a close rate of about 81%.

The difference? The low-close-rate group had only visited a small number of web pages prior to the sales call, while the high-close-rate prospects had visited 10+ pages.

The more your prospects know about you and your business, and the more they have engaged with your content, the more likely they are to buy. So, build and put all the high quality and relevant content you create to work in your sales process – building authority, trust and your brand while proactively addressing objections your prospects might have.

Okay, but isn’t giving too much information overwhelming?

Naturally, sales managers may be hesitant to “give too much away” in advance of a sales meeting. After all, providing detailed and perhaps “too much” information about your workforce solutions, recruiting process or how your firm stacks up against competitors may make some prospects realize you’re not a good fit for their needs.

However, if you’re not the right solution for a company or an employer, isn’t it better to determine that early in the process — before you invest a lot of your valuable time and energy trying to close them, and, assignment selling can help you do that! Prospects who might have other concerns will raise them before your call/meeting thus giving you the clarity on whether to pursue the prospect or modify your approach.

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Here’s how to get started with the process

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Create a list of your ideal customers’ biggest pain points/objections

Ask questions and gather answers from your sales, recruiting and service teams to determine the most common questions they hear from clients and prospects. These conversation nuggets will serve as the foundation for creating your content strategy.

Create the right content Index your content repository, to determine which top questions you already have answers to. Then, plan to create content that answers the remaining questions. If your staffing firm has a blog, resource center, eBook library, newsletter or other educational content, you have a head start, else, better

Make answers easy to find Prospects should be able to quickly find the answers to their questions. It could be by conducting a Google search or skimming your website (if you don’t have them, consider adding search features and/or a comprehensive FAQ to your site).

On the flip side, create a repository (e.g., a database or spreadsheet) sales managers can use to easily find and share the content they need in advance of sales calls.

4

Share content both before and after sales calls Use scenario-based group training to help account managers become adept at selecting and sharing content proactively and retroactively. Be sure to personalize content for each prospect’s needs, while being careful not to overwhelm them (one or two pieces of content is plenty).

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TOP 4 AI TRENDS IN THE STAFFING & RECRUITMENT SPACE

“

The recruitment technology landscape is changing , and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming a must have in every recruiter’s toolbox. Recently, AI has shown that it can empower recruitment teams much more; its capabilities are challenged, and numerous advancements have come through since the technology was first introduced. Let’s take a glance at the 4 biggest AI trends that are transforming the recruitment landscape

“

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PROGRAMMATIC JOB ADVERTISING

Programmatic job advertising uses AI to publish, market and optimize job ads. Without human interference, these job advertisements are marketed across the internet, email inboxes, mobiles phones and other channels . The predictive recruitment algorithms analyze the market data and therefore the employer’s history of ad tracking to work out how the ad will perform. It then takes informed scheduling and placement decisions for job ads. In short, programmatic job advertising places the right job advertisement, at the right time, on the right platform, to identify and reach the right candidates

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AI POWERED RECRUITMENT CHATBOTS

Chatbots have been a part of the recruitment landscape for a couple of years now, but its use was limited to providing landing page call to action and prompting candidates to use for employment . But today, Chatbots are into pre-screening candidates and scheduling interviews.

These chatbots engage with potential candidates and existing talent communities with either a customized cadence or an intelligent conversation maximizing conversions with applicants to gather their responses, pictures, videos, and documents. These chatbots are empathetic, intuitive, and assumptive, and that they can converse by chat, email, or text.

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4

In today’s recruitment landscape, soft-selling works better in enticing passive candidates.

A recruitment marketing software converts typical hard-sell job ads into something more interesting, engaging, and enticing for each

Once the match is found, the system automatically contacts these candidates via SMS or WhatsApp or email or even a phone call for preliminary qualification of the candidate.

RECRUITMENT MARKETING SOFTWARE

The strategy for requirement publishing has slowly drifted from advertising to marketing.

A recruitment marketing software focuses on the 2 most elements of a recruitment strategy – create an attractive job advertisement and parallelly build your employer brand.

candidate

TALENT REDEPLOYMENT SOFTWARE

Talent redeployment or rediscovery software uses your ATS resume database to screen candidates who had earlier applied/ shortlisted at your company. It then checks whether these candidates are a match to your current open requirements.

The future of AI in recruiting AI is becoming an integral part of many aspects of recruiting and talent acquisition. Today, human and artificial intelligence are aligned to work together to achieve progress, which is likely to change the recruitment landscape altogether, for the better

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HR tech has dramatically evolved over the past one and a half years to help HR teams navigate their way into an uncertain future of work. Since COVID-19, traditional HR processes including recruiting, onboarding, and employee management are no longer the same. With that in mind, let’s explore 5 HR tech trends that prevailed since the beginning of the pandemic and are likely to continue to long after it’s gone:

CLOUD-BASED HR TECH TAKES OVER

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Quick implementation, scalability, on-the-go accessibility, easy collaboration, less dependence on IT personnel, and the flexibility to integrate different 3rd-party solutions are just a few of the benefits that make cloud-based HR tech the best fit for the new normal.

ith a large number of companies operating remotely in adherence with COVID-19 safety measures, it should come as no surprise that cloud-based HR tech thrived over their on-premise counterparts. This trend is likely to persist as more companies embrace remote work. In fact, HIRING MADE COMPLETELY VIRTUAL Gartner estimates that by 2024, more than 45% of IT spending on system infrastructure, infrastrucs COVID-19 shutdowns and social disture software, application software, and business tancing guidelines put a limit on in-person process outsourcing will shift from traditional events, HR managers had to choose between solutions to cloud-based ones. putting their hiring needs on hold or performing the entire process virtually. With most choosing the latter, solutions such as video interviewing software and virtual career fair platforms have spiked in popularity.

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HR Tech Trends During COVID-19 Under normal circumstances,

Virtual career fairs have an average participation rate of 50%, but this figure has increased to as high as 90% since COVID-19 A similar trend is seen with video interviewing platforms; a poll of HR leaders found that as many as 86% of organizations are now using virtual technology to interview candidates, compared to 60% before the pandemic.

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EMPLOYEE WELLNESS EMPHASIZED THROUGH TECH

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OVID-19 has had a devastating effect on employee health, both mental and physical.

During times of isolation and illness, it was more critical than ever for businesses to pay attention to the wellbeing of their employees. One way to do that was to create wellness initiatives, delivered through online employee wellness platforms.

Employee wellness platforms give employees access to holistic health content, health risk assessments, personalized workout and diet recommendations, as well as online communities. To further drive up engagement and introduce the element of fun, companies can also use employee wellness platforms to gamify their initiatives by setting wellbeing targets - either at an individual or group level - and rewards for when those targets are met.

HR chatbots are capable of handling as many as 80% of standard applicant questions within minutes.

This is especially helpful knowing that over half of all applicants give up on a company if they haven’t received a response from them within two weeks of applying.

MOVING FORWARD: HR TECH IN 2021 AND BEYOND

It isn’t an understatement to say COVID-19 has permanently changed the way HR teams opert these economically trying times, HR pro- ate. HR tech, however, developed at a supersonfessionals have actively been searching for ic speed to help HR professionals traverse the ways to cut recruitment costs without sacrificing unique challenges brought forth by the pandemcandidate quality. This is where HR chatbots and ic and adapt to the new norm.

AI recruiting technologies came to the rescue.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TO THE RESCUE

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Automating the candidate sourcing and screening processes alone saves recruiters hundreds of hours. The benefits don’t just stop there. HR chatbots and AI recruiting solutions can even be used to communicate with job applicants and schedule interviews with them. Statistics show that

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As we progress into 2021 and beyond, HR tech will remain the driving force behind assembling, nurturing, and retaining a successful workforce one that is skilled, efficient, engaged, and connected, wherever they may be.

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FROM

CEIPAL’S

RESEARCH

RECRUITMENT ECOSYSTEM IN THE NEW NORMAL “Recruitment Ecosystem in the New Normal” is a survey that CEIPAL Next team had conducted with select industry leaders from the staffing/recruitment, HR and talent management functions in February of 2021.

The objective of the survey was to identify how businesses across sizes, and differing demographics approached talent acquisition and the various sources of talent acquisition.

Survey Structure and Respondent Data Details;

The survey was collected from industry leaders across the globe with job titles Sr.Manager and above.

As illustrated in the image, 80% of the survey respondents are from India with the remaining split being 16% UK and 4 % Southeast Asia.

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Gaps in the Industry The survey analysis identified; • 78% of all respondents are facing an issue with revenue forecasting • 61% of recruiting firms are looking at data sources beyond traditional job boards • Recruiter Productivity is a concern for 96% of staffing firms • 89% Believe that a unified system, integrating their entire business is key to success.

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Challenges faced by Businesses;

Questions around the top challenges faced by businesses were around the following themes or topics;

Revenue Forecasting • 97% of small-size firms are experiencing issues due to lack of revenue forecasting • 76% of mid-size staffing organizations see a crunch in resources due to lack of forecasting.

• 74% of large staffing firms experience this as a serious gap in to expand their business • 65% of enterprise staffing firms see this as a gap due to the sheer volume of their business

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As data suggests, the trend shows that staffing organizations with upto 25 recruiters are facing as issue w/ revenue forecasting and the slope is on a steady curve downward as the size of the business increases. This can be attributed to larger organizations having a more definitive visibility into their future potential and business due to robust hiring and recruitment processes that enable them to have a firmer opinion on the revenue forecast of their business.

Candidate Data Sources • 21% of small-size firms look beyond traditional job boards for candidates • 45% of mid-size staffing organizations look at new sources for finding candidates • 82% of large staffing companies look at alternatives to traditional job boards • A whopping 95% of enterprise staffing firms feel that new sources of candidates are the need of the hour.

The data is startling with the size of the company growing, the more the appetite to look beyond traditional job boards as data sources to find quality candidates.

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Recruiter Productivity • 96% of small-size firms believe that recruiters are spending more time doing mundane tasks • 99% of mid-size staffing organizations noted that their recruiters could be more productive.

• 94% of large staffing firms see recruiter productivity to be key to their success • 95% of enterprise staffing firms believe that recruiters should be spending more time building relationships than in manual tasks.

Survey responses across aisles and demographics suggest that recruiter productivity is a major concern in the “New Normal” given the shift toward a remote work environment and hybrid work culture.

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Unified System • 28% of small-size firms believe that having a unified system will streamline their process • 47% of mid-size staffing organizations see a unified solution as the ideal solution for their business • 87% of large staffing firms believe that a unified system is paramount to having an integrated process.

• 91% of enterprise staffing firms are looking at a unified solution for their business

Having a unified solution or a system in place not only has a positive impact on productivity but also has a significant impact on the User Experience. The largest problem that we hear in SaaS or any software solution is “Adoption” and a unified solution actually ensures that adoption is high and the user experience is seamless.

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INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY WITH TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION Accord Innovations is a leading consulting firm offering solutions such as data management, business intelligence, analytics, big data, enterprise content management etc. in the PSI domain.They specialize in verticals like healthcare, Government, Healthcare, Financial Services, Real Estate, IT. They are also known for their certified partnership with Microsoft.

Accord innovations have always looked at their employees as their own family. They have a high employee retention rate where people have been working for 7 years and more. They have covered the APAC region - Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and are aiming to spread globally.

CEIPAL’s Impact

60% increase in productivity

10x increased workforce

40% employee retention

Accord Innovation’s challenge Just after months of Accord Innovation’s beginning phase, they were curbed with the pandemic. In order to grow they needed a centralized and a self regulatory technology. They had to revamp and digitize their processes.

CEIPAL’s solution “It is an extremely seamless process which helps you get over multiple tasks at one click.

- Rupal Panday AI based passive sourcing - One of the major reasons was CEIPAL’s passive sourcing followed by their recruiting process. Incorporating passive sourcing not only optimized their entire process but also helped them to find qualified candidates The advanced job board search - With CEIPAL’s advanced search they can now source candidates applying on different job boards at one place within a few clicks.

AI search algorithms - The AI based candidate/job matching helped them analyze perfect candidate profiles and save their time.

Customizable features - Like every company they have a different format for HR and recruiting thus with CEIPAL’s ATS they were able to comfortably manage both HR and recruiting differently.

End to end automation - It is fully automated and empowers us to manage multiple tasks in one click.

The outcomes of AI based recruitment It’s almost been 5-6 years since we are working with the same consultants. With the help of CEIPAL’s ATS we were able to retain our consultants for a long period of time.

Although a lot of companies were laying off their employees during the pandemic, Accord Innovations broke the chain and thought of hiring. In the beginning it felt surreal but to their surprise they ended up hiring 10-15 employees and an entire recruiting team.

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EXEMPLARII C A S E S T U DY INTRODUCTION Exemplarii HR consulting is a progressive organisation with Tech based recruitment solutions for different industry domains. They focus on reaching out to various talented professionals by expanding globally and invigorate each individual by creating careers in various industries such as Accounting, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Banking, IT / ITES etc. They are towards the belief of ‘client success as their success’, which is why they thrive to proactively eradicate client problems and solve their issues one to one on a direct basis.

CEIPAL’s Impact

35% increase in efficiency

50% increase in productivity

20x customer support

Exemplarii’s challenge Earlier when they began their journey, they used traditional methods to tracking and monitoring conversation with clients and adding essential keynotes. Handling clients solely on traditional methods soon became their barrier for managing and organizing their client database. In order to overcome the barrier they reached out to various tech platforms and software solutions. Although they provided solutions to eliminate the challenge but still lacked very pivotal features like UI, reliability, message tracking etc.

CEIPAL’s Solution “The UI, support and reliability are three pillars of CEIPAL.” -Aakash Subramaniam The increased productivity - After they came across CEIPAL and applied it to their business, it increased their productivity by 35% and eradicating the challenge Constant support - They got their process into a much faster pace. Usually with other ATS platforms, it took them 2-3 days to resolve any issue but with CEIPAL they used to have instant solutions.

“The instant support from CEIPAL is one of the main reasons for their favourability towards CEIPAL ‘’ quoted the founder of Exemplarii, Aakash.

Seamless tracking and monitoring - CEIPAL benefitted them in various ways whether it was email tracking, scheduling interviews, bulk parsing or readily available job templates it had them all covered within a few clicks. It brought them a seamless experience and saved ample time at a very reasonable cost.

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CEIPAL - UNLOCKING POTENTIAL IN EMPLOYEES

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t first glance, it can be difficult to identify the differences between the top “Best Places to Work”. The truth is, they are similar in many ways, but you’ll find nuanced differences between the cultures of the best companies.

Candidates often get a general feel for which firm feels right for them, but sadly there’s no special Hogwarts Sorting Hat to help one decide. Instead, it is recommended speaking to numerous employees across functions at different companies and trusting one’s gut when it comes to choosing which one feels right.

To help you understand the differences, we collected feedback from a number of CEIPAL employees and identified three key areas where CEIPAL’s culture differs from others.

CEIPAL Promotes Individuality And Diversity CEIPAL is an incredibly diverse place. It’s recruitment process pays no attention to race, gender or ethnicity. Earning a place at the company is about past achievements, current competence, and interview performance. However, what would be the point of all this diversity if, once you’re on the inside, success becomes predicated on conformity?

CEIPAL puts no pressure on people to conform. Whether internally amongst colleagues or externally with clients. Something that many employees mention is that there is no ‘CEIPAL way of working’ or ‘CEIPAL way of acting’ or ‘CEIPAL way of being’. They say they never felt pressure to conform to any cultural expectation. CEIPAL promotes individuality— whether expressed through personality, through appearance, or through ways of working.

CEIPAL Uses Strength-Based Feedback People have different combinations of strengths and weaknesses, and the former feedback approach at CEIPAL was to focus on the weaknesses in the hopes that they would turn into strengths. However, the company realised no one likes having a mirror held up to their weaknesses. This approach, also, didn’t account for people naturally being good at some things and not at others.

“Feedback should be built on differentiating strengths of the individual rather than their weaknesses.”

-SAMEER PENAKALAPATI

CEIPAL overhauled its feedback process in 2019 with the introduction of strengths-based feedback. The new approach involves zooming in on an individual’s strengths to nurture them and to turn them into a platform on which they can progress. In turn, by spill-over, the weak areas also improve. Employees at CEIPAL now find themselves working in a highly supportive environment that still develops and stretches them.

CEIPAL is a Collaborative And Fun Workplace When asked about what makes CEIPAL an enjoyable place to work, the consensus among employees is that it’s the people. The company presents a plethora of opportunities for colleagues to get to know one another. Varied social events (organised by the quite powerful Bonding Committee), monthly outings, annual trips and more. There’s a whole host of activities that you go into with colleagues and emerge from with friends.

Why Does Ceipal Value And Encourage Such Activities?

Well, one reason is that the company wants to provide an environment that is open and collaborative—to break down the barriers between cohorts, between levels of seniority and between business and support staff. And they succeed. It’s not uncommon to find friendships between managers and associates, or leaders and managers.

The support network that fellow colleagues provide is a key contributor to a long-lasting and fulfilling career as a CEIPAL Employee.