Job Seekers! Watch out for these recruiting trends in 2021

By Ashish Munjal, 

While many sectors saw massive job losses, few businesses showed considerable growth and resilience by pivoting to new solutions. The arising questions are – how does the recruitment landscape look like for job seekers in 2021 and if there is a relevant MBA program that can make them industry-ready?

A holistic approach towards employability states that a combination of technological know-how and subject matter expertise influence an individual’s employability.

As per the 2021 India Skills Report, only 45.9% of youth is seen as employable in 2021. The overall trend is positive for graduating students and there is an availability of students who are employable, with 40% of employable talent in the age group of 18-21 years.

The hiring intent survey also indicates a 4% increase in recruitment this year which is a great thing. It can be attributed to the gradual inclusion of remote work environments and digitalisation, making hiring across state borders efficient and easy. This has resulted in an increased demand for candidates ready to constantly learn, unlearn and relearn, and to keep up with the dynamic work trends of the industry for quick absorption into the workforce.

3 hiring trends that job seekers need to look-out for in 2021.

Remote work is here to stay

Despite the initial apprehensions and reservations, remote work is here to stay. In fact, for companies, remote work skills will continue to be critical when it comes to hiring candidates. Professionals possessing industry-specific certifications and a flair for learning are in high demand. The Indian economy is in dire need of a skilled talent pool equipped to innovate and execute strategies effectively.

Increase in demand for Gig workers

As of September 2020 – India is the second-largest freelancing market in the world. The decline in employability can be saved by freelancing and consulting opportunities by building a stronger ground for hiring. A noticeable trend is using freelance opportunities to build a portfolio for aspiring professionals to land their dream job. Freelancing or consulting enables a more cost and time-efficient approach towards adding critical technical skills to your industry experience.

Companies Target Hiring for New-Age Skills

According to experts, two-thirds of the jobs post-Covid rely on people skills like communication, agility, proactiveness and empathy. Even though organisations were recruiting for soft skills before the pandemic, they are adopting new recruitment strategies centred around specific soft skills, choosing attitude over aptitude. Aspiring professionals need to build their soft skills to cater to the human side of the recruiting process, like cultural fit, growth potential and emotional quotient.

According to LinkedIn, the following are the most in-demand skills in 2021:

• Creativity
• Persuasion
• Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Emotional intelligence
• Agility

Steps In The Right Direction

Indian management institutes need to take proactive steps towards providing businesses with the opportunity to hire industry-ready talent. B-Schools need a focussed approach towards enabling students to set foot in the corporate world armed with the right mix of theoretical and practical knowledge. Provided that specialized education and certification programs can be availed by the qualified technical student base of India, industries will be hiring more job-ready talent in the coming years. Accountable Education, Pragmatic Learning and a Tailored Curriculum are currently the core necessities to develop job-ready youth. If the quality of technical and skill-based education in India can stand the test of time, the economy can make use of this vast talent pool as thought leaders of the future.

(The author is Co-founder & CEO of Sunstone Eduversity. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.