63% HR managers ‘are’ hiring amid COVID-19 tension

New Delhi, June 25

With 63 per cent HR managers at India Inc. buoyed about hiring amid the COVID-19 lockdown, this quarantine period may not be as gloomy as it seems. 

 In a recent TimesJobs survey, a majority (63 per cent) of HR managers said that their company had been hiring amid the COVID-19 crisis time. Out of these, nearly 65 per cent of respondents stated that they were hiring for niche positions only. 

 Explaining the findings of the survey, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The past few months have been a roller-coaster ride. However, on the brighter side, it forced companies to adopt virtual operations more seriously. The survey also pointed that most companies were hiring for the niche roles only, and in my sense, these are the organisations which are virtual-ready, and have restructured/are restructuring their products and processes for customers and employees via technology.”

The survey titled ‘The Indian workplace response to COVID-19’ gathered responses from 1,145 HR managers working across different industries.

The important takeaways from this survey include:

Diversity topped the hiring agenda: A majority (61%) of HR managers asserted that hiring diverse talent was their top priority even when compared to other factors as Learning & Development.

Leadership response was proactive: Around 34 per cent of respondents said their executive management was working proactively to ensure business survival amid the crisis.

Employee well-being gained the centre stage: More than 34 per cent of respondents stated that restructured the employee health initiatives in sync with the public health advisory. 

The virtual workplace is here to stay: Nearly, 49 per cent of respondents claimed that companies were investing in preparing for virtual work-ready modules, followed by compulsory upskilling activities.