Expect non-technical talent to move from telecom to pharma & FMCG: ManpowerGroup

With consolidation in sectors like telecom which has led to fears of consolidation of staff, there could be a scenario where such people are redeployed into other fields. In an interview with Moneycontrol's M Saraswathy, AG Rao, Group Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India talks about how the hiring landscape will pan out this year across different segments. Excerpts:

Amidst the uncertainties that cloud the global economic picture, India compares favourably with other emerging markets in growth potential. In terms of optimism, India stands to become one of the largest growth engines in the world.

Employers are cautiously optimistic about the hiring outlook and a temporary postponement in hiring decisions is being observed. However, there is optimism in terms of job creation and growth. The government has laid a major emphasis on India's manufacturing sector and is attempting to improve the investment climate, which will accelerate job creation.

Hiring in the telecom sector is currently muted due to the consolidation which is taking place in the industry, resulting in a reduction in the number of players. A temporary postponement in hiring decisions is being observed and we do not see much hiring growth coming from telecom.

Talent across sectors can be deployed and there could be reverse flow of non-technical talent into sectors like FMCG and pharma; however, this would be largely restricted to marketing and sales. For technical talent, there would be a bit of a struggle for employers to find the right fit.

In India, the infrastructure industry is fragmented and hence it is challenging to gauge the jobs it generates each year. However, be it roads and highways, railways, aviation, shipping, power or oil & gas, there seems to be rapid progress by the government. With significant growth, employment generation in the infrastructure sector as a whole seems to be good.

India is witnessing significant interest from international investors in the infrastructure space, which can eventually lead to employment creation in the sector.

As per our ManpowerGroup employment Outlook survey the top hiring sectors include services which constitutes IT/ITeS, hospitality, logistics, wholesale and retail trade sector, public administration and education, and manufacturing sectors.

Due to automation of entry-level jobs, the landscape of the USD 150 billion Indian IT industry is changing, as companies hire fewer freshers. Moreover, with US President Donald Trump insisting that IT service providers hire more US citizens at home, the need to send Indian experts abroad may reduce; however, the effect of changes in the US immigration policy is yet to be seen.

The UK remains the largest job creator in India via foreign direct investment. As new opportunities spring up in India - from its rapid digitisation to more young people wanting to study at the UK's world leading universities - UK firms will be looking to take full advantage.

The main reasons why UK companies are attracted to India are a growing market, easy talent availability, a stable political system, new business-friendly policies by state and central governments, use of English as the language of business, saturation of western markets and similar legal and educational systems. India remains something of an investment magnet to British companies.

Expat hiring has been on the rise in India in the past. The trend has been there for some time but gathered momentum recently as technology is changing rapidly. In an increasingly globalised world, skills and competencies can never be available in all geographies all the time. Therefore, in high technology areas, there can be an increase in demand for expatriates. Expat hiring is usually done in small numbers as these are for niche positions. Sometimes a team of experts is hired for mid-level positions.