Employers willing to hire older applicants to curb talent shortages: Survey

The survey also finds employers across all sectors reporting positive hiring intentions with IT Industry having the strongest outlook.

To overcome talent shortages, employers are more willing to hire applicants who are older and seeking employment changes, according to an employment outlook survey. As per a ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, which had over 3,000 participants, employers are also willing to hire people who have been unemployed due to caretaking responsibilities, have non-linear career paths, and have been unemployed for an extended period of time.

The survey also finds employers across all sectors reporting positive hiring intentions with IT Industry having the strongest outlook followed by transport, logistics, automotive, healthcare, and life sciences. The least optimistic prospects were seen in the communication services.

Productivity drivers

Geographically, northern region of India dominates the job demand with an outlook of 40 percent followed by West at 38 percent.

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Some 44 percent of employers said the top drivers of workforce productivity is professional development through training, upskilling, and reskilling, while 39 percent employers said it is cultivating a positive work culture that includes performance recognition. Meanwhile, 33 percent of employers think establishing clear goals and objectives for staff are top productivity drivers.

Sandeep Gulati, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India and Middle East, said, "The survey findings are clear indicators of a stable economy despite the geo political and economic uncertainties being faced across the globe. The government’s unwavering focus and initiatives to drive growth in key sectors, coupled with the onset of the festival season are expected to act as crucial reinforcements and boost hiring sentiments across the country.”

Talent personas

Apart from technical skills, which are as important as soft skills, 43 percent employers ranked communication, collaboration, and teamwork; 33 percent ranked accountability and reliability; 29 percent said reasoning and problem-solving; 23 percent said active learning and curiosity; and 23 percent said resilience, stress tolerance, and adaptability as important factors when it came to hiring talent.

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“With the changing landscape of the world of work, organisations that are focused on investing in professional development of their workforce and creating a positive work culture are better equipped to accelerate transformation and build resilience to combat the market volatility,” Gulati further said.