INDIA is seen as a major power in an ever expanding IT Industry. Today India is not viewed as a third world country, but as a country with imposing and confident talent. Every MNC worldwide is looking at India as a market with immense potential and great buying power. With the foray of MNC's in the Indian market the growth in the Indian industry, is rapid. The changing scenario presents the Human Resource of any organization with challenges that they have never known before..

Hiring the right kind of manpower is a tough challenge for any HR Professional. Added to the shortage of talent, he is further burdened by numbers, and the processes - technical screenings, nation wide requirements, tight deadlines, high attrition rates, induction and so on. To make the search productive and to make an effective hire most HR professional look for the right partners or vendors or associates to support them in their HR Requirements be it recruitment, training, staffing, technical screening, aptitude tests, etc.

On a mission to provide the same we started ‘Think People Solutions’ way back in 2003. Our vision being the provide quality of service encompassed with a single stop for all requirements. Given below is a little something my team compiled on the Market Overview

Organizations in India are faced with increasing pressures to improve business performance, even as they face a looming shortage for skills. Added to that is the elaborate and exhaustive recruitment processes. Profitablity due to outsourcing and the ageing population in Western countries, increases the pressure on the available resources and the adversity of labour. Again, automation is also not expected to entirely compensate for the shortage of labour supply.

On a gloomy day, a ray of Sunshine is, India’s revenues of USD 7.7 billion in 2002 correspond to 24% of the off shored IT/ITES market, establishing India as the service hub of the world.

Some of the worlds leading organizations have chosen to have their business operations supported from India through third party or in-house facilities. This includes a wide range of services from back office data entry and processing to customer contact services, corporate support functions, knowledge support functions, research & design activities and software development. The IT & ITeS market is deemed to employ 2.70 million people by 2012 as compared to 0.17 million in 2003.

TCS, Wipro & Infosys have recruited over 10,000 people in the quarter ending September, 2004. With every global IT company looking at India as an offshore development centre the scope of Human Resources is tremendous. The candidate needs to be harnessed and serviced on immediate basis. Today the need is to offer the candidate more than just a job; the relationship needs to be maintained. For ex: sending out regret letters, weekly updates in his/her resume, IT up gradation tips, weekly updates on market trends, etc. Companies that discover how best to integrate and manage dynamic global teams, connect time zones and present a single face to customers will surge to the forefront as the Human Resource services industry undergoes a critical and much needed evolution.

Focus on candidates, in a competitive market where there are a numerous options open to the jobseeker, the employer/hiring organization was considered to be king till now. Well, the time has arrived and the tables have turned. Today the jobseeker is King/Emperor/Maharaja/Czar or as you want to call him.

Take for example Srinivas Vellupatti, a J2ee professional, working with an Indian MCS. He is a BE with 3 years of experience from Vellur. Every Saturday he attends at least 2 interviews, ask him and he will tell you that at any given point of time he holds at least 3 Offer Letters in hand. He waits for the best offer, the best project not knowing the time wasted to Shortlist, Screen, Interview him by different organizations. The question that arises here is that, “Is it right to focus more on candidates?”

The answer I believe is the delivery is what matters, to service the client, by focusing on the needs of the candidates. Organizations that respect job seeker’s as well as build stringent short listing procedures will be the ones that soar to heights.

Focus on Candidate: With numerous openings emerging in the market, the focus today lies on the candidate. With attrition rates at 20 – 30% the turnover is high as the candidate is always looking at better opportunities to give his career the right push. With the inflow of newer technologies and the ever ongoing R&D in the IT industry, the candidate wishes to work n newer technologies in turn earning more salary. The candidate needs to be harnessed and serviced on an immediate basis. Today the need is to offer the candidate more than just a job; the relationship needs to be maintained. For ex: sending out regret letters, weekly updates in his/her resume, IT up gradation tips, weekly updates on market trends, etc.

Existing Modules: The market today primarily supports 2 modules i.e. Online & Offline. The market leaders today in Online Monster & Naukri, have already created a niche for themselves in the market. Although players like Timesjobs, JobsDB, Jobstreet, etc. have invested large sums of money and have entered the market with immense backing as well as International experience are yet struggling to create a niche in the market.

On the other hand, the entry of Global players like Addeco & Viteor have shown that there is tremendous potential in the Indian market that yet has to be captured. The Offline model today has a number of small players who offer the client the best resources and the personal touch. With the inflow of technology and demand these players will find it tough to operate and offer the Global Delivery. Whether of not they will become extinct, that only time will tell. This module though very popular lacks the global reach, the professionalism & the added services.

Current Market Scenario: Combining online and offline development is rapidly becoming the next great wave for the delivery of Human Resource services. It promises top-quality candidates, onsite delivery and faster cycles - at a refreshingly affordable rate. But cost savings and speedy development do not emerge automatically from this hybrid model. Indeed, the process of global delivery has triggered a fresh challenge for consultants themselves: Integration of the offline & online recruitment model. The challenge however lies in shifting focus from being a traditional small player to actually reaching out for the GLOBAL DELIEVRY model.

Companies that discover how best to integrate and manage dynamic global teams, connect time zones and present a single face to customers will surge to the forefront as the Human Resource services industry undergoes a critical and much needed evolution.

Global Delivery:Global delivery seeks to achieve a perfect balance of quality, cost savings and localization by delivering the needs of the client within tightly bound deadlines.