Commentary from leading IT services players following the Q2 FY25 results indicates two big hiring trends: First, hiring is back and players are hitting the campus trail. Two, hiring will be focused on specialised skills even for entry-level candidates. This means that campuses now have to ensure students focus on building specialised skills. More importantly, colleges have to make sure they have courses that support this.
A recent research by HirePro, an AI-powered recruitment platform, surveyed over 20,000 students across 350 plus colleges and saw participation of over 200 corporates and 100-plus campus talent recruiters.
The survey revealed that more than 63 per cent of colleges have begun taking steps to prepare for an Al-driven future. This includes focusing on curriculum enhancement (4o per cent), collaborating with tech giants for research-based projects and learnings (27 per cent), specialised under graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) courses on AI, ML and data science (17 per cent) and creating awareness of the impact of AI on the nature of jobs among other initiatives.
Most campuses seem to have started taking at least baby steps to equip their students with AI skills. Many have introduced new courses on AI, while some have gone further by setting up completely new departments or even an ‘AI centre’ that deals exclusively with AI subjects, highlighted the survey.
Experts also point that AI is such an evolving technology, the need for industry collaborations will be crucial. “The new age Skills like AI are evolving at a much faster pace. The academic system will not be able to refresh its course content or train the faculty at the same pace. Hence there will always be lag. This can be fulfilled only through a bridge course which will have to be delivered by a finishing school or any course content developed and administered by industry bodies,” said S Pasupathi, COO, HirePro.
It’s been only a week since the Indian government opened its internship portal for companies to put up posts to attract youth, and corporations are already feeling uneasy. For one, a part of corporate India is overwhelmed with the government aiming to provide 10 million internships over the next five years. They just don’t know how these many interns can be incorporated into their functioning.
Diversified conglomerates like Larsen & Toubro and M&M, and over 100 other companies have reportedly placed postings. The portal is expected to now open for nearly 50,000 job applicants register themselves over a fortnight starting 12 October.
So, internships have to align with employment availability, said Pasupathi S, the chief operating officer at recruitment agency Hirepro. Essentially, the focus should be more on capital-intensive sectors like manufacturing that have a high potential to absorb talent.
A recent HirePro study unveils that 63 per cent of colleges in India are taking proactive measures to prepare for an AI-driven future by incorporating multiple strategic steps in their approach. The report highlights that colleges are not only focusing on immediate job-ready skills but also positioning themselves to lead the way in preparing students for future AI-led industries.
The study, which surveyed over 20,000 students and 350+ colleges, reveals that 40 per cent of institutions are enhancing their curriculum to include AI-related subjects and disciplines. Additionally, 27 per cent of colleges are collaborating with tech giants for research-based projects and learning, further strengthening ties between academia and the industry.
Specialised academic courses are also on the rise, with 17 per cent of institutions offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science, ensuring students gain deep technical knowledge. Furthermore, 13 per cent of colleges offer certificate courses tailored to AI-related fields, while 7 per cent are working to raise awareness about AI’s impact on the future of work. Interestingly, only 3 per cent of colleges have gone the extra mile to establish Centres of Excellence (COE) or AI labs on their campuses, underlining the need for more investment in infrastructure that can drive innovation and practical learning.
This report reflects the shifting priorities within higher education as institutions take meaningful strides towards ensuring that students are not only prepared for the jobs of today but are also equipped to thrive in a future increasingly dominated by AI technologies.
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, talent acquisition has emerged as a key driver of growth, innovation, and success. No longer just about filling vacancies, talent acquisition teams now play a strategic role, aligning hiring strategies with business objectives. AI and automation amplify efficiency, requiring recruiters to evolve into trusted advisors. In this episode, we explore the seismic shift in talent acquisition, from tactical recruitment to strategic business partnership.
Join us as we uncover how forward-thinking organisations harness talent acquisition to propel business growth and discover the future of hiring with Mr. Zakee Sheikh, Head of Talent Acquisition at Cummins India. He shares his 20+ years of expertise in optimising and transforming talent acquisition operations. With a focus on technology, process excellence, and stakeholder partnerships, Mr. Zakee has helped organisations build diverse workforces and enhance candidate experiences.
This episode explores five critical aspects of talent acquisition: its evolution from transactional to strategic, technology’s role in optimising hiring metrics, building diverse workforces through partnerships, enhancing candidate and hiring manager experiences, and its impact on driving business success.
Subscribe to our YouTube and Spotify channels for more insightful conversations on the future of recruitment, tech adoption in hiring processes, college hiring, and innovation.
You can also tune in to the audio version on Spotify below
Frequently asked questions
Question: How has talent acquisition evolved over the years? Answer: Talent acquisition has shifted from traditional hiring methods to technology-driven recruitment. The need for faster, more efficient processes and a better candidate experience has led to the adoption of AI, automation, and other technologies.
Question: What are the core pillars of talent acquisition today? Answer: The key pillars are time to hire, cost of hire, quality of hire, and the candidate and hiring manager experience. These factors help align recruitment strategies with business objectives.
Question: How can talent acquisition teams become strategic partners to the business? Answer: Talent acquisition teams can evolve by understanding business goals, working proactively with stakeholders, and developing annual recruitment strategies. This enables them to anticipate hiring needs and drive business outcomes, transitioning from enablers to strategic partners.
Question: What impact do technology and AI have on talent acquisition? Answer: AI and technology have transformed about 50% of recruitment processes, automating tasks like sourcing, screening, and interview scheduling. This frees recruiters to focus on strategic activities like candidate engagement and consulting with hiring managers.
Question: How can organisations shift from hiring for experience to hiring for potential? Answer: Companies should prioritise skills and potential over experience, value diversity, and broaden the scope of candidate backgrounds. A talent advisor can guide businesses to embrace bold recruitment decisions and build a more dynamic workforce.
Question: What emerging technologies are shaping the future of recruitment? Answer: Generative AI, assessment tools, interview scheduling tools, and CRM systems are key technologies that are transforming talent acquisition by automating administrative tasks and improving candidate evaluations.
Question: Will technology replace recruiters in the future? Answer: No, technology will not replace recruiters. Instead, it will enhance their capabilities, allowing them to focus on strategic areas such as candidate assessment, stakeholder management, and business advising.
Question: What role does diversity play in modern recruitment strategies? Answer: Diversity is a critical component of recruitment today. Companies prioritise diverse hiring to bring in varied perspectives and skills, which can lead to greater innovation and better problem-solving.
Question: How can recruiters maintain the human touch in a tech-driven hiring process? Answer: By leveraging technology to handle administrative tasks, recruiters can devote more time to building personal connections, understanding candidate needs, and acting as trusted advisors to both candidates and hiring managers.
Question: What is the future outlook for talent acquisition by 2030? Answer: By 2030, around 60% of recruitment processes will be automated. Recruiters will evolve into talent advisors, focusing on strategic partnerships, candidate experience, and aligning recruitment with broader business goals.
When students prepare for campus placements, many assume that a high CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) will open doors to the best job offers. However, a new report titled The New Reality in College Hiring by HirePro reveals a stark contrast between what students believe and what employers actually prioritise.
The report, based on a survey of over 20,000 students, 350 educational institutions, 200 corporate entities, and insights from more than 100 campus recruitment experts, provides a look into the differing perspectives on the key factors that influence placement decisions.
CGPA vs Skills: The report’s comparative analysis exposes a significant gap between students’ perception of academic performance and the reality of corporate expectations. According to the survey, students rank academic performance (CGPA) as the top factor for placement success. In contrast, both academia and corporates place CGPA at the bottom of their list, ranking it 10th in importance.
Internships have increasingly become a preferred mode of candidate selection for many corporations and most students and corporates prefer 4 to 6 months (one semester) of internships as an appropriate time for learning, says a report. According to a report by AI-powered recruitment automation firm HirePro students (53 per cent), colleges (40 per cent) and corporates (57 per cent) prefer internships that last for 4-6 months (one semester) as it is neither too long nor too short.
Students see internships as an opportunity to learn the real-world nuances of what they study in classrooms, while being mentored by a knowledgeable expert, said the report.
“Students now prefer engaging with companies well before the final placement cycle, with contests and hackathons serving as an initial touchpoint and internships representing the next step,” HirePro COO S Pasupathi said.
The debate over whether Indian graduates are truly prepared to join the workforce has gained momentum in recent years, given the evolving nature of the job market that requires continuous skill enhancement. The catalogue of in-demand skills are also changing, with new ones emerging at a rapid pace. A recent study by HirePro, an AI-based hiring platform, sheds light on this debate, as it focusses on the wide gap between employer expectation and the perception of academic institutions about the industry-readiness of their students. The survey, which has brought to light the gap between academia, students and corporates, included 20,000 candidates, 350 colleges, and 200 corporates.
The report highlights a significant disconnect between academic institutions and industry expectations. Here are the key highlights.
– While 70% of educational institutions assert that their graduates are well-prepared for the workforce, with at least 60% deemed job-ready, only 16% of companies agree that students meet industry standards.
– 71% of students contend that a high CGPA alone is insufficient for securing employment, stressing the need for a stronger focus on technical skills. Despite this, both academia and the industry continue to emphasize only on academic performance.
– 67% of students expressed a desire to become entrepreneurs within the next decade. But only 5% of the surveyed companies indicated a preference for employees with entrepreneurial ambitions, despite promoting intrapreneurial opportunities.
– More than half the companies surveyed anticipate that candidates will possess skills in generative AI during placements.
Broadly speaking, the findings underscore the need for improved academia-corporate partnerships to develop effective job-ready programmes.
It has not been an easy placement season, and the job market continues to show signs of weakness. In this situation, a survey by HirePro’s highlights the gaps between the students, the companies hiring and the academia.
As many as 67% of the students who participated in the survey said they want to become entrepreneurs within a decade. While many colleges have incubation centres and initiatives to encourage the startup culture, companies do not seem to encourage this line of thought. Just 5% of the companies surveyed said they prefer people with entrepreneurial ambition despite highlighting intrapreneurial opportunities at work. Among the students, 63% said they would join jobs immediately after their postgraduation.
HirePro’s survey, Momentum ’24: The New Reality in College Hiring, covered more than 20,000 candidates, 350 colleges and 200 corporates. It also interviewed 100 campus talent recruiters to highlight some key shifts and trends across stakeholders in campus hiring.
