Internet is the buzzword for hiring: GlobalLogic

Post recession the market has opened up in a big way,for both IT and non IT sectors,because of many reasons especially for US companies.

Though the hiring was slow it never went off and post recession it has gone really high which leaves us with the challenge of attrition as well.

How long do you see the hiring trend to stay or is it momentary?

The hiring is here to stay,though,not sure for how long but certainly for the next quarter.

What do you think are the factors responsible for bringing the buoyancy in the job market in India?

Availability of the talent pool and cost effectiveness are two big contributors for the same.

During recession there were reports about lot of people from abroad migrating to India for better opportunities which had resulted in a surplus of talented people. What kind of influence do you think it had on the hiring pattern?

With globalization,there was never a disparity between people working In India or in US or UK.

It was a win-win situation as they were also looking for something more stable and the companies also found some talent pool available in the market.

Comparing pre and post recession times,what are the challenges that have been observed in retaining the talent?

During the time of recession everybody was holding back themselves because there was a sense of insecurity,but,in the post recession times,it has become employee’s market in place of employer’s market because now the employees are going in for their personal interests not only in terms of salary but also in terms of career aspirations.

What has been done by GlobalLogic in retaining their talent?

We need to identify the core and the critical people who are the pillars of the company and instead of being reactive (once they put in their papers or decide to move on or looking for a hike or at a new profile.); the company should remain proactive and look at what is that these people are looking for.

GlobalLogic has a specific programme called the ERR (Employee Risk Reduction) under which employees are categorised into Red,Green and Yellow,and it is according to this programme that they take the necessary corrective measures for the employees.

Have you observed any change in the role of HR over the years?

Certainly there has been a shift. Earlier people partners used to think more about salary hikes and benefits for the employees which were limited focus,but now they are thinking more like business people and considering it their own business. HR is not working in isolation any more.

How in your opinion is HR working as an entrepreneur?

There is a perception that only HR people can only help retain people which need to be addressed,but I strongly believe thatHR can facilitate,create the framework but in terms of actual retention of people,it has to be everybody at large.

Your comment on increasing trend of socializing at work places in IT companies.

People take this opportunity of socializing as a stress reliever and it should be encouraged because it shows that we trust our employees and treat them as people.

GlobalLogic has not blocked any social networking website rather we have created a platform called ‘Glo’ wherein they encourage people to socialise within the organisation.

What is your idea of the viability of campus hiring?

Though in the recession time it did take a backseat,nevertheless,I am firm believer of campus placements. If a company needs to really grow and maintain a good pyramid,they are left with no choice but to believe in campus hiring.

What does GlobalLogic do to promote their existing employees?

We have a strong performance management process which is an online application helping us to understand career aspirations of the employees in terms of medium term and long term aspirations. It is performance oriented rather than being based on number of years in the work.

How many people did GlobalLogic hire in the last quarter and what are your hiring plans?

GlobalLogic hired 300 people in India the last quarter mostly being developers in the band of 2-6 yrs. We already have 300 plus open positions.

How much do HR people rely on social networking sites,such as Linked In,Facebook and Orkut,for hiring people vis-a-vis the referral system?

Networking (through social websites) is a buzzword. These websites have opened the entire world the entire market to the HR people for hiring initiatives.

Referrals used to be really high around 40- 45 percent even in the current time it’s as high as 35 per cent.

It terms of reliability of joining is also very high. The employee acts as a brand ambassador for the company while referring.

How important is the culture alignment while working in the company?

Cultural alignment does play a huge role because if the person is not in sync with the values of the company,it becomes difficult for the person to work under such conditions and they tend to stand out.

How open is GlobalLogic in re-hiring ex employees?

We are open to rehiring ex employees and to ensure it we also have a strong alumni program,where we celebrate with our ex employees as we believe that they were the part of our success story.

How can you best ensure cutting cost in hiring?

Its important to be prudent in today’s world.

What are the challenges you see in hiring in the coming months?

The biggest challenge is to hire the right talent at a given cost. With companiesHiring people at a higher cost,there is lot of pressure for the companies to attract the best talent from the market.

In India there is no dearth of people looking for jobs,but still there is a talent crunch. What is your take on the same?

The need of the hour is to map if the students passing out of the college have certain skill sets that the companies are looking for and accordingly provide those specific trainings to the students.

Ideally,there should be an industry- university partnership and a mechanism for customized syllabus for students in their last semester so that there is no mismatch.

Conditioning is also required on the part of HR to spot the right potential that can be groomed prospectively for the benefit of the company.

What is your take on the salary projections in the coming years?

It was quite predictable in the last year but in today’s dynamic market,it is very difficult to predict but there is definitely going to be a shift in the average salary.

As the market has opened up,salary has to be taken into consideration and it is really important to do the right kind of benchmarking.