Hiring Tips for Medium-Sized Companies

Carving an effective hiring strategy for a small or medium-sized company is not as simple as one assumes. Medium-sized businesses need to understand and overcome a few pitfalls before they embark on the right hiring strategy. It’s interesting to note that medium-sized businesses tend to hire faster than their larger counterparts, due to simple hiring strategies, less complex processes or even the passion to build a great workforce within a short period. However, with a lot of hiring challenges to abound, mid-sized organizations have started identifying the gaps in their hiring processes and set up a mechanism to revisit their hiring process for better outcomes.

It cannot be denied that the biggest challenge faced by the small and medium-sized businesses today is finding the right talent within the shortest possible time. As bigger companies have their HR departments, established branding and resources to reach out to a cross-section of their candidates, often it is the small and medium-sized companies, who face the music to hire the skilled talent.

In this blog, we present five hiring tips for medium-sized companies to select the best talent, given their limited resources and infrastructural constraints.

1. Define clear cut expectations upfront

To get the best candidate to join your company, it’s a common practice for you to paint a rosy picture of your company and the benefits that the potential candidate can expect. While this is a great start to bring in the right talent, however, you need to clearly state what your company expects from the potential candidate. For instance, some companies expect their associates to maintain a strict schedule, while some might be flexible with timings.  Such policies should be properly communicated to the prospective candidates upfront including consequences they might face if they fail to comply. Additionally, it’s also helpful to define what qualifies a candidate needs to have to be effective in the job before the recruitment process even commences.

2. Leverage the right talent assessment tools

It’s not about the great qualifications or experience, you might look into the prospective hires; you also need to dig deep into their personalities to assess their attitudes, energy levels and the passion that they bring to your organization. When an associate fits in within your company’s culture, he/she tends to exhibit higher levels of job satisfaction, be more productive, perfectly gel with co-workers and also exhibit loyalty to your organization.

In the present technological landscape, employers have a wide range of options to collate and analyze data that lets them filter the prospects to include only those who could be their right fit for the position. Fortunately, even mid-sized organizations can have access to such low budget tools to devise customized questionnaires to assess the suitability of the candidates.

3. Develop a consistent talent acquisition strategy

Hiring practices differ, based on the industry, organization’s size or even organizational culture. You need to establish a proper system in your organization to hire the top talent, wherein the processes defined within this system should be consistent for hiring candidates across any position. Requiring one associate to face an exhaustive hiring process while another being hired, based on a simple telephonic round can lead to utter confusion and frustration. Hence, a uniform recruitment strategy enables employers to make perfect choices, while minimizing the risk of hiring a bad fit within the shortest time.

4. Take adequate time and don’t rush

Don’t compromise on the quality of the hire, just to fill the position within the shortest possible time to impress your leadership team. Slow down your recruitment process and perform a thorough screening before you even schedule an interview for the prospective candidate. Remember, the time and cost of high turnover are much greater than devising a perfect screening and selection process.

5. Prepare well to ask the right questions to your prospective associate

It’s not a surprise that as an interviewer, you too need to be prepared to ask the right questions to the interviewee to arrive at the right hiring decision. Though you might have got an idea about the potential candidate, having a face to face interaction can be a major influential factor to get the basics right. You need to establish a frank discussion stating the real facts about your organization, the job role and what is being expected from the person who fills it. Apart from that, you need to ask questions to get a clear picture of the prospective associate to assess whether he or she comes with the right attitude and experience, needed to perform the job perfectly.

With the above tips, we hope you establish a strong hiring strategy including robust planning and screening processes to select the right candidates to help build a strong organization.

Booming IT sector of India

IT is driven by innovation, and every wink of a second, you find new developments happening somewhere in this world. Earlier, only developed economies, notably the USA was leading the innovation race. However, from the past few years, even developing economies is picking pace and are not behind in grabbing newer opportunities in innovation and product transformation, translating to more number of jobs in these emerging segments.

According to a new study, India is leading the IT race among all the emerging economies, generating a surplus of opportunities. This survey has identified the country’s five most attractive IT professions that are trending the job market currently.  Accordingly, this survey has thrown open some interesting insights to draw our attention:

• Technology roles in India have been burgeoning consistently over the past five years, as more companies are enhancing their IT strengths.
• Employers are ready to pay for top-notch talent in the areas of development, analytics, and data.
• An increase in technology jobs by 8% in five years from February 2014 to February 2019.
• The dramatic increase of technology jobs by over 31% in the past year, 2018 itself.
• Increase in the median annual salaries of tech workers by over 1,500,000 rupees (approx. $21,100), ranking them among the highest earners in the country.
• The concentration of the majority of jobs in large metros like Bengaluru (25%), Pune (9%), Hyderabad (8%), Chennai (7%) and Mumbai (5%).
• Development, analytics, and data are the segments where employers are willing to pay for the top talent.

From the above insights, one can draw a clear cut conclusion that the right talent is the new engine driving the IT companies to grow.

So, guys and gals, it’s time to pull up your socks and be prepared for the next IT revolution to grab the best opportunities that come your way. Make hay while the sun shines!

Top paying IT jobs, you should never miss!

Indian IT companies are booming, so the number of job openings posted frequently on various job portals. With exciting opportunities opening up across several key domains like development, analytics, and data, it's time for professionals to grab the best opportunities in the above segments. This micro article throws some valuable insights about the five best highly paid jobs, currently trending in the job market. So, let’s have a glance to get started on the same:

1.     Data warehouse architect

This is one of the hottest professions that is transforming the landscape of business intelligence (BI).  In computing terminology, a data warehouse is a system for reporting and analysis, which forms an integral component of business intelligence. The major role of a data warehouse architect is to design such data warehouse systems and enhance the current systems to support businesses. For a qualified data warehouse architect, the median annual salary is Rs.1,500,000 (approx. $21,110), while the upper annual salary is Rs.2,500,000 (approx. $35,228).

2.     Senior technical lead

In the IT sector, this role is quite common and offers immense potential for future aspirants. Typically, the role of a technical lead within the realm of IT development is to design and build complex software solutions. For a qualified and experienced senior technical lead, the median annual salary is Rs.1,200,000 Indian rupees (approx. $16,909) and upper annual salary is Rs.2,500,000 (approx. $35,228).

3.     Analytics manager

We are living in the world of analytics. Right from our day to day consumer products to complex business and industrial applications, analytics is driving innovation and powering our decisions. Within this perspective, the role of a data manager is indispensable, occupying a crucial role within the innovation eco-system. Using the ability and knowledge to analyze and assess complex data sets, the Analytics managers integrate their technical skills and industry knowledge to power businesses with their decision making processes.  A qualified and reasonably experienced analytics manager could expect a median annual salary of Rs.1,150,000 (approx. $16,207), while the upper annual salary could be Rs.2,400,000 (approx. $33,828).

4.     Technical project manager

This is one position that is showing consistent growth and holds lots of promise now and also soon.  The role of a technical project manager is to lead assigned projects and manage each project's life cycle from conception to final sign-off with the emphasis more on technical soundness and efficiency of the resources. The median annual salary of a qualified and a reasonably experienced technical project manager is Rs.1,000,000 (approx. $14,096), while upper annual salary is Rs.2,400,000 (approx. $33,828)

5.     Lead developer

A developer is the core team member of a software development team, while a lead developer is a manager who assumes responsibility across multiple projects that may range from app development to generation of programs. The median annual salary of a lead developer is Rs.1,000,000 (approx. $14,096), while the upper annual salary is Rs. 2,400,000 (approx. $33,828).

From the above article, it is evident that IT roles are diverse across different domains, and it’s only the passion and skills that drive the new generation to dizzy heights of success, be it in terms of money, position and above all the valuable knowledge they gain through innovation. 

Eight tips to build a great gender diversity workplace

Gender diversity has become a common talk in workplaces to ensure that the fair sex gets a better deal in the otherwise male-dominated workplace. Often, we find a lot of articles and news items in media talking about woman power and empowerment with gender diversity being at the pivotal point of discussion. Now, the next question that crops up is how well your organization scores in gender diversity? If your workplace is still dominated by male associates, then you score poorly in gender diversity. However, if you are really serious in improving gender diversity by providing great opportunities for women, then this article is just for you, where we provide a few simple tips and pointers.

1.     Devise an unbiased and fair recruitment policy

 When you think about gender diversity, the first thing that comes to our mind is does your company has a fair recruitment policy that can encourage women to fill male-dominated roles? If you are yet to figure out on this, this is the right time to work on an unbiased recruitment strategy that encourages prospective female associates.

Earlier, there used to be marked discrimination in the hiring pattern in several industrial segments, skewed towards the male associates. In fact, it's been an open secret that some jobs are only reserved for men, due to the tough nature of these jobs. However, in recent years, particularly the IT sector has witnessed a sea change in the way recruitments happen and now the gender bias is slowly blurring with women getting the equal number of opportunities as their male counterparts.  So, devise the right recruitment strategy and show it in action, rather than on paper, giving a good chance for female candidates to show their mettle in the tech. industry.

2.     Project your company as diversity friendly

As part of your recruitment strategy, you need to sell yourself as a potential employer, who believes and fosters a diversity-friendly culture. Publish quotes from existing female associates that talk positive about your organization, promoting a positive aura among the prospective female associates.

3.     Be the leader in the team

Within your team, you need to be a champion of women’s causes and support women, wherever required. In order to ensure they provide the best services in your company, it’s imperative for managers to promote and encourage their skills on par with their male counterparts.

4.     Mentor young lady associates

Hiring women associates in the workplace are just a small tip of an iceberg. In order to sustain and contribute to the bigger vision of your company, these young associates need strong leaders and senior figures, who can mentor and train them with the required skills to excel in their respective professions.

5.     Give a fair chance to women to rotate roles

In order to empower women in your workplace to make them multifaceted and multi-talented, you need to encourage women to rotate roles to get a taste of various skill sets. This way, women tend to learn a lot, gain valuable exposure in multiple domains and gain the confidence to take up bigger and more responsible roles in the near future. 

6.     Provide an opportunity for women in succession planning

What happens if you leave the organization or you retire after a couple of years as a senior leader? Who is going to succeed after you? This is the right time to give an opportunity for female associates, who are equally capable to manage the mantle of responsibilities, handled by you earlier. You need to review the succession plan of your entire company and tackle the areas which fail the diversity test. Hence, if you set an example at the top level, things become easier for you to build a great gender diversity organization.

7.     Provide liberal leave benefits for female associates

This is one of the best ways to ensure that your female associates stick to your organization for a longer time. Granting suitable maternity (and of course paternity leave) for female associates is a great step forward for female associates to fulfill their personal commitments and revert to work when everything has stabilized at their personal levels. In fact, a paid maternity leave would definitely work wonders for your female associates and also instill a sense of security in their respective jobs.

8.     Encourage more work-from-home options

A great step towards women empowerment is to offer adequate work from home (WFH) options, as and when the situation arises. This way, your associates would stay connected with your organization for a longer time, while channelizing all their energies to produce the best output in line with your company’s vision and objectives.

The above tips would definitely go a long way in forging a great diversity friendly workplace, though the road towards achieving this might be fraught with challenges. However, with the right commitment, attitude, and resources in hand, we are sure you would definitely build a great organization that respects and encourages women on par with men at all times.

How to prepare your first resume

After completing your graduation, your next obvious step would be to either proceed for higher education or try for the coveted job, you had always dreamt of. If your plan is to get the first break in your career, you need to build a strong resume that could make a cut among thousands of applicants.  Your resume should provide a snapshot of your professional and personal achievements to drive home the point that you are the right choice among thousands of candidates.

However, it seems quite daunting for youngsters to prepare their first resume and thus end up making a lot of mistakes that could easily cost their careers. If you are one such person struggling to prepare your resume, here are few simple tips that help you to prepare a compelling resume.

What you need to do before you prepare your resume?

Before you pen down the resume, understand that your resume should catch the eyeballs of the recruiter and drive home the point that you are the most suitable candidate among thousands of applicants for this job. 

To do this successfully, you need to understand what the potential employers are searching for. You can start by doing thorough research about the various job postings that you are interested in. Prepare a list of keywords that you find in job postings like the top skills that employers generally look at. Also, talk to experienced professionals and check with them what they think relevant when they hire the candidates. You can extend this talk to include your peers and friends, who are in your field to know what jobs are typically relevant for you to consider.  

Another good way is to read professional articles (both online and offline) of the industry that you are interested to work with. Immerse yourself in the field that you desire and understand the current market trends, expectations, and the required skills that employers mostly look at. Once you get a clear picture of what employers are expecting, you can target your resume taking all these points into consideration.

Get started with writing your resume

Highlight your educational credentials

The first and foremost thing to highlight in your resume is your educational credentials. If you have recently graduated, note that you need to bank more on your educational qualifications as that is what attracts the employers. Hence, place the Education section on the top of your resume. Include the college or university you had graduated and also the percentage/GPA that you had achieved in your course. In addition to that, also include any other achievements that make sense, for instance, high GPA or a degree from a foreign university that can catch eyeballs of the recruiters.

Highlight your experience

The next important aspect to highlight is your related experience. Of course, if you are a fresher, you cannot include anything in this section. However, even if you have limited experience, don’t hesitate to include that experience in your resume. Think about the seminars you had attended or internships you had done and also volunteer positions that you have been involved. You can list all of this in Related Experience section.

One more important aspect to remember is not to highlight anything which is not related to your job or profession. For instance, if you are looking for a marketing associate job, your short part-time marketing assignment, when you were still at a college becomes relevant.  However, if you had won a badminton competition in your college, this information doesn’t make sense for the job you apply.

Another important section to highlight is Achievements. You can include this as a separate section or put it as part of your Experience section to give an impression that you are ready to add value to your prospective employer. 

Use Keywords

Sprinkle a lot of relevant keywords in your resume that you had generated earlier as part of preparing your resume.  This will catch the attention of the hiring manager and can create a positive impression on your resume. 

Explore some examples

It’s also a good idea to look into various resume samples to help place your relevant information in the proper format. This way you can easily customize the resume, based on the position you are applying for. You can check various Resume samples in MS-Word and even Google Docs for free and start using them, whichever you feel right.

Ensure that your resume is short

As this is your first resume, you need to ensure that the resume is short and crisp. Remember that your resume should not be more than a page.

Edit before you send

Once you have included all the information and prepared your first resume, will you directly send it to the employer? Absolutely, no! The most important aspect is to edit and proof-read your resume thoroughly to check for any formatting errors, grammatical mistakes, and even sentence construction. Remember, even a small typo error in your resume would cost a lot in your career and chances are that employer may not look at your resume again. If required, you can even change the font in your resume to make it more eye-catchy and appealing to the recruiters. Once you have edited the resume, pass this to a career counselor, take his/her frank feedback and incorporate the changes, wherever required in your resume.

Next Steps

With a great resume in your hand, you are all set to send it to your prospective employers and even attend walk-in interviews with all the confidence and zeal to ace the first interview. So, go ahead and put your best foot forward for a great career ahead.