Talent crunch works magic for job seekers

KOLKATA: Companies in the services sectors are doing their bit to simplify the recruitment process, virtually treating the job applicant as an invited guest.

HR and recruitment people are trying their hand at innovation in the recruitment cycle, be it doling out mementos/ small gifts after the interview, or cutting down on the entire recruitment process.

There are several reasons. For instance, applicants often believe that the selection process mirrors the working conditions and culture of an organisation. Alternately, a job applicant might eventually turn out to be a future customer/client of the company.

“The recruitment process usually reflects the culture of an organisation. Even if the applicant is not selected, the person can turn out to be a future customer for our products and we would like to ensure that his experience with the company is a positive one,” said YV Verma, HR director at LG India.

Recruitment consultants feel the trend is more common in the the IT, BPO, banking, financial services and the manufacturing sector. “This is largely due to a huge demand-supply mismatch in quality manpower. Companies also want to send right signals about the organisation from the recruitment stage itself,” said Ajit Isaac, MD, Adecco India.

Recently, a reputed BPO firm announced that every 50th and 100th applicant coming for walk-in interviews would receive a surprise gift. Companies are undertaking much bigger innovations like cutting down on the waiting period, feedback within 24 hours and better accommodation facilities for outstation candidates.

“HR heads are even stressing cutting down on the recruitment cycle from five-six days to some five-six hours. It is vital to ensure a pleasant experience for the job seeker, since the person can also provide good reference candidates even if he or she is not selected,” said E Balaji, chief operating officer of Ma Foi Management Consultants, an HR firm.