English version of my article in Eenadu on 25.1.10
YEAR 2010 = MORE VALUE FOR MONEY @ CAMPUS
The year 2009 has proved difficult to every organisation, student and people at large interms of the financial outlook and buying behavior. This would have a definite impact on the business at large. There are many Industries have corrected and scaled down their expected sales/profits keeping the overall scenario in mind. While there is a wait and watch approach in the business scenario and consumer behaviour… that would definitely impact
Impact on Organisations with respect to Campus :
While campus hiring was one of the cost effective method for organisations, when it has come to the cost cutting, the campus recruitment was one of the key thing effected last year.. However, the organizational growth is always dependent on the fresh talent to create a future pool. The organisations would start looking at to recruit talent not specifically only from the campus but through various other sources.
What influences the colleges:
- Positioning of the college as a favorite for Industry would be a greater challenge.
- There are new age colleges which would influence the positioning of each of the existing colleges
- Need to invest in grooming the students in a practical environment
- Need to invest in hiring the teaching staff more from the industry to build the competency in students.
- Just a personality development courses by fresh consultants would not help.. Colleges need to build relations with Industry experts to bring the change in personality of the students
- They would be forced to look at the alumni list from last several years to identify any influencers for brining their company to the campus. Or alternatively to send the profiles to alumni’s to seek support from their companies.
* Any changes in companies attitude towards campus recruitments and
other forms of hiring.
Companies’ perspective:
Companies are looking at to do just in time hiring for any positions. The screening process would be to identify and hire people with most suitable qualification, experience and attitude. This is going increase the number of people screened for a single position. (Eg. Earlier the average selection at campus was ranging from 1: 100-200… this may go up but with specific focus on screening with lots of terms attached.
Few trends expected to serve the organizations to do the campus cost effectively:
- Short listing based on the Academics and called at company location for Hiring Process.
- Pooling of multiple campuses @ one single campus.
- Online testing (aptitude & behavioral), Technical Testing
- Web-Based Personal Interviewing
- Pickup people from the grooming institutes who specialized to build competencies for the organisation.
Each of the above would have impact on the selection process where by the best in everything only can survive.
What’s there in this Year :
* Present year placement scenario comparing with the last year (across important disciplines of Engineering, Management, Manufacturing and others)
Organizations are looking at to hire this year but the numbers may not be as encouraging or as equivalent to those of previous years. The campus placement is conducted by mostly the large organisation who recruit in bulk at any point of time. The numbers are expected to be based on the recovery scenario the entire year may be half of the 2008 figures. Purely due to the conscious efforts and also the various points discuss in the Table attached and productivity and Cost parameters.
The industry realized the need for the best of the management graduates however the story outside is that Management Graduates are almost equivalent to those of Graduates. As the last year every graduate passed gone into PG thinking to beat the recession. There are more postgraduates available for campus than before. The expectations on the Management Graduates would be to add value to the business and those who can provide that comfort to the organizations would help themselves.
Since there was a domestic consumption is large for our country, the India based manufacturing and sales organizations done well with a little bit of difficulty due to the purchase power of people. However, they continue to be the consumers of Fresh Talent as normal (may not be only through CAMPUS). Many Manufacturing organizations do not have a clear-cut policy on the campus recruitment while hiring the resources after their graduation/pg.
The SME segment would be the largest consumer of the Fresh Graduates / Post Graduates / Management Graduates this year. The clear reason is that if they have survived during the recession due to their low cost of operations, overheads they can sustain the continuity of business effectively.
Future prospect of placements (for 1-2 years)
- We can expect a positive change in the trend of hiring over next few years from corporates.
- More hiring is expected from the SME’s at the Campuses who are willing to build relation and create great companies of the future.
- The SME’s who made their mark in the year of recession and created niche for themselves would be the trendsetters for the hiring practices. This is due to the nature of the business and the complexities to growth that they would have experienced during great recession. They have proved to be the good to survive hence can take the front seat in defining the future.
- The placements @ campus would be dominated by the large organizations who want to improve their strengths this year, however there would be sudden growth in SME hiring from campuses over next two years. It is estimated to have 20-30% hiring comes from the SME’s of India who are the key for our overall GDP growth.
- Industry expected to
The Attitude of Future:
- Not just positive but a proven Positive Attitude to Get in to the organisation. Students who have an attitude to build and sustain their competitive advantage are the one who are going to get the bigger pie. Sustaining the competitiveness is through continuous learning, learning from experienced, self-learning, group learning and adapting various learning methods to acquire and enhance knowledge and practice continuously.
Impact of NASSCOM Guidelines on hiring the Engineering graduates only during 8th semester :
- This time had to come… All the IT companies have gone overboard in hiring people much much before than any business can absorb in a mad rush to showcase their manpower strength. It would have really helped in the pre-recession scenario in making their stock prices go up, however the Recession has taught a lesson to the Investors that hiring in advance is adding cost to their investments…
- IT Industry would anyway would follow these guidelines as they have been badly effected by the advance hiring…
- Possible change would happen is that the organisation who have not had a practice of Project Training would now consider seriously.
- The Non-IT Industry has always hired few numbers from the campus which is based on an exact forecast details which are available from the industry existence.
Specific guidelines for Engineering and MBA students for 2010
- Work like a placement officer to get a good job this year as it needs two hands to clap a great career for yourself.
- Approach the organizations with confidence to deliver what the industry requires.
- Focus on Project based appointments than just a direct placement
- Attitude with a difference who understands business and adds value to revenue and profit.
- Focus on the SME organizations for placement
- Do a through research on the organisation before meeting
- Use personal or professional references to reach the organsiations
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CAMPUS IMPACT ANALYSIS PRE & POST RECESSION
The following analysis for your information and for making right informed decisions of career...
Each point is discussed as the Impact Area with inputs on Pre-Recession & Post Recession
Business
All Businesses were able to build the value and the expected growth. Excessive spending on IT and Manpower. Hence the IT companies have benefited world over. All Businesses are conscious about the expectations on the growth. Due to the change in environment they are conscious about projection of growth of Business.
Planning Manpower
Organizations could build buffer/excess manpower at lower levels with expectations on increased business growth year on year. Eg: IT companies maintained 15-30% based on the services provided. Construction industry 5-10% at lower level added to build future capacity.
Every organisation cut down on the manpower at all levels with increased focus on Productivity per resource. Also the recruitment of Freshers as just-in-time basis.
Timing / Hiring Dates A well forecasted plans were drawn to hire people well in time. Engineering Graduate requirements estimated 1 year in advance. Other positions 6-8 months in advance. Quarter on Quarter review of requirements and hiring decisions are made. Hiring only based on the requirement. Final Year students can expect only just before final year exams or immediately after that.
Hiring Numbers
More numbers hired from campus considering the Dropouts due to International studies / locational constraints and also the new joinee attrition within 6 months of joining. Purely needbased and project based hiring from Campuses. Just in Time or Open Campus selection to have a better pool.
College Selection
With References and past history. New colleges were visited due to the manpower crunch interms of good quality. Experimented with any college which has got some good numbers and the institute management made efforts to reach the organisation. Its time that the colleges comeup with new innovative ways of training and grooming their students to the needs of the Industry. Any industry based orientation / projects done by students would attract the organisations.
Screening
Screening done to achieve the number of offers. Slightest potential identified in the resource have been hired. There was a time available with organizations to tolerate the training cycle for resource grooming. 50-60% in GD Interviews were considered. Its going to be tough with the focus on the exact requirement is sought from the pool. Nothing less than 70%-90% performance in the Test/GD & Personal Interaction Scores.
Skills
- Communication
- Team Work
- Adaptability
- Learning
- Positive Attitude -
To expectations as
- Business Understanding
- Technical/Function experience through assignments
- Multi-tasking
- Expertise in the job requirements
Compensation
- Hiked / revised every year of Campus recruitment.
- May go with the similar and marginal increase based on the pool / college / areas of specialization.
Post Joining 4Expectations
- Training
- Training & Then
- On-The-Job
Now:
- Actual Job assignment
- On-the-Job-Productive
- To deliver the goods from the day one of the joining.
Resource Availability @ MARKET
More openings and reasonable number of colleges with few good resources and competition challenge with competitors. - More number of people
- Candidates from 2008 onwards available.
- More colleges whereby doubling the capacity of resources available.
Social Impact
15% of the employable candidates available. Parents were eagerly waiting for their kids to be placed and there begins a new life for the efforts put in once they are selected…
- There is an increased pressure on the students/job aspirants and especially from the people who have not got a good placement for whatever the reasons in last few years and they start competing with 2010 freshers like more freshers.
- Large entry-level job seekers with within the social pressure cooker.
