Jobs: India Inc upbeat; 71% cos hiring

India Inc's hiring activity has increased considerably since September last year and the current recruitment level is one of the highest globally, says a survey by international recruitment firm Antal.

The quarterly global survey asked more than 6,000 firms in 30 countries that whether they were hiring at managerial and professional level and planned to do so in the coming quarter as well.

As much as 71 per cent of Indian companies surveyed said they were currently hiring compared to around half in September, the survey revealed. Nigeria (79 per cent) is the only country to have a higher rate of hiring than India's.

"Confidence is back at its peak in the Indian job markets, its happy days again for job seekers," Antal International managing partner Joseph Devasia said.

Further, the survey stated that Indian firms plan on increasing their hiring activity even more, with 78 per cent expecting to hire managerial staff over the next three months.

"Combined with a very low rate of letting people go (16 per cent and set to drop by a further three per cent) the results indicate a strong employment market which is improving all the time," the Antal report noted about India.

China and Pakistan also have high rates of hiring at 71 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively.

Although China predicts an increase in recruitment activity, Pakistan forecasts a drop of 25 per cent.

"Manufacturing & auto sectors along with the traditional IT, FMCG, pharma companies have ramped up hiring, against what we witnessed in our previous survey. Increased hiring indicates that the need for exceptional talent is now ever more," Devasia added.

Antal said that globally although a few countries are still seeing a decline in the employment market, the global picture has definitely improved once again.

"As a result we are already seeing the first clear signs of organisations thinking in terms of the 'war for talent' once more with more robust businesses making early moves to snap up the best people in their markets before general recovery becomes too apparent," Antal CEO Tony Goodwin said.