IT Job Market 2024-25 : Recruiter on Resumes, Tier 3, Career Gaps & Complete Hiring Process
Basically, as soon as we see the resume, and we notice a gap the first question that comes to mind is, should we call or not? Should we call or not? What do you think are the reasons for the layoff of an employee who was working in the company? Should a resume be more than one page for a fresher, or just one page? For a fresher, I suggest starting with a concise resume. Why? Is there a common mistake you see in a fresher's resume? Do you check the 10th or 12th-grade percentage? Do you check for blacklists as well? That you have blacklisted an employee who could not apply? Absolutely. What is a blacklist? Blacklist in the sense that, as you said, basically ghost HRs don't take calls. Do you see the degree? Of course. That plays a very important role. Being an HR, which platform do you use for hiring? One more thing that comes to my mind is, what differences do you see in hiring at the MNC level compared to the start-up level? I believe that increasing visibility is as important as working in the organization.
No one will take initiative on behalf of you. You should take. Yes, of course.
Like you are the one who has to sell yourself. Be your own career coach. I get a lot of queries from students who say, "I have done a project, I have skills, but I am still not getting the opportunity." So the skills are important from company's point of view...
Are there any prior experiences that companies are looking for these days, which might be why freshers get fewer opportunities? Welcome to a new podcast. If you are looking for a job right now, whether as a fresher or with experience, you should definitely watch this podcast. Today, I have a guest with me, an HR professional named Niharika. We asked her all the questions you might have. Discussing the hiring trends for 2024, how will hiring look in the coming times? And when an HR looks at a resume, how do they evaluate it? How does the HR decide whether to select it for the interview or not? In this podcast, we have explored the mindset of an HR professional.
And if you are an experienced candidate, what should be your approach? If you are a fresher, what mistakes should you avoid to prevent your resume from being repeatedly rejected? We’ve covered all these details in this podcast. You will learn about many things, including common mistakes, and why you might be getting rejected despite being skilled. What are the reasons for these rejections? Sometimes HR may not respond to you or may take time. You will find out the reasons for this in this podcast. I hope this podcast provides you with direction. Avoid making the mistakes that prevent you from getting an interview opportunity.
I’ll explain all of this in the podcast. You don’t need to do anything else, just watch the entire episode. Watch the whole podcast, and you’ll understand. Like, comment, share, and subscribe so I can bring more interesting guests. That’s a source of motivation for us. If you do it, I’ll bring more interesting guests.
Like the video and like aim is 10k likes for more engaging podcasts. Let’s get started. But before that, if you want to join me on the podcast, you can email me here. Someone from my team will reach out to you.
We will listen to you and understand your perspective. After that, we can arrange an interesting episode with you. Okay, let’s talk to Niharika, and know her journey inside out, and all the insights that job seekers should know. So Niharika, welcome to our YouTube channel.
Today, I have got the opportunity to talk with another HR professional. I’m looking forward to learning what’s currently happening in the market. We’ll discuss hiring trends, with most questions focused on freshers. Today, we’ll learn a lot.
We’ll discover new insights from Niharika on what we need to work on. So, let’s not waste any more time. Over to you, let’s start with your introduction. Please tell us about your background. Then I’ll ask you some questions.
Of course. First of all, thank you so much, Ajay ji, for having me here. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to share my insights with your audience and interact with them in a meaningful way, providing insights into current market trends and conditions. Okay.
Now, I’ll move on to my introduction. From a young age, I’ve always had goals to achieve. I’ve aimed to accomplish something meaningful and make a mark in life. Regarding my education, I completed my 12th grade. I did my schooling in Mumbai and my graduation from Ahmedabad, Gujarat University. Since I completed my 12th grade, I’ve had a strong drive.
I wanted to move forward quickly. I aimed to achieve success soon. Even before graduating, I secured a role as a junior HR recruiter at a small consultancy.
They used to hire for multinational companies. While working there, I developed a passion for hiring trends. I learned about how companies hire, what happens in their company culture, how HR fits into the company culture, and how HR helps in achieving organizational goals and closing hirings. Over time, I gained a strong command over HR principles, people management, processes, HR policies, and their implementation.
As a result, I was promoted to senior HR manager roles and eventually became an HR head manager. Currently, I'm serving as an HR manager. I’ll discuss the current work scenario and trends in hiring, and the key areas that freshers should focus on these days.
I’ll share that information today. I want to understand how much hiring has changed over the last few months and the past year. Yes, I’d like to mention that the key hiring trends for 2024 emphasize having internship experience.
It's important to have a practical grasp of the technology you’re working with, such as your technical skills. For example, if you’re into web development, how solid is your foundation? How proficient are you with technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, backend, and frontend? Are the concepts of data and algorithms clear to you? Are you familiar with database management structures? At the same time, are you working with version control? And do you have a strong portfolio? I often get queries from students who have completed projects and have skills, but are still not getting opportunities. Skills are definitely important from company's point of view, but are there other experiences that companies are looking for that might be causing freshers to get fewer opportunities? Yes, I'd like to highlight a key point. As you mentioned, skills and degrees are important, but sometimes there is a gap in how effectively candidates communicate. Effective communication is crucial, especially when you’re calling HR for an interview. It’s important to use proper greetings, such as “Hello ma’am, good morning,” “Hello ma’am, good evening,” or “Hello ma’am, I am [Your Name],” and clearly state where you’re calling from and your experience.
Effective communication plays a very important role. So you’re saying if you’re technically strong, Yes. That’s a great advantage, but at the same time, effective communication is also crucial; without it, you could still face rejection. What I mean is that even if you have all the skills, a strong degree, and excellent hard skills, including coding, and are proficient with all technologies and practices, if you don’t know how to present yourself or communicate effectively, it all counts for nothing.
So these days, what really sets you apart is how well you can communicate, and how effectively you can convey your message. Right. When you speak with many freshers and experienced candidates, do you notice any common mistakes among freshers? Yes, one common mistake I notice is related to greetings, like saying, "Hi ma’am, do you have any openings?" This approach is a bit too informal, especially when formal communication is highly valued. Proper verbal and non-verbal communication plays a crucial role, both in organizations and for freshers. So they should focus on polishing their skills, such as personality development, learning body language, understanding formal and informal communication, maintaining eye contact, and interacting effectively.
Often, they struggle to relate to others, which creates a communication gap. How does a company handle hiring? As an HR, do you receive directives from higher-ups, such as the team requesting two engineers? How is the budget determined, and are you given a budget to work with for hiring? Yes, basically... Could you provide an example? Sure, sure. For example, based on current market trends, there are many layoffs. Many people lack the necessary technical skills, which is why they are getting laid off.
So the current budget allocation is divided by entry level, mid level, and senior level. The main budget allocation follows internal procedures. When candidates apply, we set a basic criteria on job portals like Indeed. For example, we offer 3 to 5 LPA for freshers, 6 LPA for mid-level, and for higher senior levels, the salary can go up to 19 LPA. If a candidate is exceptional, we are flexible with hiring.
We consider the candidate's technical skills and confidence. If their technical skills and degree are solid, whether they're in engineering or have significant experience in BCA or MCA, we take that into account. Yes, the degree is important.
It plays a crucial role because sometimes, if a candidate lacks the necessary principles or degree, it can lead to problems in projects. It happens. Normally, you must have seen many people debate this issue, saying that a degree is not necessary and skills are more important. However, a degree is very important if you want to advance. Sometimes, good candidates come along, but we cannot proceed further just because they lack a degree.
A degree plays a crucial role in shaping your career and advancing it, as well as boosting your personality. Along with that, continuous learning is essential So, that adds five stars to your profile as well. So, you are saying that a budget is assigned—whether it's 10 lakhs, 20 lakhs, or 30 lakhs—and HR gets it.
Based on that, HR hires freshers and mid-level developers. Understood. Normally, which platform do you use yourself, being an HR? Which platform do you use for hiring? Yes. Currently, in the market trends, there are many options available for bulk hiring, including Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, Shine, Hirect, and others. So, our focus is on finding quality candidates.
We mostly find these quality candidates on Indeed and LinkedIn. These platforms offer a strong talent pool. They provide a comprehensive range of candidates.
This makes them particularly effective compared to other hiring platforms. I’m not saying other platforms aren’t good. Indeed is just more commonly used. So, it’s not that other platforms aren’t valuable; Indeed simply tends to be more effective for us.
I don’t want others to feel excluded or undervalued; each platform has its own strengths. The basic reason for this is that we need quality candidates. We find that we get more quality candidates through these platforms.
They often have strong written, verbal, and telephonic communication skills. So, that’s why we focus on them. We find more experienced candidates who excel in these areas. Okay. I’d like to understand one more thing from you. Sometimes a candidate accepts an offer but then doesn’t join.
How do you handle that situation? What steps do you take to address this? It’s a challenging situation because everything takes time. It really does. You’ve invested time in multiple rounds of interviews. You’ve put in the effort.
And then someone accepts an offer elsewhere. Yes. Of course.
Eventually, it feels disheartening. We get frustrated and disheartened. We think about the time we invested. We spent so much time with stakeholders and managers.
We got approval for the package. Yes. Everything was ready.
We were just about to welcome them to the team. So, there's a bit of disappointment. Then, there’s Sanjay Dutt’s line, which goes, “Yes, there is a little pain, but it works.” So, by managing it a bit, we try to end on a positive note.
No worries. We wish you all the best for the future. If you’re not happy in your current organization in the future, feel free to reach out. We’ll welcome you then as well. Not all HRs are like this, ma’am.
Absolutely. If you see other HRs, they might not be as accommodating. They might not offer the same level of flexibility or understanding. Is there soemthing like blacklisting candidates? For instance, if someone is blacklisted and they can’t apply again? Absolutely. What is blacklisting? Blacklisting in this context means that, as you said, candidates may ghost HRs. They don't pick up calls.
Sometimes, candidates complain that HRs aren't picking our calls, but candidates also ghost us. Candidates sometimes don’t respond either. Okay. Because sometimes, candidates receive better offers.
So, we keep trying to reach them. We follow up. It’s like taking medicine— one call in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening before logging off. We face these issues too. Candidates do ghost us. They often don’t answer our calls.
Why? We don’t always know the reason. Unless someone communicates clearly. I want to highlight this point. Clear communication within organizations, as well as with candidates through HR, is crucial.
This way, we know whether to wait for a candidate or proceed with other candidates. Understood. When you do the screening, all the resumes come in.
Do you use any tools, or is the screening done manually? Basically, there are certain guidelines I use from ChatGPT. Okay. You’re using ChatGPT. Yes.
I also create my own mock interviews to determine what to look for if I’m hiring for a front-end developer. ChatGPT can provide those mock interview questions. It directly gives you the mock interview format. Because you’re not a front-end developer, it’s important to know at least the basics of front-end development. Using AI tools can be very helpful in this regard. I know all the basics of front-end, back-end, and QA.
I understand automated and manual software development test cycles, and all related tools. This includes smoke testing, regression testing, and various types of testing. If we don’t know what we’re looking for, it’s hard to hire effectively.
If the principles are not clear, it's difficult to attract a good talent pool. So, we need to have a clear understanding first. Once that's in place, we can move on to the next objective. Ma'am, one more question comes to mind. Some people have a gap of 2 years due to personal or medical reasons. In such cases, do companies consider a 2-3 year gap? It depends on the situation.
If the candidate is skillful, companies are often willing to overlook the gap. When we see a resume with a gap, the first question that arises is whether we should call the candidate or not. What criteria do we use to make that decision? Yes, essentially, in today's context, I want to highlight that we first review the resume.
It's important to note that initially, we are evaluating the resume, not the person. So, the resume has to make a strong impression. Right.
Their resume should comprehensively cover everything they've done in their professional journey, highlighting their personal and soft skills as well as hard skills. I follow this protocol: you don’t hire a resume; you hire a person. And you don’t meet a person; you meet a resume. The resume is the front face, and it should give us an idea of where their professional journey began. Currently, what role are you in, and if there is a gap, why is it there? We look at when they completed their graduation and throughout the year, how many companies they have worked for. At the same time, we follow the protocol
to check if they have a strong portfolio. Many times, I advise putting a profile on GitHub. This allows employers to review that profile and examine the projects they have worked on.
The first thing I tell candidates who are applying with gaps or for any reason. First of all, be completely honest. We respect honesty, so if you explain your career gap or any probable reason, it is appreciated. You should highlight this in a positive way, mentioning that during your gap, you were learning a new skill or enhancing an existing one.
That should be included in your portfolio. Keep optimizing your resume. Keep optimizing your LinkedIn profile and connect with people. Join communities, build your network, and at the same time focus on continuous learning because there's something new in the market every day. Every day brings new developments.
So, also focus on new industry trends because we ask candidates about current methodologies, market trends, and what they have implemented in their jobs and current projects. That goes hand in hand. So basically, if there is a gap of the last 3 years, but if you have skillfully utilized the last 6 months and can justify it, you can still get a chance. Of course.
One more thing that comes to mind is whether you see differences in hiring at the MNC level versus the startup level. Because you are in a startup, and process-wise, MNCs are more structured. They have many rounds—aptitude tests and various interview rounds.
What is your thought process in a startup when you hire? As you mentioned, sometimes there is a skill gap. What we do is take a chance on the candidate. The ratio of taking chances is much lower at the MNC level.
Startups are more likely to give a chance despite some gaps. However, I've noticed that in startups, while MNCs have structured processes and training, in startups, you might start working on a project the very next day. So, basically, working in a startup means encountering things like... I will complete more than 2 years in the current organization and I haven't learned as much in my entire HR career as I have in these 2 years. In a startup, you handle new challenges and issues every day.
So from there, your skill development, thought process, and conflict resolution as well as how to handle a team and manage everything are significantly enhanced, and your skills are polished. So, for freshers, I suggest starting in a startup because you get a full playground there. You can change the technology, switch projects, and learn whatever skills you want. At the same time, you get a great opportunity to represent yourself.
In startups, you need to be your authentic self, whereas in MNCs, you typically have to strictly adhere to rules and regulations, following established protocols. And startups, as well as many other companies, are offering significant flexibility in working hours these days, allowing employees to manage their own schedules. So they don’t feel burnt out or overworked. Many companies also offer mental health workshops.
Encouraging such practices helps in reducing employee resignation rates. Companies often promote these practices among others as well. Which eventually lowers the employee's resignation rate. I would like to ask one more question about visibility. Sometimes, I have done the work, but it doesn’t always get noticed. So how can a candidate handle this situation? In IT, you need to showcase your work.
If you don't, you may not get the growth you deserve. Do you agree with this? Of course, there is a saying in MNCs that in corporate, working is not important, visibility is more important. So even if you’re working, if that work is not visible or if someone else is taking credit or if it’s not recognized, For example, if a client likes the work but no one knows who did it. Sometimes, you might be doing excellent work but not getting the visibility. This lack of visibility can create issues in your career.
So, it’s important to ensure your contributions are recognized. Rather than that, increasing visibility is very important as much as working in the organization. No one will take the initiative on your behalf; you should take it. You need to sell yourself, be your own career coach, and not wait for your mentor.
No one is coming to help you or spoon-feed you. Eventually, you are the one responsible for your growth. What are the reasons for a layoff for an employee working in a company? I can say that many are not upskilling as per current market trends.
Secondly, they are not trying to get out of their comfort zone. They say they are doing this because ... Like you are also a front-end developer, so, how will it be for you if you remain in your comfort zone, not wanting to do anything, earning a decent salary with good job security? Unless you feel the need to get out of your comfort zone and take the initiative to do something else, your skills remain limited.
If you've been doing one thing from the start, you will only follow that path. Employees can explore other areas; for instance, if they work on the front end, they can move to the back end, or if they work on the back end, they can explore other technologies. Do you get escalations regarding performance issues? Yes, we do. But as I told you, we create a safe environment.
If anyone has some issues, they can come and speak to us directly, and we solve them internally. You mentioned that fresh candidates are a bit informal. How should they be more formal? Can you suggest at least 3-4 points for a better start? Basically, in any interview, I used to give interview tips, suggest resume writing, and provide HR consulting and career guidance.
The main thing is that if you have a resume with good technical skills but lack communication skills, it affects your presentation. The way you present yourself is very important, whether on a call or in an interview. You can search on Google for tips on appearing for an interview.
They will advise you to wear formal clothes, polish your English communication skills, dress nicely, focus on your body language, make eye contact, and be honest. Don't be too personal or informal. The same applies to telephonic conversations.
For example, if someone calls and asks, "Hello ma'am, is your company hiring?" it sounds informal. Instead, they should say, "Hello ma'am, this is XYZ, and I am currently looking for a job. I graduated from this college. Can you please help me with the current hiring in your organization? Can I share my updated resume for your better understanding?" This is a simple yet effective way.
What I understand from ma'am is that when going for an interview, prepare yourself well, at least to introduce yourself properly. Prepare some questions to ask them. You don't have to be an English expert, but you should know how to convey your thoughts. This is very important.
And the way you work in the company, attend meetings, you will automatically improve. Because your skills are the main thing.Right, ma'am? Yes, correct. You mentioned resumes. Yes. You have done a lot of manual checks on resumes. You also use the ATS tool. What mistakes have you noticed? Should a fresher's resume be more than one page or is one page enough? When you are starting your career, I suggest keeping the resume clear and easy to read, which increases your chances of getting hired.
Some people don't mention their portfolios, date of birth, or current address properly. This makes it difficult for us to analyze. They don't provide complete information about their graduation, past experiences, or academic projects. The resume is your first impression before you even appear for the interview.
Through the resume, we should get a complete idea of you and your future goals aligning with our company's values. What mistakes do you see in fresher resumes? Not mentioning their proper objective, what they are currently looking forward to, and not mentioning their academic projects or portfolio. Not building a portfolio on GitHub if they are software engineers. Also, the alignment is often poor with many bullet points written in paragraphs. Not including a proper professional photo.
Do you check 10th or 12th percentages? Yes, we do. Do you think it's mandatory? No, it's not necessary but gives an overview. Is it a blocker during hiring? No.
It gives the idea of candidate's academic performance. Okay, it's a blocker or not? No, it's not. Ma'am, do you also look at the LinkedIn profile of a candidate before hiring? Yes. Have you ever reached out to someone on LinkedIn, and what parameters do you check? Yes, LinkedIn is a very important tool for building a professional network. Even if you make a resume later, make a LinkedIn profile first.
It connects you with a large number of communities. For example, if you are in HR, follow HR communities; if you are in engineering, follow engineering communities, do regular meetups, and join online communities. On LinkedIn, if a candidate has mentioned their LinkedIn profile in their resume, we directly check it. If the profile isn't updated or lacks a professional photo, we will reject the candidate or ask them to update their LinkedIn profile.
It helps us understand their current activities, aspirations, and goals. For LinkedIn, my suggestion is to build a proper portfolio, mentioning your graduation, aspirations as an engineer, and the role you are looking for. Connect with experts, include upskilling projects and certifications, and mention whatever you are currently doing and looking forward to. Use a professional photo and make your profile engaging and professional to attract recruiters and HRs.
Understood. Thank you so much, ma'am. It was great talking to you, and you answered my questions very well. What would be your advice to all the freshers who are going for jobs? Right, right. My final advice for freshers is to optimize your LinkedIn profile and build a good resume.
Keep optimizing it and ensure your interests match the companies you are applying for. We prefer candidates who are genuinely interested in the organization because many times we keep calling candidates and eventually they are not intrested. So, there comes a drawback.
Align your career goals, reach out to companies, follow market trends, build a strong portfolio, and network. Attend meetups and hackathons, meet people, and network as much as possible. You can't achieve much sitting at home. If you want to progress, you have to take risks, move out, meet people, and learn from them.
Today, everyone learns something from someone. The more seminars you attend and the more active you are in communities, the more contacts you will make. Contacts often lead to job offers, sometimes even through references.
If you have a strong portfolio, a good impact in communities, and a strong resume, there are 99% chances that you will get hired in the first go. Okay, thank you so much, ma'am, for sharing all the insights. It was great talking to you. I hope all the knowledge and experiences you shared will benefit our viewers. Thank you so much. And guys, if you liked this video, please like, share, and comment. Let's aim for 10,000 likes for more interesting podcasts.
See you in a new episode. Till then, take care.Thank you so much.
2024-08-05 07:58
