Companies battle for small pool of IT employees: Mint-Shine report

livemint.com:

MUMBAI : Companies, both IT and non-IT, are grappling with one another to dip into the same cohort of skilled IT employees, leading to a talent gap that India Inc. is struggling to fill.

Almost half the respondents of a Mint+Shine Talent Insights Report noted that getting candidates from campus hiring who are abreast with the latest IT skill sets such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is a challenge. “A significant challenge highlighted by 48% of respondents is the alignment of candidate skills with job requirements," said the survey, which was conducted during the October-December quarter with 187 HR professionals and 2,019 job seekers.

The demand for IT skill sets, especially in AI and ML, is rising as companies are trying to digitize their businesses. This is leading to a clash for similar skill sets across industries and, in many cases, against IT services firms as well.

“In the ever-changing landscape of the IT industry, our commitment is to address and close the prevailing skill gap," said Akhil Gupta, chief executive, Shine.com. “Beyond conventional talent acquisition, we are actively shaping a workforce capable of leading in an era marked by constant technological evolution." The gap is prominent as new skill sets are getting adopted every few years, and the companies do not often have the time to train their employees and meet their clients’ new requirements.

“The skill set gap in the automobile sector is significant given the rapid transformation in the industry in connected, electric, safe and shared (CESS) technologies, and in skills related to advanced manufacturing across all levels," said Ravindra Kumar, president and chief human resources officer, Tata Motors Ltd. Kumar said the