Demand for digital skills surges as cos go for upskilling: Report

As industries across sectors are upskilling to bridge the emerging skill gap, a report has revealed that the demand for digital skills such as Java, Cloud and Platform technologies has seen a surge since last quarter The demand for talent with digital skills such as testing, platform technologies, Java, Cloud Infra, and Data Analytics, among others, has seen a surge since last quarter, according to data business solutions provider Quest Corp.

Although growth in demand has risen in absolute numbers, the rate of increase from June-July-August 2021 has been steady, the data suggested. The search for top tech talent this year has unfurled into an unprecedented battle, reflecting the accelerated adoption of digital business models in organisations industry-wide, the report noted.

The report is based on data derived from the algorithm built into the company’s application tracking system which maps and matches all candidates to the positions. The data on percentage shift in top skills is for the time period of June-July-August 2021 compared to September-October-November 2021.

According to the report, technology giants as well as start-ups are witnessing double-digit growth and are ramping up their teams by employing more people than ever before, to combat rising attrition and meet their manpower needs amidst the ‘Great Resignation’.

Staffing and recruitment firms are in great demand as organisations seek to fulfil their manpower mandates of resources with niche and super-niche tech skill sets, the report observed.

As per a report by market intelligence firm UnearthInsight, India’s IT services industry is likely to see a gross employee addition of around 4,50,000 in the second half of FY’22, it stated. To service this workforce pipeline, unique talent solutions are being devised to ensure shorter time-to-hire and greater cost optimisation, it said.

The demand surged during September-October-November with Java Technologies continuing to be in the top five list and exponential growth in demand was witnessed for roles in Cloud Infra (131 per cent) and Data Analytics (454 per cent).

Meanwhile, in a city-wise break-up it found that the IT hubs reigned supreme with Bengaluru leading the pack (40 per cent), followed by Hyderabad (20 per cent), Pune (18 per cent), Chennai (10 per cent) and NCR (5 per cent), the report added.
According to the report, growth in the digital economy, fuelled by the increasing Cloud enablement among tech giants, is a primary contributor to the surge in demand for digital skills.

Large digital transformation deals, hybrid cloud adoption, automation of front-end and back-end systems, and investments in tech-enabled assets have underpinned the business performances and manpower hiring sprees in the last leg of 2021, it added.

“As the great resignation moves towards a great migration, the talent market will undergo a great deal of changes. With the slow opening of borders, we expect to see more opportunities arising in tier II cites. Talent may also leave the country, as international borders open and give way to lucrative offers. However, with Omicron playing spoilsport, the industry’s back-to-office plans have been foiled,” Quess IT Staffing CEO Vijay Sivaram said

Further, he said, with the fresher talent pool being trained to enter the workforce, the hiring curve has become steeper.
“Today, campus hiring programs for not only tier I but also tier II colleges are a significant aspect of talent acquisition strategies. This shift in candidate profile and experience will result in a notable transition of teams,” he observed.

In terms of retention strategies, organisations will continue to focus on employee experience management and develop employee programs that circle around learning, benefits, and culture in 2022, he said.

“Now more than ever, talent attraction is a key strategy in board rooms, with strategists seeking new models of manpower fulfillment. Thus, we see a rise in demand for contract hiring, the gig work model, and hire-train-deploy programs. Further, with the demand for recruiters continuing to surge upwards, the RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) model is more in demand than ever before,” Sivaram added.