Recruiting In India Is Wildly Different In These Four Ways

Is your company recruiting in India? Prepare to think and act very differently.

First, the good news: hiring in India remains healthy. According to our study of 255 India-based corporate recruiting leaders, three quarters of companies have seen their hiring volume either increase (53 percent) or stay the same (22 percent) in 2012. This puts India well ahead of many other markets: on average, 38 percent of 3,000+ recruiting leaders surveyed globally said their hiring volume was up this year.

LinkedIn research also illustrates that the Indian market and recruiting mindset vary significantly from what you might observe in other countries. Here are four key differences:

1)    The candidate pool is much more aggressive. Based on a separate survey, we published this infographic earlier in the year showing that while only 21 percent of global working professionals are actively job-hunting, three-quarters of the remaining passive candidates are open to relevant opportunities. What we didn’t share: fully one-third of fully-employed professionals in India are actively looking for work – and five out of every six passive candidates might be considered approachable!* As a result, Indian recruiters certainly need not be shy.

2)    Indian recruiting leaders are embracing data. 62 percent of Indian corporate recruiting leaders we surveyed said their organizations are either best in class or strong at using data to understand talent acquisition effectiveness and opportunities. The global average: just 26 percent. So if you’re not practicing data-driven recruiting, you’ll find yourself behind the curve in India.

3)    They’re also more likely to be measuring employer brand. In our survey, half of all India-based corporate recruiting leaders say they consistently measure their employer brand in a quantifiable way.  That compares to a global average of just 33 percent. Given the importance of employer brand in attracting great talent, those who measure and optimize will come out on top.

4)    Referral programs are an emerging hot trend. When asked for the three most essential long-lasting trends in recruitment, 35 percent cited referral programs, compared to the global average of 24 percent. (The only answer that was more popular in India: utilizing social and professional networks for recruiting).  This may be because Indian recruiting leaders are experiencing so much success with this channel: 57 percent said referral programs are one of the most important sources of quality hires, over 10 percent more than the next answer.

For more details on the hottest trends in Indian talent acquisition today, download our Indian recruiting trends research from the LinkedIn Talent Solutions Slideshare channel.

*Source: survey of over 9,000 members on the LinkedIn network conducted in late 2011. For more details of the findings, view our infographic.