'Give a crisp and detailed explanation of achievements'

Kamal Karanth, managing director, Kelly Services India, provides a staffing industry perspective on the opportunities currently available and guidelines for hob seekers.

Do you feel that job opportunities would increase in Year 2011?
It's already on the rise with growth opportunities. Most of the staffing companies are building capacity. Some of them are spreading to Tier 2 cities. It is a good career map and roaring sector for freshers entering in the industry. With every recovery/boom, the demand for recruiters goes up, 2011 is no different. About 10 MNC players who are very large players globally have established presence. Three large players have just come in. Local conglomerates are getting into this business. There wasn't a better time in terms of number of opportunities for people moving to this fast paced industry

What are the hierarchy levels across organisations where you see job opportunities opening up in future and why?
There are front Office and Back office functions. Front office function covers the employees who are directly responsible for revenue generation for the firm by engaging in sales and recruitment.

• For Front office I - Interaction with client and candidates and selling opportunities to them and counselling candidates into the right job are key responsibilities.
• For Front office II - Interacting with clients and developing new business and maintaining client relationship.

• Front Office I - Consultant>Senior Consultant>Team Leaders>Managers>Branch Managers>Regional Managers>National Heads>CEO
• Front Office -II - sales Consultant > Sales Manager>Regional Sales>National Sales
• Back Office - Finance, Payroll, HR, Marketing, Technology, Legal
• Most of the demand is for sales, Consultants and Senior Consultants

What are the key qualities and skill sets that you would look for in applicants at various levels?
Sales comprehension, energy, communication skills (written and oral), subject matter expertise (industry know how)
What are the aspects or traits that could get an applicant rejected even though they may be otherwise qualified for the job?

• Expectations mismatch - people confuse this to be a HR job, where as this is an intense sales job or operations job.
• Lack of learning appetite - people have to work with multiple clients, multiple industry atmosphere and it requires constant reading and upgrading.
• Inability to stretch - its not a 9-5 job, clients do call in last time and expect candidates to turn up for interviews in no time, one has to be flexible with the job

What are the sort of 'trigger points' that you look for while going through bio data's and CVs?
Academics, Sales experience, stability, prior experience in recruitment firms, worked in multiple geographies, experience in large/reputed staffing companies are the major trigger points

• Positive reaction:  Growth/ Promotions, HR degree, Six Sigma training, recruitment related trainings, overseas recruitment
• Negative reactions:  frequent job changes, not done multiple roles

What are the positive elements that would help an application stand out from many others?
Long tenures, displayed growth within last employer, communication skills, attitude and willingness to stretch and most important aspiration to achieve targets and loves chasing numbers.

What are the traits that an applicant needs to demonstrate and avoid at different stages of the interview process?
Homework on company applied for (read website thoroughly along with competitors), eagerness, returning calls in time and appearing in time for all the interviews.

Avoid - lack of clarity on why he wants the job, not enough attention to detail on achievements and the lack of it, avoid bad mouthing current employer, don't say I want to do an HR role.

Is there any advice or guidance that you would like to share with job aspirants?
Be honest, give a crisp and detailed explanation of achievements, preparation for interview, know and understand the role and expectation, asking questions about the role, showing keen interest in the organization by doing some homework about them. Never land up for the interview and say I did not get time to go through your website. In the connected world there is no room for such answers

Are there any myths about working in your industry/ sector that you would want to dispel or clarify?
We are not agents but employment facilitators, World over, organisations depend on staffing companies for their growth strategies. We add to the bottom line of our clients and hence are treated as partner rather than vendors. Therefore, staffing companies are part of global fortune 500 list. Over 20 staffing companies have turnover beyond 2 billion dollars worldwide. It is one of the fastest growing industries in India.

How has the role of the HR department changed in recent years? What are the factors that have contributed to this and how?
HR is being severely stressed to meet the needs of business - refer the white paper Seven Waves of Change. HR is moving closer to the centre of organization strategy. HR 1.0 was a model forged in the late 1940s that had its genesis in the massive influx of former military personnel from the Second World War. These were very talented and experienced people. There were those who had their roots and expertise in supply chains and logistics-they became our first procurement managers. HR 2.0, as I call it, emerged sometime in the late 1970s and carried on for almost three decades. HR professionals were required to move beyond transactional tasks into areas such as Employee Relations, Performance Appraisals, Training and Recruiting. It represented a move upwards along the value chain, an encouraging sign that HR would move closer to the corporate 'centre.' But now, HR must possess and demonstrate a new level of thinking about business.

The global economic downturn has intensified the pressure on all functional departments, including HR, to deliver returns that are both measurable and relevant to strategic objectives and outcomes.