'Our hiring is at the peak'

Jessy Christin, vice-president - Human Resources, Hinduja Global Solutions, shares the potential for employment in the ITES/ BPO sector in 2011.

How would you describe the current employment scenario on the ITES/ BPO sector? Do you feel that job opportunities would increase in Year 2011?
The ITES/BPO industry has seen an increase in volumes and is growing at above 12%. We have new businesses coming in and the existing businesses are scaling up. Naturally, our hiring is at the peak.

What are the hierarchy levels across organizations where you see job opportunities opening up in future and why?
Since the volumes at the entry level are growing steeply, the requirements for immediate supervisor levels at the middle management will also increase proportionally as the span of control metrics would have to be maintained.

What are the key qualities and skill sets that you would look for in applicants at various levels?
Across levels, the common traits looked at are Customer Centric Focus, Inter personal skills, Target orientation and adaptability to quick changes and dynamic deliverables.

What are the aspects or traits that could get an applicant rejected even though they may be otherwise qualified for the job?
Unreasonable job hops without valid reasons and incompatibility with our work culture. We have a culture of team work. An immensely talented candidate may be rejected if he is not a good team player.

What are the sort of 'trigger points' that you look for while going through bio data's and CVs? What are the words or phrases that would elicit a positive or negative reaction from you?
Trigger points would be Relevant Experience, Skills, Industry Exposure and Qualifications. We generally like the CVs which are to-the-point and easy to read.

What are the positive elements that would help an application stand out from many others?
Uniformity of thought and clarity, a systematic approach in elucidating data or information showcasing education, experience and credentials are the elements.

What are the traits that an applicant needs to demonstrate and avoid at different stages of the interview process?
Confidence, willingness to learn and adapt with examples proving successes in the past are vital when proving one's capabilities while over confidence and negativity about previous organisations, peers and reporting team members and responsibilities should be avoided.

Is there any advice or guidance that you would like to share with job aspirants?
They should evaluate their interests and strengths and make sure they are in line with their career objectives. For example, a person who is keen and interested in training should focus and try to get into that particular domain as that would also become his passion and not just a job.

Are there any myths about working in your industry/ sector that you would want to dispel or clarify?
Our industry is increasingly being accepted as a sought after recruiter, but there are still some negative perceptions remaining. There are people who still think working in a BPO is a part time option or an employment avenue of the last resort. This is incorrect as we all are aware of the abundant learning opportunities that this sector offers. There is another train of thought that work life balance is minimal and personal life gets affected. This is again a myth - there is a great scope for balancing work and life, provided one plans his/ her work efficiently.

How has the role of the HR department changed in recent years? What are the factors that have contributed to this and how?
There were times when multitasking was the key in HR. A small team of people used to support all functions pertaining to the HR gamut. Slowly, as the industry has grown in scale and scope, HR as a department itself has grown into multiple functions within which again are multiple roles. We have Recruitment, Talent Engagement, Compensation and Benefits, Organizational Development, Coaching and Behavioural training, etc. The terminology may vary from one organisation to another.