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Strategic hiring and workforce adaptability are becoming central to long-term business sustainability, according to the latest TeamLease Employment Outlook Report. Despite a subdued hiring pace, the report presents a picture of a maturing employment landscape—one that now prioritises quality over quantity and resilience over rapid expansion.

As India Inc. navigates FY2025-26, the report signals that businesses are shifting towards demand-sensitive and cost-conscious hiring strategies. The employment outlook for the first half of FY2025-26 reflects lower optimism due to ongoing economic complexities. The report, which surveyed over 1,263 employers across 23 sectors and 20 cities, recorded a modest Net Employment Change (NEC) of +2.8 per cent, down sharply from 7.1 per cent in the previous half-year.

While 47 per cent of companies plan to increase their workforce, the focus is increasingly on skill-specific hiring and flexible staffing models. About 25 per cent of employers expect to reduce their workforce, and 28 per cent foresee no changes, culminating in the modest NEC figure. Notably, only 17 per cent of companies are looking at workforce expansion of more than 10 per cent, indicating conservative growth amid global uncertainties.

Key trends shaping this cautious hiring landscape include economic prudence, rising automation, and a growing preference for gig and project-based roles, especially in technology, sales, and operations. The quick commerce sector highlights this shift, with 31 per cent of employers reporting high attrition among gig workers, reflecting the volatility of frontline roles.

Sector-wise, Electric Vehicles and EV Infrastructure (+7.1 per cent NEC), Automotive (+6.9 per cent), and E-commerce & Tech Start-ups (+6.9 per cent) are leading the hiring momentum, supported by sustained demand for green mobility, digital platforms, and tech infrastructure. In contrast, sectors such as Media and Entertainment (-0.9 per cent) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) (-1.4 per cent) are seeing job contractions due to restructuring and cost challenges.

Regionally, Bengaluru (57.4 per cent), Chennai (53.7 per cent), and Hyderabad (51.3 per cent) stand out as the top hiring hubs, largely driven by the growth in technology and life sciences sectors. Larger enterprises appear more optimistic, with 57 per cent planning to expand, compared to just 42 per cent among micro and small businesses.

The report also highlights a shift in competency demand. Digital literacy (76 per cent), customer experience management (68 per cent), and communication skills (63 per cent) top the list of in-demand skills, underscoring the need for agile, tech-enabled, and customer-centric talent in the evolving employment landscape.

(From ANI)

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