Talent crunch hurting 67% of Indian employers: survey

A talent shortage in India, caused by lack of training and experience, is becoming a matter of concern for employers, particularly in areas like research, sales and information technology, said a survey conducted by global human resource consultancy and staffing firm ManpowerGroup.

"Sixty-seven per cent of employers in India are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organisations," said the sixth annual talent shortage survey by Manpower.

This is second only to Japan, where 80 per cent of employers said they have to struggle to fill positions.

The India figure is almost double of the global average, which stood at 34 per cent.

''As the chaos and complexity of the post-recession era have irrevocably changed the way the world works, employers can no longer solely rely on a 'just in time' approach to hiring, expecting 'on-demand' talent to be available wherever and whenever they need it," said Jeffrey A Joerres, ManpowerGroup chairman and chief executive.

"It would be unthinkable for a company to plot its growth strategy without identifying a sustainable supply of raw materials, so employers must ensure they have the talent in place to support their business goals. The 'manufacturing' of talent cannot be achieved in the short-term, but it can be developed in the long-term so companies must strategise accordingly."

ManpowerGroup India managing director Sanjay Pandit said, "While not all employers are feeling the pain associated with the global talent shortage, external forces mean it is likely that they will soon feel pressure. Businesses need to adopt a long-term approach to ensure they have the talent they need to achieve their objectives."

Pandit added, "The fact that companies are citing a lack of skills or experience as a reason for talent shortages should be a wake-up call for organisations, education, government and individuals."