Genpact's Piyush (above) and ICICI's Ramkumar: The two companies will create nearly 12,000 jobs each

This is a good time to be a professional in India. The economy is booming, the stock markets are soaring and almost everyone you speak to is optimistic about the future. A large portion of this optimism flows from the fact that almost everyone and his uncle have either recently changed jobs or are thinking of doing so. Okay, let's put the veracity of that statement to test. Just look around your office. Chances are you'll see faces that weren't there three months ago; the odds that many of your friends have moved on during this period are also quite high. Ask around in your social circle; and the likelihood of getting the same result is also very high. We have, it would seem from the evidence at hand, become a nation of job hoppers.

And the best part is that this phenomenon is present across sectors, locations and functions. Information technology (it) and business process outsourcing (BPO), banking, insurance, investment banking, retail, pharma, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), manufacturing, aviation...just name it; companies in all these sectors, and others too, are hiring like never before.

"The great (recruitment) story in banking will continue for another few years," emphasises K. Ramkumar, Head, HR, ICICI Bank. Private banks directly employ close to 1.5 lakh people at present. This is likely to grow 35 per cent every year. That's more than 50,000 new jobs in banking alone; ICICI itself is looking at adding 12,000 people in 2006.

The story is pretty much the same across sectors. Genpact, a leading BPO player, is looking at adding 10,000-12,000 people across its nine centres. Other BPOs like EXL, WNS and Convergys are also looking to ramp up capacity. This sector is expected to create about one lakh new jobs this year.

In the FMCG sector, "there is more of a bouncing back than a surge", explains D. Harish, GM, HR, Hindustan Lever. He estimates that the roster of the sector as a whole will expand about 12 per cent. That means we're looking at 5,000 new jobs here.

Infrastructure is another sector that will add huge numbers to its payroll. "The emphasis on creating new infrastructure has massive potential to create new jobs," says P.K. Gandhi, President, hr, Punj Lloyd, a construction and infrastructure sector major. There will be a 25 per cent growth in direct employment in this space, while indirect employment growth will be closer to 50 per cent. In absolute terms, that should add up to 15,000 new jobs, not counting the indirect employment potential.

Lots of jobs will be created in the aviation sector as well. HR professionals dealing with the sector expect a 15-17 per cent employment growth in aviation. "With Air Deccan and other airlines entering hitherto neglected cities, more professionals will be needed," says MacLean S. Raphael, Chief Human Resources Officer of the airline.

HLL's Harish (above) and Bharti's Singh: Both FMCG and telecom companies will hire aggressively

But more than others, it is the retail sector that has the greatest potential to spark off an explosion in job creation. "Organised retail is growing at between 40 and 60 per cent; so huge numbers will be required," says Vijay Kashyap, Vice President, hr, Shoppers' Stop. And like it, BPO and retail-all sectors where human skills and customer interface play primary roles-telecom, too, is expected to throw up huge opportunities for job seekers. According to Gartner, the sector will end the year with 300 million customers. A huge army of people will be required to service these subscribers; so most players in the industry are looking at an average manpower increase of 25 per cent in 2006. And it's more of the same in automobiles. "With new players coming in and existing players expanding, there will be an obvious increase in jobs," says G. Ramesh, Vice President, hr, Hyundai Motor India. Employment is likely to grow 25 per cent in the manufacturing sector, with auto and auto ancillaries leading the way.

What about the kind of jobs that will be on offer? Banks are in the process of upgrading their technology and also offer many more specialised products than before. Result: customers don't really need to visit branches for plain vanilla transactions anymore. This trend will get accentuated during the year. Engineers and management graduates will be required in areas like technology, quality, wealth management and private banking. No wonder, Punj Lloyd's Gandhi bemoans the fact that "iitians don't want to work for infrastructure companies". The FMCG sector is working on the same lines. Therefore, customer development and supply chain management are going to be key areas for job creation in this sector. "We are also looking at advertising agencies and creative design houses for talent," says HLL's Harish.

Aviation, on the other hand, needs specialist professionals like pilots, engineers, cabin crew, dispatchers and security personnel. Retail companies, meanwhile, need thousands of specialists in buying, store planning and visual merchandising. However, the bulk of their recruitments will be in the sales and customer care functions.

In it, companies will not be hiring just plain vanilla code jocks. "Today's game is all about end-to-end solutions, so domain experts will be required in large numbers," explains Rahul Varma, Director, hr, Accenture. The BPO sector, on the other hand, will need experts in finance and analysis, customer service and human resource management. "The focus area is going to be knowledge-based services," says Piyush Mehta, Senior Vice President, hr, Genpact.

Accenture's Varma: Domain experts will be in great demand

Most Indian pharma companies are looking at establishing global footprints. In this scenario, formulation manufacturing engineers with exposure to The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) will be the most sought after. "This is a pressure period for manpower in the pharma sector," says A.H. Khan, Senior gm, hr, Sun Pharma. And as telecom companies increase their rural thrust, specialists in "rural marketing, risk assessment and audits will be in great demand," says Daljit Singh, Director, hr, Bharti Group.

Such massive demand for manpower has shaken up salary structures. "The war for talent is quite hot. More money is chasing fewer people," says Gandhi. That, as anyone with even a passing knowledge of economics knows, is the classical recipe for inflation. "There is great turbulence in the compensation packages everywhere," laughs

Hyundai's Ramesh. Salaries have gone up across the board. Poaching is the biggest threat-or enabler, depending on which side of the table you are sitting-in every sector. "Loyalty is being equated with failure; this creates pressure on people to jump jobs," explains Khan. Pharma has seen 30-35 per cent increase in salaries for research and development specialists over the last year. The expected increase this year: 14-16 per cent. Banking, retail, FMCG and manufacturing sector executives, too, can look forward to hikes of 10-20 per cent pay in 2006. So, if you are looking for a dream job, India is the place to be in.

COUNSELLING
Help, Tarun!

I am a 40-year-old middle-level executive working in the HR department of a PSU. I do not have any professional qualifications, but have 15 years of experience in areas like recruitment, training and industrial relations. The company is now offering VRS. Should I opt for it and apply in the private sector or should I pursue a full-time MBA?

Going for a full-time MBA at this stage means being out of the job market for two years. You have to see whether you can afford to do that, both careerwise and financially. You could opt for a part-time MBA, which will add to your knowledge, though it might not give you a jumpstart in terms of a good job. However, with the experiece you have, you should not find it difficult to get a job in the private sector, irrespective of whether you have an MBA or not. You should, however, keep in mind that the work culture in private companies is highly competitive vis-a-vis the public sector.

I have been working as a development officer for the past 12 years with a leading insurance firm. My job entails recruiting and training insurance advisors. In the light of growing competition in the sector, I would like to know about soft skills training which will allow me to become a soft skills trainer. What are the opportunities in this field?

Ideally, a postgraduate qualification in psychology, organisational behaviour and/or organisational development would be the way to go. Alternatively, you could pursue management development programmes from institutes like the All India Management Association (AIMA). Soft skills trainers are always in great demand, hence, the career prospects are good. And given your experience in the field, you should be able to make the transition easily.

I work as a process associate in a BPO firm. I am also pursuing a Diploma in Business Finance from ICFAI. My problem is that my boss is not very supportive and whenever I seek leave for my studies, he piles me with more work. I do not want to resign as I need the money. What should I do so that at least my studies don't suffer?

One way out of your current situation is for you to seek a transfer to another department. If that's not possible, then you will have to burn the midnight oil and study while working. But I do not see why your boss should grudge it if you are entitled to leave and have not been compromising on the quality of your work. You can always look for another job and tell your prospective employers at the outset about the course you are pursuing. This way, you will able to take care of both your job and your studies.

I have five years of sales experience and my last job was as business manager with a leading ITES company. Six months into the job, I was given the pink slip as the company decided to downsize. I have faced two-three interviews in the past one month and found that my being unemployed seems to be an issue of concern. Do you think this is coming in the way of prospective employers making an offer to me?

The situation you are in i.e., being without a job, is fairly common in today's corporate world. It is understandable that companies fire people for reasons other than their individual skills or capabilities. The fact that you have already been called for two-three interviews in the past one month is a positive sign. It shows that your being without a job is not an issue with these companies. Be upfront and explain the reasons why you lost the job. Some recruiters may actually welcome your honesty.

Answers to your career concerns are contributed by Tarun Sheth (Senior Consultant) and Shilpa Sheth (Managing Partner, US practice) of HR firm, Shilputsi Consultants. Write to Help,Tarun! c/o Business Today, Videocon Tower, Fifth Floor, E-1, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055..