Tech Giants Halt Hiring in Key Divisions as AI Costs Surge

Microsoft has reportedly paused hiring across major cloud and sales divisions as part of a broader effort to rein in labor costs, even while continuing to pour resources into artificial intelligence.

Microsoft’s decision to freeze hiring in its cloud and North American sales divisions is a clear signal of shifting priorities. The company is pulling back on workforce expansion in areas that have traditionally been its growth engines, citing the need to cut costs and improve margins.

This freeze applies to candidates who don’t yet have offers in hand, while those already extended offers remain unaffected. For employees, it means heavier workloads as teams operate without the reinforcements they were expecting. For job seekers, it’s a sudden pause in opportunities at one of the most influential tech employers.

Strategically, the move reflects the broader post-2025 trend in tech: profitability is being prioritized over aggressive expansion. Microsoft Azure, despite being a leader in the cloud market, faces intense competition from AWS and Google Cloud. Tightening hiring in sales and cloud suggests the company is focusing on efficiency and margin discipline rather than chasing growth at all costs.

This move from Microsoft mirrors a wider tech industry trend: companies are cutting traditional roles while channeling billions into AI infrastructure. Firms like Block, Close Brothers, and even media giants have announced layoffs or freezes, citing AI-driven efficiencies.

Microsoft’s Move

• Affected divisions: Azure cloud and North American sales
• Reason: Cost discipline amid rising GPU and AI infrastructure expenses
• Exception: AI-focused teams (e.g., Copilot) continue to hire
• Risk: Heavy reliance on OpenAI, which accounts for ~45% of Azure’s revenue backlog

Industry-Wide Scenario

• Global trend: Two-thirds of CEOs froze or cut hiring in Q1 2026, while global AI capital spending surged to $2.5 trillion
• Layoffs: Over 150,000 tech jobs have been cut in 2026, with at least 20% explicitly attributed to AI adoption
• Examples:
  • Block (Jack Dorsey’s firm): Cut 4,000 jobs (~40% of workforce), citing AI tools replacing human tasks
  • Close Brothers (UK banking group): Cutting 600 jobs while rolling out AI “at pace”
  • CBS News: Announced 6% workforce reduction
  • IKEA’s parent company: Cutting 800 office-based roles, citing efficiency gains

Comparative Snapshot

Company	Action Taken	AI Investment/Driver
Microsoft	Hiring freeze in cloud & sales; AI teams exempt	Rising GPU costs, OpenAI dependency
Block	4,000 jobs cut (40% workforce)	AI tools replacing human tasks
Close Brothers	600 jobs cut	AI rollout in banking
CBS News	6% layoffs	AI-driven newsroom efficiencies
IKEA (parent)	800 office roles cut	AI + automation in operations
Global CEOs (survey)	66% froze/cut hiring	$2.5T capital spending on AI

Risks & Challenges

• Margin squeeze: AI infrastructure costs (notably GPUs) eroding profitability
• Workforce disruption: Tens of thousands of jobs eliminated or frozen, especially in non-AI divisions
• Concentration risk: Heavy reliance on single AI partnerships (e.g., Microsoft–OpenAI)
• Investor pressure: Balancing cost discipline with AI growth promises

This move reflects the broader post-2025 tech industry shift: companies are tightening hiring even in high-growth divisions like cloud, balancing expansion with profitability. For Gurugram’s tech and editorial ecosystem, where Microsoft’s cloud services are widely used, the freeze underscores the importance of cost efficiency and strategic scaling in global tech operations.

Microsoft’s hiring freeze in cloud and sales is more than a U.S. story—it’s a cautionary signal for India’s enterprise ecosystem. As AWS and Google double down locally, Microsoft’s pause may reshape competitive dynamics in one of the fastest-growing cloud markets.

India’s Cloud Market Ripple Effect

Microsoft’s hiring freeze in U.S. cloud and sales divisions could slow global expansion plans, indirectly affecting India’s enterprise adoption of Azure. With AWS and Google Cloud aggressively scaling their India operations, Microsoft’s pause may create an opening for rivals to capture market share in sectors like BFSI, healthcare, and government digitization.

Talent Pipeline Disruption

India has been a major beneficiary of Microsoft’s global hiring cycles, especially in engineering and sales support. A freeze in North America often signals tighter controls worldwide. This could mean fewer lateral hires in India’s cloud sales teams, slowing Azure’s ability to win new enterprise contracts.

Cost Discipline vs. Growth in India

Microsoft’s pivot toward margin discipline mirrors a broader industry trend. For India, where cloud adoption is still accelerating, this raises a key question: will Microsoft prioritize profitability over aggressive customer acquisition? If so, AWS and Google Cloud may gain ground by offering more flexible pricing and localized services.

Enterprise Customer Impact

Large Indian enterprises—banks, IT services firms, and government agencies—depend on Microsoft’s cloud stack. A slowdown in sales hiring could affect deal velocity, customer onboarding, and support responsiveness. This is particularly critical as India pushes digital public infrastructure and AI adoption at scale.

Investor & Policy Angle

For India’s policy and investment community, Microsoft’s freeze is a reminder that global tech majors are recalibrating. It underscores the importance of nurturing domestic cloud players and ensuring resilience against global hiring cycles that may affect service delivery.

Google, Microsoft, Amazon Emerge as India’s Most Desired Employers for Gen Z: Insights from 37,000 Students

• Only 36% of HR leaders feel fully prepared to hire and manage Gen Z talent, revealing a growing readiness gap
• Nearly 27% of candidates drop out of hiring processes due to a lack of pay transparency
• 78% of organisations run internship programmes, but only 16% convert over 80% of interns into full-time hires
• 90%+ Gen Z professionals are willing to accept slightly lower compensation if roles offer stronger learning opportunities, faster career progression

Unstop, a leading platform connecting ~30 million students and early professionals with career opportunities, has released the Unstop Talent Report 2026, “Era of Human + AI: Decoding India’s Talent Landscape.” Based on insights from 37,000+ students and 500+ HR leaders, the report highlights how Gen Z professionals are redefining career expectations, preferred workplaces, and early career priorities.

Most Desirable Employers for Gen Z in 2026

Going away from the common motion of treating McKinsey, Unilever, and other consulting firms as dream employers in B-Schools, global technology leaders dominate Gen Z career aspirations, with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon emerging as the most preferred employers among both engineering and B-School audiences.

Sector Highlights

• BFSI: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley; HDFC Bank enters top 5.
• Consulting: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group.
• FMCG/FMCD: Hindustan Unilever Ltd, ITC Limited, Nestlé.
• Service Companies (Engineering): TCS, Infosys, Wipro.
• Product Technology: Google, Microsoft, Amazon.
• Indian Conglomerates: Tata Administrative Services, Reliance Industries Limited, Aditya Birla Group.
• New-age Recruiters: Eternal, Swiggy, Meesho.

Gen Z Priorities: Learning, Transparency, and Flexibility

When choosing their first job, learning opportunities emerge as the strongest motivator for Gen Z, with 60–65% prioritising learning and skill development. Salary considerations rank lower at 11–13%.

Transparent pay and clear career progression are critical expectations, with nearly 27% of candidates dropping out of hiring processes due to lack of salary transparency.

Organisations Still Catching Up with Gen Z Expectations

Only 36% of HR leaders feel fully prepared to hire and manage Gen Z talent. 49–59% of early career employees leave organisations due to lack of growth opportunities. 90%+ Gen Z professionals are willing to accept slightly lower compensation if roles offer stronger learning opportunities, faster career progression, and better work–life balance.

Changing Campus Hiring Dynamics

95% of students are open to off-campus opportunities if better roles are available. Students at campuses where 150+ companies visit annually are nearly 2.9 times more likely to secure placements compared to campuses with fewer than 30 recruiters.

Internships Becoming the New Hiring Gateway

78% of organisations run internship programmes, but only 16% convert more than 80% of interns into full-time hires. Students expect internships to provide real work from day one, mentorship, and clear pathways to PPOs.

Early Attrition Begins Early

HR leaders cite higher studies (38%), better pay (30%), job-role mismatch (23%), and better company brands (22%) as leading reasons for early attrition. Around 26% of freshers remain on bench for 3–6 months before receiving meaningful work, increasing the likelihood of early job switches.

Gen Z is entering the workforce with a very different set of expectations compared to previous generations. They value transparency, learning opportunities, and meaningful growth over traditional markers of employment. Through the Unstop Talent Report 2026, we aim to provide organisations with actionable insights that can help them better understand and engage the next generation of talent. — Ankit Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Unstop. 

Research Methodology

The Unstop Talent Report 2026 is based on insights gathered through a comprehensive survey conducted between January and February 2026, covering 37,000+ students and 500+ HR leaders across industries.

About Unstop

Unstop is India’s Largest Early Talent Community Engagement & Hiring Platform, connecting ~30 million students and early professionals with 35,000+ employers across domains. Incorporated in 2019, Unstop enables democratised access to opportunities through competitions, hackathons, assessments, learning programs, internships, and jobs. With 200,000+ engagements and 25 million+ assessments completed, Unstop powers iconic programs like Flipkart GRiD, Amazon ACE, HUL L.I.M.E, Tata Imagination Challenge, EY Techathon, and more.

As Hiring Gets Tougher in India, 71% of Recruiters Are Turning to AI to Find ‘Hidden Talent’ They Would Otherwise Miss: Linkedin

India’s hiring market is moving fast, but finding the right talent is getting harder. New research from LinkedIn shows that 74% of recruiters now struggle to find qualified candidates, even as hiring activity runs 40% above pre-pandemic levels.

• 53% of recruiters cite a surge in AI-generated applications as a challenge.
• 47% highlight shortages in in-demand skills.
• 48% say distinguishing genuine applications from low-quality ones adds friction.

LinkedIn platform data shows applicants per open role in India have more than doubled since 2022. Additionally, while 72% of professionals say they’re actively job-hunting in 2026, 85% admit they feel unprepared to navigate the process.

Recruiters are using AI to spot the right skills, hire faster, and make the candidate journey more fulfilling

• 71% of recruiters say AI helps uncover candidates with hidden skills.
• 80% report AI makes gaining insight into candidate skills easier.
• 76% believe AI is already speeding up hiring.

Looking ahead, adoption is set to rise:

• 8 in 10 recruiters plan to expand AI use for hiring goals and applicant evaluation.
• 83% expect AI pre-screening to improve recruiter-candidate conversations.
• 83% believe it will speed up hiring.
• 82% say it will provide better candidate insights.

Ruchee Anand, APAC VP, LinkedIn Talent Solutions: "We’re seeing a structural shift in hiring from pedigree and past titles to demonstrated skills and capability. This shift is hard to execute at scale without AI. Used responsibly, AI helps recruiters detect the right skills earlier, reduce screening friction and create a more consistent and fair evaluation process."

Transparency becomes central to the recruiter–job seeker relationship

• 50% of recruiters in India say they are under pressure to explain how AI is used in hiring processes.

How LinkedIn is helping recruiters hire faster and smarter

• Salary & Notice Period Filters: Reduce friction by allowing candidates to share expectations directly with recruiters.
• Hiring Assistant: AI agent helping companies like AMD, Siemens, Wipro uncover talent faster. Early adopters report:
  • 62% fewer profiles reviewed
  • 4+ hours saved per role
  • 69% improvement in InMail acceptance rate
• Hiring Pro: AI agent for small businesses. Benefits include:
  • 60% find someone to interview within the first week
  • Average of 6+ hours saved weekly
  • AI-powered interview support
  • Conversational interface for refining candidate search
  • AI-assisted personalized InMails

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Its vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has over 1.2 billion members and offices worldwide. Visit www.linkedin.com or mobile.linkedin.com.

Methodology

Research conducted by Censuswide in November 2025 among 19,113 consumer respondents and 6,554 HR professionals across multiple global markets. Censuswide abides by ESOMAR principles and is a member of the British Polling Council. 

Infosys Sets Record with ₹21 Lakh Fresher Package — Its Highest Yet

Infosys has announced its highest-ever entry-level salary of up to ₹21 lakh per annum for freshers in specialised technology roles, making it the most lucrative starting package in the Indian IT sector to date, reported Moneycontrol and later a Financial Express (Dec 26, 2025) report confirmed this with a statement from Infosys’ Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Shaji Mathew, who explicitly said Infosys is offering up to ₹21 lakh for specialised fresher roles.

Key Highlights

• Salary Package: Up to ₹21 lakh per annum for select roles.
• Standard fresher roles: ₹3.5–7 lakh per annum.
• Specialist Programmer (SP-L3): ₹21 lakh per annum (highest).
• Digital Specialist Engineer (DSE): ₹9–12 lakh per annum.
• Target Roles: Specialist Programmer (L1–L3) and Digital Specialist Engineer (Trainee).
• Roles Covered:
• Specialist Programmer (SP-L3): Top-tier coding and AI-focused role.
• Digital Specialist Engineer (DSE): Entry-level but targeted at digital-first skills.
• Eligibility: BE, BTech, ME, MTech, MCA, and integrated MSc graduates in computer science, IT, and select circuit branches (like ECE).
• Hiring Drive: Infosys is launching a 2025 off-campus recruitment drive, aiming to hire 20,000 graduates.
• Strategic Focus: Part of Infosys’ AI-first strategy, designed to attract digitally native talent in areas such as AI, cloud computing, data science, and cybersecurity.

Why This Matters

• Industry Benchmark: Highest entry-level salary among Indian IT firms, surpassing typical fresher packages (₹3–7 lakh).
• Talent War: Infosys is positioning itself aggressively against competitors like TCS, Wipro, and Accenture.
• AI Push: Reflects growing demand for advanced tech skills as companies pivot toward AI-driven services.

Comparison with Industry Peers

Company	Typical Fresher Salary	Highest Specialised Role Salary	Strategic Focus
Infosys	₹3–7 lakh	₹21 lakh	AI-first, cloud, cybersecurity
TCS	₹3–6 lakh	~₹10–12 lakh (Digital roles)	Digital & enterprise IT
Wipro	₹3–6 lakh	~₹10–12 lakh (Elite roles)	Cloud & automation
Accenture	₹4–7 lakh	~₹14–16 lakh (specialised tech)	Consulting & digital services

Risks & Trade-offs

• Selective Access: Only specialised roles get the ₹21 lakh package; most freshers remain at standard salaries.
• High Expectations: These roles demand cutting-edge skills in AI, data science, and advanced programming.
• Competitive Pressure: Could trigger salary inflation among IT majors, but sustainability is uncertain.

What This Signals

Infosys is betting big on AI-native talent. For graduates, this is both an opportunity and a challenge: the rewards are massive, but the bar for skills is higher than ever. If you’re entering the IT sector, upskilling in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity is no longer optional — it’s the ticket to these premium packages.

Amid Layoffs in US, IBM To Shift Hiring to India

IBM is reportedly laying off nearly 9,000 employees across multiple locations in the United States, including California, New York, Texas, and North Carolina. A significant portion of these layoffs is affecting the Cloud Classic division, with IBM shifting employment to India as part of its restructuring strategy.

Some laid-off employees were reportedly asked to train their replacements in India before leaving.

The company’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, has previously emphasized a shift in labor focus to India, reinforcing this trend.

A major portion of these layoffs is affecting the Cloud Classic division, with IBM shifting employment to India as part of its cost-cutting strategy.

IBM has been expanding its hiring in India with more job openings listed than in the U.S. The company has reportedly instructed some laid-off employees to train their replacements in India before leaving. This move aligns with IBM’s broader workforce strategy, which emphasizes cost-cutting and labor realignment.

IBM has been expanding its hiring in India listing 173 open positions since January and 2,946 openings since November last year.

Additionally, IBM has introduced a return-to-office mandate, requiring employees to work on-site at least three days a week starting in late April. Badge swipes are being monitored, and medical exemptions are reportedly discouraged.

The company is shifting jobs to India, where it can leverage a large pool of skilled professionals at lower costs. This move aligns with IBM’s long-term focus on cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise IT solutions.

This move aligns with broader trends in the tech industry, where companies like Meta and Google have also been shifting jobs to India.

Tata Technologies Launches Recruitment Drive for 100+ Cloud and Data Engineers to Revolutionize Software-Defined Vehicles

Tata Technologies, a global leader in engineering and R&D services, is launching a recruitment drive to onboard over 100 skilled Cloud and Data Engineers. These professionals will play a pivotal role in driving innovation for the next generation of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), transforming the automotive landscape with cutting-edge software solutions.

As a leading global engineering and R&D services provider, Tata Technologies is committed to advancing automotive technology. The company invites talented professionals to join its mission of transforming the automotive landscape. They will play a key role in designing and developing advanced software capabilities that will enhance future driving experiences.

The company is looking for candidates with at least 5 years of experience in domains such as Teamcenter, Python, Microservices, and Pyspark. Open positions include roles for Cloud Engineers, Data Engineers, and Solution Architects. Position is available in Chennai.

The organization offers a vibrant work environment and the opportunity to contribute to the revolutionary shift towards software-defined vehicles. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a pioneering team dedicated to engineering a better future.

Apply now to be a part of the revolution: https://lnkd.in/d_msvCXJ

TCS Introduces New Hiring Category 'Prime' with Rs 9-11 L Packages

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has introduced a new hiring tier called "Prime" as part of its campus recruitment strategy this year. This initiative aims to attract high-potential talent from fresh graduates by offering annual compensation packages ranging from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 11 lakh. This is significantly higher than the standard entry-level offers.

The "Prime" category is designed to secure top talent who excel in programming, coding, and new technologies like AI and machine learning. This move is part of TCS's broader strategy to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving IT services sector.

TCS has occasionally recruited students in the Rs 9 lakh category, often referred to as “Prime” by various campuses.

However, this is the first time the Prime tier has been formally expanded to include several top-tier institutes, according to Janardhan Santhanam, TCS’ vice-president and chief learning officer.

Previously, such hiring was limited to the research and innovation (R&I) segment or product verticals but is now extended across all business units.

Essentially, TCS introduced the "Prime" tier as part of its campus recruitment strategy to attract top-tier talent from prestigious institutes. Engineers hired under the Prime category will receive annual compensation packages ranging from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 11 lakh.

The Prime tier targets students from top-tier institutes such as IITs, NITs, IIITs, BITS, and other leading engineering and technology colleges. Candidates should have strong technical skills in programming, coding, and new technologies like AI, machine learning, and data science.

TCS uses an integrated test pattern for its fresher hiring, including Prime, Digital, and Ninja roles. Candidates need to appear for a single test, and based on their performance, they qualify for the respective interviews.

TCS aims to secure the commitment of high-potential candidates by ensuring that those hired in the Prime category do not apply elsewhere

This initiative is part of TCS's broader strategy to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving IT services sector by securing highly skilled graduates.

Infosys Targets Fresher Hiring at 15,000-20,000 for FY25

Infosys has ambitious plans for fresher hiring in FY25. The company aims to hire 15,000-20,000 Freshers during this financial year, amid a decline in headcount for six consecutive quarters. This move comes after a year of declining IT job opportunities, offering hope to recent and soon-to-be college graduates.

The hiring will be both on and off-campus recruitment.

Infosys management also said they have onboarded most of the freshers whose joining was delayed. To recall, in early of last month a Pune-based union for IT professionals had written to the Ministry of Labour and Employment regarding Infosys' alleged repeated delays in the onboarding process.

Notably, even in the first quarter of FY25 , Infosys saw its headcount decline by 1,908 employees. The company’s total headcount at the end of the June quarter was 315,332. On a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis, the headcount is down by 20,962 employees.

In contrast, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) plans to recruit approximately 40,000 new graduates in FY25, having already onboarded about 11,000 trainees in Q1. It's encouraging to see companies investing in fresh talent despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and macroeconomic factors.

To apply for a job at Infosys, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Infosys Careers Page: Go to the Infosys Careers website to explore available job openings.
2. Use the search bar to find job roles that match your skills, experience, and interests. You can filter by location, job function, and other criteria.
3. Submit Your Application: Click on the specific job listing you're interested in. Read the job description, requirements, and responsibilities. If it aligns with your profile, click the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to submit your application.
4. You'll need to create an account on the Infosys Careers portal if you haven't already. Provide accurate information, upload your resume, and complete any required forms.

If your application is shortlisted, Infosys will contact you for interviews. Be prepared to discuss your qualifications, experience, and why you're a good fit for the role.

Keep an eye on your email and the Infosys portal for updates on your application status.

10 Unique HR Recruitment Firms Supporting Startups in India

HR recruiting agencies in India streamline the hiring process, offer specialized knowledge, cost and time savings, access to a large talent pool, screening and assessment services, confidentiality, market insights, and flexibility. They benefit companies and job seekers by promoting better matches and enhancing talent acquisition efficiency. HR recruitment firms support startups in building strong teams, attracting top personnel, and expanding their market presence. There are companies pursuing the same goal that have excelled in the industry by giving their clients the best service available in every aspect.

Here is the list of some unique HR recruitment firms in India to watch out in 2023:

Biojobz

Established in 2007 by Dr. Ganesh Nikam, Biojobz is a specialized Executive search for the Bio-Pharma industry. It specializes in realizing how important it is to identify and secure the best personnel in accordance with organizational needs. Talent acquisition, industry talent landscape/mapping, and recruitment solutions for Indians who have returned from overseas are among the key offerings. The company also specializes in headhunting for Leadership roles in Research & Development, General Management, Engineering & Projects, Supply Chain, Quality, Strategy, R&D, Clinical Research, and Operations.

SutraHR

SutraHR is one of the top HR companies in India search firms which was founded in 2008. Pioneers in startup hiring, they’ve worked with over 500 clients since their inception. They realize the importance of hiring the right talent for growing your business. SutraHR has dedicated teams working on Tech, Non-Tech, Bulk, and Product requirements and has a TAT of 24 hours. They have clients spread across India and globally in places like Malaysia, Singapore, the Middle East, Indonesia, and the UK. With a strong team of recruiters and an exhaustive database, they close a position every 12 hours.

ZappyHire

Kochi, Kerala-based ZappyHire founded in 2018 by Deepu Xavier and Jyothis KS is an intelligent recruitment platform helping enterprises spot and onboard the best talent faster utilizing AI. Zappyhire’s intelligent recruitment platform helps users find the best candidates and improve time-to-hire while providing candidates with an amazing recruitment experience. Zappyhire’s AI-powered solution helps its users find the best people for their organization. It automates the recruitment process end-to-end and helps users make powerful decisions with insightful data.

ZingHR

Founded in 2014 by Prasad Rajappan, ZingHR offers a complete solution of the end-to-end processes in HR through Artificial Intelligence, Machine, and Deep Learning algorithms which help to improve employee performance and drives process efficiency in recruitment offer ease of leave, attendance, payroll, and claim management. It offers almost all web/mobile-based modules from Hire to Retire Solutions with a state-of-the-art tech supporting those applications. ZingHR has partnered with global and regional organizations like Microsoft, SHRM, and NHRDN for adding value to ZingHR's outreach program. It adopts an employee-centric, mobile-first approach covering the entire spectrum from employee recruitment to employee exit. It is been backed by Microsoft.

Bridgentech

Bridgentech is a boutique contract hiring staffing and solutions provider. BRIDGENTECH engages and distributes an exclusive global IT talent pool of Indian origin preferred by businesses of all sizes; Uniquely merging remote staffing, IT delivery, training, and recruitment processes into one customizable service. The company was founded in 2018 by Piyush Raj Akhoury. The company blends the best of contractual IT outsourcing with focused strategic IT recruitment.

Startup HR Toolkit

Mumbai-based StartupHR Toolkit founded in 2019 by Waqar Azmi is on a mission to change the way companies look at Human Resource Management. The toolkit has been carefully structured and designed by SutraHR based on their experience of managing HR operations for startups and established companies. One can customize them as per preferences and needs. The toolkit comprises documents related to COVID-19, employee policies, hiring, performance review, statutory, recruitment, HR forms, and HR letters.

CutShort.io

CutShort.io takes care for all hiring needs by matching with only relevant companies based on the candidate’s professional background, career interests and skill competencies. It uses matchmaking algorithm, gamification techniques and Artificial Intelligence for the internal screening process to track the candidate on professional social network platforms such as Githhub or Dribble and fetches recommendations that are confidential from ex-bosses or managers.

CutShort is also a comprehensive database on salaries which helps to check a candidate's value and salary based on metrics like industry experience and job title. CutShort.io aggregates all inbound applications in one place based on their relevance, skill strength, industry background, and recruiter's past action and uses machine learning to remove non-matching applications and highlight the strongest matching candidates.

Apna

Founded in 2019 by Nirmit Parikh, Apna follows a tech-driven approach to use the power of communities and enable access to better jobs and entrepreneurship for millions of Apna’s users. It comprises 60+ communities for skilled professionals like carpenters, painters, field sales agents, and many others.

The platform aims to double down on its ed-tech platform for skilling by continuing to invest in hiring exceptional talent and building world-class engineering and product capabilities. Apna users get access to local job opportunities, network with peers, practice for interviews, share their accomplishments, and gain new skills. The platform has onboarded more than 10 million users and 100,000+ employers etc.

Mettl

Mettl, a Gurugram-based HR technology startup, was launched in 2009 by Ketan Kapoor and Tonmoy Shingal with the goal of leveraging technology for hiring practices in Indian and global enterprises. This tech firm offers recruitment assessments, programming tests, psychometric tests, aptitude tests, a pre-built test library of more than 200 tests, an interview app, vocational skills assessment, remote proctoring, analytics in performance optimisation, and a certification platform. The company has its presence across 100 countries, serving over 1,800 clients globally.

Darwinbox

Darwinbox, an Indian Saas startup established in 2015 by Jayant Paleti, Chaitanya Peddi, and Rohit Chennamaneni, is a cloud-based HR solutions firm. The platform’s AI engine allows a recruiter to analyze a job description and employee profile picking up keywords to arrive at a certain ranking metric. This three-year-old HR tech brand serves over 100 clients, including Paytm, Ekart, Spencer’s, Delhivery, and others.

Almost 80% of Early-Stage Startups Looking to Increase their Workforce in 2023: FICCI–Randstad Startup Hiring Trends Survey

• 80.49% of the total startups surveyed stated that they plan to increase their manpower hiring in 2023, while 15.78% plan to maintain their existing headcount, majority being early stage.
• 54.38% of startups attribute the high attrition rate to factors such as better pay packages offered by larger corporations, as well as concerns over job security in a startup.
• The sectors depicting the highest hiring intent include the healthcare sector, IT/ITes, agri/agritech, AI/ML/DeepTech, Fintech and Manufacturing; while Hyderabad and Pune are emerging as regions exhibiting strong intent to hire for senior-level positions.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in partnership with Randstad India, one of the leading organizations in the HR services industry, has launched their exclusive survey on startup hiring trends. Over 300 startups participated in the survey.

Despite the current trend of layoffs among larger corporations, the survey highlights that a significant proportion (80%) of early-stage startups, those with a current workforce of fewer than 20 employees, are actively seeking to expand their workforce in 2023. Notably, these startups have secured Series A and Series B funding, are well-capitalized, and are actively seeking to hire new talent. 92% of these startups stated that their hiring decisions will primarily be driven by new project orders, additional funding raised from investors and expansion strategies.

While startups are planning to expand their workforce, a substantial portion, 31.92% anticipate an increase in hiring by over 30%. 28.08% of companies plan to expand their teams in the 11-20% range. Sectors like Agri/Agritech, AI/ML/Deeptech, Automotive, and E-commerce/delivery services are expected to increase hiring in the 11-20% range, while Aerospace & Defense, Energy, and Healthcare startups are expected to increase their hiring activities by over 30%. Overall, sectors depicting the highest intent to hire include healthcare (13%), IT/ITes (10%), agri/agritech (8%), AI/ML/DeepTech (7%), Fintech (7%) and Manufacturing (7%).

The study also states that hiring will primarily occur at the junior and mid-levels. Approximately 37.97% of startups have indicated that they intend to recruit more junior-level employees, while 27.27% of respondents are planning to focus on mid-level hiring. However, the Agri/agritech and automotive sectors will focus more on senior level C-suite hiring.

The survey further indicates that 54.38% of startups attribute the high attrition rate in the industry to factors such as better pay packages offered by larger corporations, as well as concerns over job security in a startup. Other factors contributing to attrition in startups include a lack of clarity around career progression and credibility.

Interestingly, 57.28% of the surveyed startups believe that ESOPs (Employee Stock Option Pool) have the potential to serve as an effective instrument for retaining employees. Furthermore, 41.49% of surveyed startups have already implemented ESOPs as a retention strategy.

In terms of hiring challenges faced by startups, the primary factors include a deficit in requisite skills, mismatches in salary expectations, and a reluctance among potential candidates to join a startup due to concerns over risk perception.

Mr Rohit Bansal, Chairman - FICCI Start-up Committee, and Co-founder, AceVector Group & Titan Capital said, “Startups create a large range of jobs as they grow and mature. As this report highlights, the initial opportunities arise as founders onboard the early team to help establish the business. A multiplier impact on job creation is seen in the growth and expansion stage when operations expand, and various initiatives mature. The dynamic working environment in startups provides the ideal training ground for aspiring entrepreneurs who then move on to create their own startups. This creates a virtuous cycle of growth, with each successive cohort adding jobs and enterprises. With their pan-India footprint, startups create jobs and economic opportunities beyond just the top cities and are key partners in India’s growth story.”

Presenting insights from the startup hiring trends survey, Mr Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India said, “Every large corporation once started as an early-stage company and navigated its way through several challenges to reach where they are today. It gives me immense pleasure to quote that startups are rapidly emerging as significant players in India's employment landscape. With the emergence of several new-age innovative organizations across sectors, the Indian start-up ecosystem will be a significant contributor to India’s economic growth over the next few years. More importantly, these startups will eventually go on to create unique employment opportunities and career paths, innovation and competitive dynamics in the world of work.

Randstad’s exclusive survey in association with FICCI reveals that the majority of early-stage startups are exhibiting strong hiring intentions, which is a testament to the strength of India’s diverse talent pool that’s available in the job market today. I believe these early-stage startups and their growth ambitions will fuel the next phase of India Inc.’s emergence as the world’s most attractive employment hub. I am confident that the Randstad-FICCI Start-Up Hiring Trends Survey will provide unique insights into the country’s evolving startup ecosystem, ​key ​trends and its immense contribution to socio-economic development and transformation.”

Startup Recruitment Trends 

a. Permanent vs Gig Workforce

• 57.76% of startups are looking for permanent recruits
• Only 42.24% are looking to hire temporary and gig workers

b. Geography in Focus

• Hyderabad and Pune are emerging as the frontrunners in senior-level hiring, reflecting strong intent among startups in these regions.
• Additionally, middle-level hiring is expected to be prominent across cities such as Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Delhi/NCR.
• A considerable proportion of hiring activity across startups is expected to occur at the junior level, with Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad being the prominent cities in this category.

C. Qualifications in Demand

• 45.21% of startups are looking to hire semi-skilled employees, while 41.49% of startups are seeking highly skilled professionals.
• In terms of campus placements, a majority of startups, (67.55%) are focusing on private MBA and engineering colleges, as well as state universities, as these institutes offer quality talent at affordable salary packages.
• Only a small proportion (9.16%) of startups are opting for premier institutions such as IITs and IIMs for their campus placements.

Fresher Recruitment SaaS Platform GetWork Raises ₹7 Cr in Pre-Series A Funding from Samarthya Investment Advisors, NVS Wealth Managers & Artha Venture Fund

• The platform has over 11 lakh students across 1,000+ colleges and 6,300+ employers.
• The investment will get utilized to onboard 2,500+ colleges and 12,000+ employers, explore overseas markets and expand the GetWork Club.
• The round also saw participation from angels like Pravin Agarwala of Betterplace, Shuchi Kothari of Health & Glow & Saurabh Garg of No Broker.
• Artha Venture Fund has previously invested in the Company at seed stage.

Gurugram-based end-to-end SaaS platform GetWork has raised ₹7 crores in a Pre-series A round from Samarthya Investment Advisors, NVS Wealth Managers, and Artha Venture Fund. The round also saw participation from marquee founders and angel investors like Pravin Agarwala (Co-Founder - Betterplace), Shuchi Kothari (Director - Health & Glow and DSP Group Family Office), and Saurabh Garg (Co-Founder - NoBroker). 

Anirudh A Damani

GetWork has previously raised a seed round of ₹2 crores in March 2021 led by Artha Venture Fund. The team has demonstrated a solid product-market fit and has scaled quickly in the last 18 months. The recent traction in GetWork perked significantly after they launched GetWork Club – a one-stop marketplace for students to avail services like resume creation, upskilling courses, mentorship programs, and merchandise.

Commenting on the funds raised, Rahul Veerwal, Founder of GetWork, says, “Over 42,000 colleges and training schools add 1.2 crore fresh graduates to the working population every year. However, there isn't a single platform that provides specific tools, guidance, and job opportunities to fresh graduates from tier 2 and tier 3 colleges. GetWork's placement platform and GetWork Club focus on solving this massive problem. This funding round brought onboard an exciting set of investors who will help us scale the GetWork platform pan-India over the next 18 months."

Anirudh A Damani, Managing Partner of Artha Venture Fund, says, "A plethora of industries like manufacturing, information technology, financial services, pharma, etc., are aggressively hiring fresh graduates to meet the demands of their businesses. GetWork makes it easy for them to discover their next hire from the tens of lakhs of students who join the workforce yearly. The progress made by GetWork is just scratching the surface of what will become India's largest repository for fresh graduates. I am excited with the knowledge & experience of angel investors joining this round.”

Launched in 2019, GetWork is a B2B SaaS platform for colleges to place their fresh graduates directly into startups and corporates. Their products fulfill a crucial gap for colleges that don't have a proper placement cell. GetWork creates individual profiles for each student and then maps job opportunities from employers on their platform based on students' respective skill sets and experience.

While studying at MNNIT Allahabad, GetWork founders Rahul Veerwal and Sumit Gupta discovered the broken campus placement system for students. Students needed help to secure quality opportunities in a saturated job market. They could see first-hand the struggles of recent graduates from tier 2 and tier 3 colleges in finding meaningful career opportunities. They found it difficult to compete with urban graduates to find attractive placements. After working in the corporate sector for 3.5 years, Rahul and Sumit started GetWork to fix this problem.

GetWork currently has 6,500 employers recruiting from the 13 lakh students on the GetWork platform from 1000+ colleges across India. In the last 90 days, over 3,300 freshers got placed with sought-after employers like ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Reliance Retail, Hathway, and Justdial, and fast-growing startups such as LeverageEdu, Lawyered, and Nutrifresh.

Jatin Karani, Co-Founder and Partner of Samarthya Investment Advisors, says, "The incumbent recruitment platforms focus on experienced candidates. They have not been able to cater to the specific needs of fresh college graduates and placement cells of tier 2 and 3 colleges. This is where GetWork has built a robust and innovative platform that aids in the discoverability of fresh talent from these colleges by connecting them to recruiters looking for specific talent for their pan-India job openings."

India's higher education system is one of the largest in the world. There are more than 1,000 universities, 42,000 colleges, and 11,000 stand-alone institutions, with total enrolment in higher education estimated to be 3.85 crores in 2020. Of this, more than 1.20 crore students graduated in 2021, and about 75% opted for a job rather than further studies. India's online recruitment market size is more than ₹50,000 crores. Indian HR Tech platforms have raised over ₹5,000 crores in funding since 2020.

About Artha Venture Fund:

Artha Venture Fund (AVF) is India's first early-stage microVC firm with a corpus of $33 million. Since its inception in late 2018, AVF has primarily funded and supported startups that operate as enablers and entities focused on solving the challenges of Indian consumers and businesses. The current fund allocates thematic investment for B2B, B2C/D2C, and D2C enablers.

Led by Anirudh A Damani, a 2nd-generation investor, the firm has a network of limited partners, co-investors, founders, and family offices that traverse the globe. AVF's portfolio includes

Agnikul, LenDenClub, Everest Fleet, HobSpace, Daalchini, Elev8 Sports, KarmaLife, and more.

About Artha Group:

Artha Group, the umbrella entity of AVF, has investments in 100+ startups across India, the US, Israel, Africa, and the UK. OYO, Purplle, LeverageEdu, Tala, IconBuild, Rapido, Coutloot, Chai Break, Karza Technologies, and Mobilewalla are some leading startups in its global portfolio.

Artha Group recently announced the launch of its ₹450 crores winners-only microVC fund – Artha Select Fund ('ASF').

Amidst Layoffs, Unify to Hire 10K People

Facility Management firm, Unify, has announced that it will be recruiting about 10,000 people in India over the next 12 months, adding to its existing workforce of 8,000+ in the country. The move comes after Unify grew by more than 60 % Y-o-Y and increased its service presence throughout the country to 145 cities.

Saurabh Agarwal, Managing Director, Unify

“The Indian organized facility management services market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 20 percent over the next 5 years. This growth is driven by the growth in the Real estate, manufacturing, and logistics sectors. Through this expansion, we hope to positively impact our clients’ businesses across industry verticals with more customized solutions and technology-driven services,” said Saurabh Agarwal, Managing Director of Unify Facility Management Private Limited.

The facilities management market is still dominated by unorganized service providers, accounting for nearly 65 percent of the market size as opposed to the 35 percent that is shared amongst organized service providers such as Unify. However, as the country develops, the balance between the unorganized to the organized players may flip in the next decade, resulting in increased opportunities and consolidation of the service providers. Now, with a return to the offices and the demand to maintain safe and sanitized physical environments, the demand for facility management services has been on the rise. Moreover, the labor force that traditionally worked with unorganized or non-compliant service providers is also happier working with companies that adhere to labour laws and offer them benefits that they didn't receive earlier in their careers.

The hiring announcement adds another feather to the cap of the brewing relationship between Unify and its 29 Fortune 500 clients in the country. It would be interesting to see how the firm attempts to set a foothold in acquiring talent at a large scale in the highly competitive market.

“We have a new ‘accelerated hiring process’ that results in applicants getting an offer within a day of applying. To execute this, we leverage a dedicated team to reduce the hiring time. As pre-pandemic hiring was a drawn-out process and could take a week, we digitized it to make it faster with deeper screenings and outcome-based scorecards to evaluate candidates; eliminating the need for post-interview evaluations,” said Saurabh.

About Unify:

In just over a decade, Unify Facility Management has successfully established its mark across MNCs, Industries, Malls, Offices, Retail, Corporates, Data Centres, BFSI, Healthcare, Educational Institutions, Real Estate, Pharma, Logistics, etc to deliver a wide range of complex facility management services. Unify provides services in the areas of Housekeeping, Business Support Staff, Pantry Service, Pest Control, Electrical Services, Carpentry, HVAC, Plumbing, DG Set, Lift Operations, Heavy Equipment Maintenance, Building Management Systems, etc. Started with a vision to change the way the facility management business is perceived and run, Unify’s systems and processes are built around the same. In the last 13 years, Unify has grown to a 150 Cr organization, aiming to achieve 500 Cr by FY ‘25. The company has grown by over 100% this year. The company has successfully moved from the backroom to the boardroom; partnering with clients to reduce costs and enhance bottom lines.

greytHR Launches greytFM Podcast Series for the HR Fraternity

greytHR, a leading HR & Payroll cloud platform, launched greytFM, a podcast for the HR community. In this podcast series, greytFM highlights stimulating debates and discussions focused on current issues mostly in the human resources sector.

Listeners may tune in to hear industry leaders/speakers discussing various subjects ranging from workplace diversity and HR IT trends to people analytics and the Great Resignation, to name a few. Listen to the podcasts on www.greythr.com/greytfm-podcast/

The podcast is accessible on 49 platforms, including Audioboom, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, JioSaavn, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, iHeart, Listen Notes, Cast Box, and more.

Various speakers who have been featured on greytFM include Sameer Mathur, Global HR Head (Enterprise Capabilities), AECOM, Colin Mendes (Head of HR), Voltas Beko, Megha Gupta (Director-HR), Fiserv, Renu Bohra (CHRO), DB Schenker, Samar Banerjee (ex-Group Head-HR), Berger Paints India, and Rajiv Naithani (CVP & CPO), Infogain.

Commenting on the new initiative, Girish Rowjee, Co-founder & CEO, greytHR, said, "With greytFM, we intend to create awareness amongst the HR fraternity on numerous themes and concerns. We look forward to reaching out to various industries through this channel by providing expert domain-specific information."

Adding to this, Sayeed Anjum, Co-founder & CTO, greytHR, said, “Through greytFM, we monitor global trends that could have an impact on society. Through these series, we will be spotlighting interesting dialogues and conversations around trending themes from the world of human resources.”

Shine.com Unveils Hackathon Platform: An Easy and Effective Path to Bringing Suitable Candidates and Employers Together

So far, Shine.com has conducted Hackathons for 25 companies hiring in Technology and Sales, the companies directly connect with Hackathon winners and present them with lucrative job offers

Hackathon help candidates do benchmarking and get job offers based on their skills; it also assists companies in gaining brand visibility and a platform to interview and assess multiple candidates for open positions

Building on its commitment to deliver exception career growth and job search experiences, Shine.com, India's leading job portal, has kick started yet another Hackathon. The activity provides an exceptional platform for candidates with adequate tech skills to showcase maximum potential, benchmark, and get job offers based on their skill set. Each participant of the Hackathon will have the opportunity to gain maximum exposure and expertise to stay ahead in the talent search market.

Shine.com has so far conducted Hackathons & Assessments for 25 leading organisations hiring in Technology and Sales with a registered participation of approximately 15,000+ candidates in each hackathon. Hackathon platform assists companies in enhancing brand visibility, building employer branding, and getting ready-to-hire candidates without spending extensive time and energy combing through multiple applicants for open positions.

Akhil Gupta, CEO of Shine.com, said, "The Hackathon & Assessment series is created with a vision of bringing top-tier tech talents who are willing to showcase their maximum potential against challenges set by industry experts. Unlike standard job portals, Shine.com focuses on more than just providing a platform for candidates to land jobs. We intend to help their careers grow. In this context, Hackathon has proved exemplary. It provides young tech talent with adequate space to showcase their skills and employers to recruit the best possible candidates from a herd of applicants. This lets us stay connected and motivate youngsters through their journey."

Hackathon is conducted online and is designed based on the job description (required by the company) where matching candidates are invited to register for Hackathons and appear in the activity on the mentioned dates.

A dedicated leader board is present on Shine.com that gathers comprehensive insights on a candidate that helps the leader board to announce the winner/winners, where the companies directly connect with the winners and make job offers.

A recent Mint + Shine Talent Insights report revealed that almost 50% of candidates are interested in getting hired through Hackathons, while 31% are open to trying. Similarly, 28% of recruiters are absolutely in favour of choosing Hackathons as their preferred mode of recruitment, whereas 35% believe it can work sometimes. Rest, 24.12% recruiters are open to trying Hackathons as a medium to hire.

Shine.com's Hackathons are open for all candidates and have no pre-fixed duration as it solely depends on the organisation's needs. Shine Hackathons also cater to non-tech hiring which includes assessments on communication skills. Each month more and more candidates get opportunities to get one step closer to join their dream companies by participating in the Shine Hackathons & showcasing their skills, getting onto the leader boards and getting a chance for interviewing with the companies of their choice.

About Shine.com

Shine.com connects job seekers and recruiters by accurately matching candidate profiles to the relevant job openings through an advanced 2-way matching technology. While most job portals only focus on getting candidates the next job, Shine focuses on the entire career growth of candidates. To this end, Shine has launched Shine Learning- India's largest career skills site for working professionals with over 500+ courses & certifications. As the industry shifts towards mobile, Shine.com is leading the transition and is the fastest growing job portal on mobile devices, witnessing a 100% YOY growth in mobile traffic and also offers on-the-go jobs through the Shine Job Search App.

Global Climate School Terra.do Hosting India’s 1st Online Climate Job Fair

Recruiters from TATA Power, Yulu, ElectricPe, Pyse, Climes and more will offer job opportunities across verticals

Jobs across software development, web and application development, design, data analytics, executive, research and more will be offered

Terra.do, a global climate school and careers platform, will host India’s first online climate jobs fair on its app on 20th July, 2022. Recruiters and Hiring Managers from TATA Power, Yulu, ElectricPe, Pyse, String Bio, Climes and more will be recruiting for diverse roles at the fair.

Interested candidates need to register on Terra.do’s app where they can also be part of a network of thousands of climate enthusiasts. Registration for employers, recruiters and hiring managers is also open. The event is free for all. On the app, the candidates can shortlist the roles they are interested in and attend live presentations by the employers followed by Q&A. The app will also allow candidates to deep dive with hiring managers 1:1 to understand more about the company's culture, team growth, problems they are solving, and more.

The job fair will benefit professionals across skills and sectors. The event will include job offers in software, hardware and design, data science and analysis, managerial, communication, research, sales, consumer relations and more. Job profiles include, but are not limited to, React Native, Frontend Developer, UX/UI designers, iOS developers, DevOps, Full Stack, Web developer, Product Development, Sustainability Expert, Researchers, Business and Sales Managers, Consumer and Business Relations, and more. The employers are offering both remote and on-site jobs across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other Tier-I cities.

Employers are from a range of industries including Power, Energy and Renewable Energy, Automobile, Big Data, Finance, Biotechnology, GeoScience, and more. While some companies are ClimateTech, the others are transitioning to sustainability and a climate conscious mode of business.

On the announcement of the job fair, Anshuman Bapna, CEO and Co-Founder, Terra.do, said, “By 2030, Terra.do aims to bring 100mn climate professionals into the workforce to solve the climate crisis. It uses the trifecta of education, networking & actions to enable climate skilling and career development. According to a report by PwC, Climate tech is booming across sectors. Green Jobs are being created every minute in tech and business functions ranging from software engineering to marketing to business development and more. The Government of India has also launched the Skill Council for Green Jobs aligned to the National Skill Development Mission, promoted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Delhi and Tamil Nadu governments among others have also promised green jobs in their policies.”

About Terra.do

Terra.do is a global climate career platform founded in 2020 by Anshuman Bapna, Dr. Kamal Kapadia, and Mayank Jain with the mission to get 100 million people working in climate by 2030.

The platform brings together a wide-ranging community of professionals from critical climate industries such as energy, mobility, and regenerative agriculture and top experts in areas such as policy, science, and finance. Its immersive, cohort-based climate learning programs boast several thousand graduates from 25+ countries. Through Terra.do’s job fairs, talent drops to employers, and rich network, its members have found roles in hundreds of leading climate tech companies and Fortune 100 sustainability teams and founded dozens of climate startups.

Moveworks Introduces First AI Solution that Provides Personalized HR Support

Introducing Moveworks for HR: The first AI solution that provides personalized HR support

Employees can automatically resolve workplace requests through simple conversations with Moveworks — freeing up HR teams to focus on the projects that matter most

Moveworks, the AI platform that powers the best places to work, today introduced Moveworks for HR: a sophisticated artificial intelligence solution built for human resources. The platform now automatically resolves employees’ HR requests, including benefits inquiries, PTO applications, payroll questions, and more.

The shift to flexible work has created enormous challenges for HR teams, since employees expect to stay productive, informed, and fulfilled from anywhere in the world. These employees overwhelm HR with thousands of requests, at all hours of the day, and they continue to quit at a record rate as their companies struggle to support them. Moveworks for HR solves these challenges at scale — with AI that provides instant, personalized help to every employee based on their unique role, department, seniority, benefits, location, and language.

“Moveworks is the core of our digital workplace, since it lets employees access support for the broader tech stack with a single search,” said Steve Phillpott, CIO and CDO at Solidigm. “Our job is about using technology to empower and improve the employee experience — whether they need IT support or HR help or more. That’s what we’ve achieved with Moveworks.”

Moveworks for HR is an out-of-the-box solution that requires no added work for HR teams. It plugs into a company’s preferred communications platform — Slack, Microsoft Teams, or a company portal, for instance — and automatically responds to each unique request with a personalized response. To provide the best possible answer, Moveworks’ machine learning models automatically ingest, scan, standardize, annotate, and conversationalize every knowledge article, form, FAQ page, and user record across an enterprise.

With this new release, HR teams can:

• Resolve common employee requests automatically: Employees can check remaining PTO balances, inquire about benefits, payroll, company holiday schedules, human resources information system (HRIS) questions, and more.
• Accelerate resolution time for complex issues: Employees go to a single place for PTO approvals, life event changes, employee verification letter requests, and more. Moveworks routes the request to the appropriate person for approvals and recommends the best action for the employee and the approver.
• Dramatically increase ROI for existing HR systems: Employees no longer have to ask their HR team to access information buried within HR systems and disparate knowledge bases. By connecting Moveworks to these existing systems, such as ServiceNow, Jira, Workday, SharePoint, Simpplr, Guru, and Confluence, among others, the platform can deliver the best possible solution in a single message.

"HR teams are responsible for every aspect of the employee experience, from onboarding new hires to handling major life events,” said Moveworks, CEO, Bhavin Shah. “This has become a near-impossible job in our complex digital world — further complicated by the fact that employees now expect instant support while working from anywhere and everywhere. HR teams need the help of sophisticated AI to overcome their organization’s biggest challenges, while still ensuring employees get the personalized HR support they need.”

Bhavin Shah

 
Moveworks for HR uses hundreds of machine learning models to decide the best possible response or action for each specific user, considering their location, language preference, security permissions, and a variety of other factors. Employees simply ask for what they need, however they want, in whatever language they desire.

“We support over 1,000 team members across the globe with different needs and circumstances,” said Lainey Dailo, HR Operations Manager at Solidigm. “Moveworks navigates this complexity for us, which means our people get the personal touch they expect from HR, but without having to wait. To create an incredible employee experience, you need the combination of HR and AI.”

Moveworks for HR is a critical addition to the Moveworks platform. Moveworks customers already had the ability to answer questions across any line of business, send interactive comms at scale, and get insights across the entire digital business. With the addition of Moveworks for HR, businesses can resolve HR issues automatically — without the need for manual intervention.

To schedule a demo of Moveworks for HR, visit: https://www.moveworks.com/request-demo

About Moveworks

Moveworks is the AI platform that powers the best places to work.

Today, employees deal with endless distractions: they wait days to get IT support, search through dozens of systems to find the new HR policy, and don’t learn about critical changes until it’s too late. Moveworks lets them focus on what really matters. Our AI platform gives employees support in seconds, just by asking for what they need, and enables leaders to prevent problems in advance. With Moveworks, companies like Hearst, DocuSign, and Broadcom make work magic.

For more information, visit: Moveworks.com

SutraHR Launches India’s 1st HR Toolkit

SutraHR has been a pioneer of startup hiring in India. Their experience is immense, having recruited 5000+ professionals over the past decade. At the start of the pandemic, when many companies went on hiring freeze, SutraHR saw an opportunity in HR documents space and launched India's 1st HR TOOLKIT - 'StartupHR Toolkit'. The idea behind StartupHR Toolkit is to make HR Documentation an easy and quick process. Today, more than 12000 organizations are using StartupHR Toolkit.

It is a known fact that making HR Docs is a time-consuming process. Creating these documents, policies, letters, etc., is not an easy task, especially in the ever-evolving Startup and SME Industry. Imagine wasting precious time in writing and making documents, which in itself would not be an affordable thing to do. This has generated demand for a product like StartupHR Toolkit, which consists of ready-to-use HR document templates. 

Being in the HR industry for more than a decade helped SutraHR understand the need for a product that makes the whole documentation process hassle-free. StartupHR Toolkit majorly targets SMEs and businesses that cannot afford to have a designated HR Manager or HR Department. Even if there is a designated HR Department, StartupHR Toolkit makes their lives hassle-free and focuses on other essential aspects of the business. The StartupHR Toolkit is designed to save both time and money.

StartupHR Toolkit is the smartest way to make HR Docs. They aim to be the go-to product when it comes to the HR documentation process. The toolkit contains 1000+ Job Descriptions, 200+ Employee Policies, 90+ HR Manuals, 60+ Letter Templates, 200+ HR forms and much more.

Mr. Waqar Azmi, Founder & CEO, StartupHR Toolkit, said, "Our experience of over a decade in the HR domain has made us aware of the many problems which an HR Professional faces in their day-to-day life. HR documentation is one of them. Official documents create credibility for the employer by showing that employees are treated fairly and consistently. We have compiled over 2000+ HR Docs from some of the most experienced HR professionals in the industry. All of the documents are legally compliant and are up to date. Our vision is to be the go-to destination for any HR Docs and in the process help employers build a strong relationship with their employees."

StartupHR Toolkit offers its customers ready-to-use HR Templates to make the documentation process hassle-free. The StartupHR Toolkit offers is available for a minimal amount of Rs. 3,499 for 1 year and Rs 19,999 for lifetime access and free updates.

StartupHR Toolkit is a fully integrated digital product, it can be bought online at www.startuphrtoolkit.com. Once you complete the payment, you can download all the templates in one click.

About SutraHR:

SutraHR is one of Asia's fastest-growing HR companies that aspire to be amongst the top three HR companies based in India in the next two years. The aim is to become a highly experiential and inspiring HR brand. SutraHR works with companies in the e-commerce, mobile, and new-age technology space, where companies go from zero to billion dollars in less than five years. As a market leader, the company has a massive advantage of revolutionizing HR practices in India. SutraHR is a multi-million dollar enterprise having the strength of 60+ employees and gunning for 100+ employees in a year's time.

KPMG in India and AI Service Platform dotin Inc Join Hands to Create a Unique Talent Management Solution

KPMG in India has partnered with dotin, to create an AI driven platform to enable talent lifecycle management for enterprise organizations.

Ahmedabad, September 8, 2021: KPMG in India today announced the release of its talent lifecycle management, the AI platform. Created in collaboration with dotin Inc. This AI platform provides visibility into the various stages of sourcing, screening, engaging and upskilling talent. It also enhances diversity, equity, and inclusion for any enterprise workforce. The platform is aligned to the “Future of Work” theme.

The AI platform from KPMG in India is leveraging dotin Inc.’s AI engine to oversee end-to-end talent lifecycle management. The AI platform is intended to assist recruiters, hiring managers, talent development leaders, and company decision-makers with nurturing and growing talent, assessing their resilience, and determining their future readiness.

This platform uses machine learning and natural language processing to objectively evaluate technical skills, personality traits, strengths, culture compatibility, workplace values, and learning styles of individuals. This aids management in identifying traits related to skill alignment, leadership and performance development, career management, and team constitution - thus quickly determining overall talent alignment per opportunity. The technology also utilizes dotin Inc.’s capabilities to gather insights related to employee makeup, thereby easily determining the gender and ethnic diversity and equity within a given workforce.

Ganesh Iyer, Founder and CEO, dotin Inc, said, “This collaboration with KPMG in India will enable our technology to capture the true personality, evolving technical skills, and resilience of every talent within an organization. Best of all, it’s done without introducing bias or subjectivity, at scale, to enable seamless talent management.”

The technology spans a wide range, providing insights into how effectively one can engage potential hires, giving managers data to build more synergistic teams, and recommending potential training tailored to the individual’s needs. It even allows the management to analyze potential advancement opportunities for talent based on their performance and projected readiness.

“We designed the AI platform to scale beyond hiring and management to cover all dimensions of the workforce, helping our customers be better aligned to the future of work” said Sachin Arora, Partner and Head, Digital Lighthouse (Analytics, AI and Data), KPMG in India. “Closely monitoring the entire talent lifecycle has become a critical component to ensure the enterprise stays profitable and productive.” he added.

Vishalli Dongrie, Partner and Head, People and Change, KPMG in India, said, "Every enterprise is successful only due to the talent they hire and retain as it has a direct financial impact. Post COVID-19, managing candidates and employee experience virtually has become far more critical than we ever thought. KPMG AI platform solves this very problem seamlessly across the talent life cycle at scale. Organizations now can improve their top and bottom line leveraging such platforms."

About KPMG in India

KPMG entities in India are professional services firm(s). These Indian member firms are affiliated with KPMG International Limited. KPMG was established in India in August 1993. Our professionals leverage the global network of firms, and are conversant with local laws, regulations, markets and competition. KPMG has offices across India in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Vadodara and Vijayawada.

KPMG entities in India offer services to national and international clients in India across sectors. We strive to provide rapid, performance-based, industry-focused and technology-enabled services, which reflect a shared knowledge of global and local industries and our experience of the Indian business environment.

About dotin Inc.

dotin Inc. is a personality DNA company that uses artificial intelligence to improve matches between employers and employees and enhance workforce development. Recognized for their real-time ability to leverage cognitive and skill insights in the workplace and across markets, dotin is making a tangible impact on the way HR professionals find talent, engage teams, and manage business growth. For more information visit https://dotin.us.

MissMalini Entertainment Steps into Talent Management World By Launching Ignite Edge, A New Talent Management Vertical

The newly launched talent management division seeks to foster the country’s exponentially growing creative digital talent.

Mumbai, 6th September 2021: In an exciting new development, India’s leading new media network, MissMalini Entertainment, announces the launch of its brand-new talent management vertical, Ignite Edge. In true MissMalini fashion, the launch was accompanied by a star-studded party at The Game Palacio, Bandra, with the who’s who of the media and entertainment industry in attendance.

Helmed by Khushi Govil, Ignite Edge is a comprehensive springboard for digital creators, influencers and celebrities - offering strategic guidance to a sensational career in digital entertainment, all while incubating, nurturing and celebrating the melting pot of emerging homegrown talent.

Malini Agarwal - Founder MissMalini and Creative Director of Girl Tribe by MissMalini

 Explaining the core vision behind Ignite Edge, Malini Agarwal - Founder - MissMalini Entertainment, says, “With the recent rise of creators and influencers making fascinating content in the digital space, our team recognized their talent. But the intricacies of talent management include a great deal more than simply accompanying the artist. With Ignite Edge, we aim to foster the talent’s growth in content, revenue, IPs and much more by becoming a holistic digital talent management company synonymous with overall ‘talent development.’ ”

Khushi Govil- Associate Vice President, Talent, MissMalini Entertainment.

Khushi Govil - Associate Vice President, Talent | MissMalini Entertainment, while talking about embarking on the new venture, said, “The digital talent space is flourishing with new, emerging talents going a step ahead to break creative boundaries and carving their own niche in the industry. Ignite Edge is a highly driven team coming from varied backgrounds of media, fashion and commerce - who want to grow with this emerging new talent by creating online and offline opportunities and ensuring that they influence their audience to bring a positive impact in the society.”

The talent management vertical seeks to create a powerful, well-built mechanism that not only enables but empowers the creative talent of this country. Their focal point is the overall development and growth of an artist by facilitating quality content creation (from ideation to post-production) and higher visibility in the booming digital landscape. Alongside encouraging a culture of collaboration with talents from diverse genres and relevant brands - Ignite Edge will work with their artists on multiple aspects of talent management, including creating a brand for themselves and promoting them by running PR pegs.

Mike Melli - Co-founder & CRO | MissMalini Entertainment, said, “Ignite Edge assists artists to create unique content coupled with engaging stories by strategizing and moulding itself with changing times. We aim to provide talents with an edge in the world of digital showbiz by not just managing them but by creating opportunities for them in their digital journey.”

Founded by Malini Agarwal in 2008 with a laptop on her couch, MissMalini Entertainment pioneered Indian lifestyle blogging with the launch of MissMalini.com, India’s first and most popular Entertainment, Fashion and Lifestyle blog attracting millions of loyal visitors every month. This foray into talent management brings a powerful new arm to the portfolio of the new media network.

Ignite Edge will work with emerging and established artists; launching with a roster that includes well-known names like Shakti Arora, Karenvir Bohra, Amruta Khanvilkar, Shriya Jain, Nyra Banerjee, Aarya Vora, Teejay Sidhu, Vidhushree Arya, Bella & Vienna, Aishwarya Sakhuja, Abhishek Banerjee, Abhishek Bajaj, Vivek Dhadha, Malini Agarwal, Elina Hsiung, Karishma Govil and Gia Venessa Snow.