In 2019, layoffs had already plagued some Indian sectors, but with the widespread pandemic, recruitment has gone down by 60% in 2020. The unprecedented disruption due to lockdown and the lack of demand of products and services led to a three-fold increase in unemployment in April. Indians have to juggle this health crisis with additional unemployment stress.
To better understand the current recruitment environment, we virtually interviewed Nimika Jaggi, Head of Sales of KillerLaunch. KillerLaunch is a popular job portal that is bridging the gap between job seekers and employers and emphasising on transparency during recruitment.
Q: Let’s start by understanding the sentiment in the recruitment industry in 2020. COVID-19 has disrupted all sectors, but what has its impact been on hiring?
A: The pandemic was unprecedented, we can draw the differences between 2020 and 2008, but the fear and uncertainty about the future remain the same. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is how long will this health crisis last and whether the temporary changes during lockdown will become the new normal.
2019’s unemployment average from March to April was around 7%, but in 2020 this almost tripled. The average (unemployment) rate during the lockdown was over 20%. The numbers alone paint a distressing picture.
Along with health worries, job security concerns are rising. There are a lot of adversely affected sectors, like, tourism, automotive but the silver lining is bulk-hiring in industries like Healthcare, life sciences, and technology.
Q: The data doesn’t look promising. But do you think the people who have been laid off in the adversely affected sectors will find any respite?
A: Good news is that we were expecting a recovery in June and the current 30-day moving averages are looking promising. According to CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy), our unemployment rate in June went below 15% compared to the last two months, which averaged at above 20%. With Unlock 1.0, companies are getting back into their hiring routine.
Many companies are also looking to diversify their talent pool with skilled, talented laid-off workers and the push for Work From Home Internships and Jobs has made full-time remote working possible and valuable. Earlier if you were looking for Jobs in Delhi or in Bangalore, you would have a higher chance of getting hired, but with WFH, talent from remote cities is being recognised as well.
Q: Do you have any tips for job seekers on how to look for jobs productively using KillerLaunch?
I would urge people to start applying for jobs that suit their skillset. Looking for jobs is a physically and mentally taxing process, so you need to ensure your efforts don’t go to waste. Read the job description and requirements carefully and only apply if it’s suited to your abilities.
Invest in upskilling during downtime as it will surely increase your chances of getting hired. Follow startup stories as a lot of up and coming companies are hiring actively.
KillerLaunch encourages both recruiters and job seekers to be transparent and not waste time and energy. Be frank about your salary and work expectations from the job because you don’t want to repeat this process in a few months again if your relationship with the company becomes incompatible. Complete your resume and profiles on our platform to increase your visibility and chances of being hired
You don’t have to waste time on dead-end prospects as we’ve made it very easy for companies to shortlist, hire, and reject applicants. We also take the worry off of cold job posts with our strict verification process. We encourage you to use our platform and are always looking for suggestions to improve.
Our interview with Nimika was very insightful, and we hope this will help our job-seeking readers. You can visit their website or contact Nimika through LinkedIn.
