The surge in COVID-19 cases in India hits hiring speed
The cases of COVID-19 are rising amid the second wave in several states that have forced India Inc to go slow on its hiring plans. According to ET reports, the revival in hiring sentiment across sectors in the first few months of the year may be shaken.
Companies adopting a cautious approach over the last two-three weeks, delaying interviews and putting search mandates on hold especially in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, which have seen a surge in coronavirus cases.
Employers are in a wait-and-watch mode, especially for senior and middle-level roles but no impact on junior-level hiring as of now.
On Wednesday, close to 53,500 new infections were reported across the nation. According to media reports, It may peak in the second half of April and the entire duration of the second wave may last up to 100 days beginning 15 February.
The surge in coronavirus cases in India in the last few weeks and murmurs of more lockdowns are making companies cautious because they don’t want to be stuck with a new hire, said Rituparna Chakraborty, EVP of a staffing company Teamlease Services.
But there is mixed feedback, a few leading companies are still bullish on hiring. Diversified conglomerate RPG Group expects the second wave to peter out and is hiring for both white- and blue-collar roles, while Birla Carbon hasn’t cancelled any hiring.
Other few sectors like construction, steel, cement, and IT, which have sprung back, are unlikely to have issues with recruitment. But those in the process of reopenings, such as hospitality and tourism, could again get badly affected.
Increasing the speed of vaccination is the only way to win the battle against COVID-19 pandemic. India Inc wants the vaccinations to be accelerated to contain the second wave and stop it from hurting the economy further.
