Offshoring Secrets: How Can Small Centers Attract Talent?

By Utkarsh Rai, Guest Author, Author of “Offshoring Secrets”.

“Fear of the unknown” is the biggest deterrent when it comes to choosing the next job. In India, most of the time, the prospective candidate is not the sole decision maker in accepting an offer. Parents, spouse, siblings, in-laws and friends play a major role in influencing the decision. This is observed during the initial years of a candidate’s career.

Since the decision makers are plenty, having a good brand image is important not only to attract the right talent but also in convincing the “naysayers” about the prospects of your company.

Brand building can be done in multiple ways, and few of these are mentioned below:

Rejected candidates: It is important that the interview process should be conducted well. The candidate should feel at ease in answering the questions and should develop a high regard for the interviewers. Even if he is unable to qualify, he will definitely spread the good word.

Work environment: It is advisable that the candidate should interact with as many employees, to gauge the work environment and the team spirit. This can help in motivating him to take up the offer.

Type of work: This should not be an issue with small centers, who mostly work on interesting, challenging projects. Ownership and responsibility plays a major role in deciding candidates’ next move. It is important to impress upon the candidate that this opportunity will help in his career growth.

Compensation and benefits: A slightly higher positioning of the company in the market vis-à-vis their “branded” competitors will certainly help. But this should be done without lowering the bar for recruitment.

Reference check: This exercise should not be treated lightly and should not be left to the recruitment agencies or HR. Hiring manager or engineering head should personally undertake this activity as it will help in positioning the company better.

Senior management should spend time with prospective candidates: This is very important as candidate will get a chance to ask question about career growth, work content, product roadmap and company’s financial health. This is reassuring for the candidate.

Ex-employees as company ambassadors: Irrespective of the type of resignation i.e. voluntary or involuntary, the company must ensure a smooth exit for the employee. This gesture will go a long way in building trust and spreading the right image via word-of-mouth.

Public Relations: It would be helpful to have media coverage, where members of the management team, investors or board are featured. With minimum budget one can engage a small PR firm with right contacts in the media, who are creative and are willing to grow along with the client. They can help in identifying the opportunities for building better brand image.

Referral Program: Significant hiring happens through employee referrals and therefore having a good referral program can help motivate employees to spread the word in their circle.

This segment is a part in the series : Offshoring Secrets