Month: April 2023

Hiring in the Digital Era

The digital era has revolutionised the way businesses operate and recruit talent. With the help of digital tools and strategies, companies are now attracting and hiring top talent more efficiently and effectively than ever before. In human resources, wherein communication is crucial, technology is changing the landscape. 

Nirupama VG, our Founding and Managing Director adds, “With the evolving scenario, the digital era is throwing challenges that are changing by the hour, making hiring predictable. Having said that, the speed with which it is changing is making it unpredictable.”

What used to be paper-intensive and non-changing has become a fast-paced branch, especially in this sector. In fact, the recruitment industry is now making accommodations for this modern age of digital transformation. 

Here are some interesting facts to further demonstrate the importance of digital tools in the hiring process:

AI is becoming increasingly popular in the hiring process: In a report by LinkedIn, 76% of recruiters said they believed that AI would have a significant impact on the future of recruiting. AI-powered tools can help businesses automate time-consuming tasks like resume screening and scheduling interviews, freeing up recruiters to focus on evaluating candidates’ skills and fit with the company culture.

Gamification can increase candidate engagement: A study by PWC found that 61% of job seekers would be more likely to apply for a job if the recruitment process was gamified. By adding game elements to the hiring process, such as challenges or puzzles related to the job, businesses can create engaging and interactive experiences for job seekers.

Social media is a powerful recruitment tool: According to a survey by Jobvite, 73% of companies have successfully hired a candidate through social media, with LinkedIn being the most popular platform for recruitment. This highlights the importance of leveraging social media in the hiring process to connect with potential candidates and showcase job openings.

Remote work is paving way for technological advancements: A survey by Buffer found that 98% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers. To attract talent from around the world and create a more diverse workforce, businesses will have to invest in tech needed to support such an environment. They might have to look beyond the technology that was already in place to sustain a remote workforce going forward. 

Company culture is crucial for attracting and retaining talent: A survey by Glassdoor found that 77% of job seekers consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, and 56% of employees said that company culture was more important than salary. By showcasing their company culture through digital channels like their website, social media, and blog, businesses can attract job seekers who align with their values and beliefs.

These facts highlight the importance of using digital tools and strategies to attract and hire top talent in today’s digital era. Social media, AI, gamification, remote work, and company culture are all essential elements of the modern hiring process, and businesses that embrace them are more likely to find and retain the best talent. By using these tools and strategies, companies can stay competitive and ensure their long-term success in the digital era.

The Potential of AI-Led Tools: Enhancing the Way We Live and Work

The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and technology is at the forefront of this transformation. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one such technology that has taken the world by storm, and it is transforming the way we work, live and communicate. With AI-led tools, we just need to embrace technology, and it’s an exciting time for us to be alive.

AI-led tools like ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionise various industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. For instance, in healthcare, it can analyse patient data and identify patterns that help doctors make more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. In retail, it can analyse customer data and provide personalised recommendations, enhancing the customer experience. In finance, AI-powered systems can analyse vast amounts of financial data to detect fraud and make more informed investment decisions.

One of the significant advantages of AI-led tools is their ability to process and analyse massive amounts of data in real-time. This means that they can quickly identify patterns and trends in data that would be impossible for humans to identify. This is particularly useful in industries such as healthcare and finance, where data analysis is critical for making informed decisions.

Another advantage of these tools is that they can work around the clock, providing 24/7 service without the need for breaks or downtime. This means that businesses can provide round-the-clock customer support, reducing response times and enhancing the customer experience.

It’s an exciting time to be alive because AI-led tools are constantly evolving and improving. As technology continues to advance, they will become even more sophisticated and capable, opening up new possibilities for businesses and individuals.

However, it’s crucial to remember that AI-led tools are only as good as the data they are trained on. It’s essential to ensure that the data used to train these systems is unbiased and representative of the population it’s intended to serve. It’s also crucial to ensure that the use of such tools is ethical and complies with relevant laws and regulations.

Is ChatGPT the Next Disruptive Trend in HR?

The AI chatbot i.e. ChatGPT has caused organisations to wonder how to use it to improve day-to-day operations, and it’s caused Google, the website where around 90% of online search happens, to go all out with getting its own version of ChatGPT ready for users.

The AI-led tool continues to mesmerise those in Human Resources, not to mention everywhere else. It astonishes people with the ability to respond as a human or even better than a person would. In recent times, the HR sector has also progressed by leaps and bounds. It is much more than simply recruiting candidates. Like other industries, technology has taken the centre stage in HR, with HR tech becoming a mainstream vertical. And now, with ChatGPT, the HR tech space stands to benefit in numerous ways.

  • Performance Management: With ChatGPT, HR professionals can assign functions like developing KRAs, training programs and creating templates to the tech tool and focus on employees’ career development. This makes performance management more efficient and easier, and more accurate.
  • Recruitment: Given that ChatGPT can answer queries and respond comprehensively to user prompts, it can deliver huge value when integrated with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). While ATS enables HR managers to post job openings on multiple portals, they still have to write descriptions manually. Chat GPT can automate this process and ATS can handle the candidate journey seamlessly. The AI-led tool can also handle candidates’ queries and personalise emails for outreach during the hiring process.
  • Employee Engagement: Employee engagement is essential for productivity and retention in a company. ChatGPT’s content generation abilities can ensure effective engagement through shorter turnaround times and better approachability with quick responses from the HR team. Businesses can also integrate the technology with their existing chatbots to deliver a more personalised communication to employees.

While ChatGPT and other AI technologies are touted to improve the aspects of HR operations but the extent of transformation is yet to be discovered. One of the benefits of AI is that it does not have biases like humans do – unless of course, the human that is using ChatGPT prompts a bias-ridden instruction. Bias is all of our responsibility. As we move forward with this technology, it’s important to consider the ethical implications and make sure we are using AI responsibly.

Stacking up ChatGPT and Human Intelligence: Is There Any Difference?

As an AI language model, ChatGPT has taken the world by surprise while it continues to develop from the knowledge we feed it. The chatbot became a matter of controversy and debate instantly as we started comparing it to human intelligence and the fear of it overtaking jobs. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the substantial difference between human intelligence and ChatGPT.

First, human intelligence is a complex interplay of cognitive abilities like perception, memory, reasoning, and creativity. Humans have the ability to draw learning from their experiences and sensory-perceptual awareness of the external world on the other. In contrast, ChatGPT is a machine-learning model that is trained to mimic human communication and intelligence. The intelligence that chatbots like ChatGPT create is an abstraction of mind and knowledge, that is cut off from the primary human data of bodily feelings.

Secondly, human intelligence has the ability to problem-solve in situations that it has never encountered before. It holds the capacity to innovate and adapt to situational demands. On the other hand, ChatGPT operates within the limits of its programming and data set. While it can generate responses and can be trained for better performance, it cannot go beyond its set of programming.

Finally, the human brain is aware of itself. It holds the sensibility of self-awareness and introspection on past learnings, values, and beliefs to make decisions. ChatGPT lacks this understanding of self-existence.

In conclusion, while ChatGPT has made significant advances in natural language processing, it is still a machine learning model that operates within the limits of its programming and data set. It is in the development phase and relies on human intervention. It is worth noting that human creativity and capability have made such software possible. Human intelligence, on the other hand, is much more complex, encompassing a wide range of cognitive abilities, creativity, and subjective experiences. It’s safe to say that ChatGPT will need time to achieve a level of thinking and understanding that matches human capabilities.

Redefining Jobs with ChatGPT

The rise of ChatGPT, an AI-led tool, has transformed the way businesses operate and interact with customers or clients. What is more, it has also impacted the nature of work itself, with ChatGPT being used to redefine jobs and create new possibilities.

One of the ways in which ChatGPT has redefined jobs is by automating routine and repetitive tasks. This has allowed employees to focus on more creative work, leading to greater job productivity and satisfaction. For instance, it can be used to automate customer service inquiries, thereby freeing up customer service representatives to handle more complex issues and providing customers with real-time responses.

In addition to this, ChatGPT has also created new job opportunities in areas like machine learning and natural language processing. Businesses are looking for employees who can design and train ChatGPT models, as well as analyse and interpret the data generated by these tools. There is a growing demand for individuals with expertise in these areas, as well as for individuals with the ability to think creatively and develop new applications for ChatGPT.

Another way in which ChatGPT is redefining jobs is through its ability to improve collaboration and communication within teams. It can be used to facilitate communication between members who speak different languages, or to assist with translation. This can lead to greater efficiency, improved understanding, and better outcomes for tasks.

Finally, ChatGPT is changing the way we think about training and education. With its ability to generate human-like responses, the model can be used to create interactive learning experiences that simulate real-world scenarios. This can help students develop problem-solving skills and critical-thinking, as well as prepare them for jobs that require natural language processing and communication skills.

In conclusion, it is important for individuals and businesses to understand the potential of this technology and adapt to the changing nature of work in the age of ChatGPT.

Is EV the new IT in India?

Seven years from now, the Electronic Vehicle (EV) industry is slated to hire ten million people, i.e., ten million as direct recruits into the EV industry and another 50 million in EV-allied jobs, as per IBEF reports. Even in a buoyant job market, this figure is staggering. Coming from auto-industry leaders and the Government of India, the news ushers opportunities and change. EV will electrify the market and catapult recruitment. This is the next great opportunity for India, the fastest and the largest ever.

The blueprint of change
In 2022, when India pipped Japan to become the world’s third largest auto market, auto sales never looked better in the country. Today, with over 21 crore two-wheelers and more than 7 crore four-wheelers, the Indian roads are busy. Just as busy is India’s auto industry, which at present is the fourth largest in the world.

Poised to break into this market and change the entire lay of the land is India’s EV Industry.

As per National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), by 2030, 80 per cent of two and three-wheelers, 40 per cent of buses, and 30 to 70 per cent of cars in India will be EVs. This includes all government-owned vehicles.

In addition to the existing 2,700 public charging stations and 5,500 charging connectors, to support the expected demand for EVs, India will need as many as 20.5 lakh charging stations by 2030. This monumental task must be completed alongside EV manufacturing and sales.

Driving India
India’s climate commitment, the critical need for clean, green energy which is less dependent on fossil fuel and the goal to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070, are the driving forces behind this goal. EVs will help in achieving these objectives, because unlike vehicles that run on traditional gasoline, EVs are fuelled by Lithium Ion batteries that are less polluting and more energy and cost efficient.

For a nation that is looking at shifting from being a purely service driven economy to a global hub for manufacturing as well, EV manufacturing and allied services will play a mission critical role.

The EV umbrella
Included under the enormous EV umbrella are India’s original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), EV franchisers, battery manufacturers, manufacturers of EV components and accessories, solar vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure providers, a seamless supply chain, battery recycling plants, companies that can set up charging stations across the country etc.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship believes that this huge task, owned by the EV industry, will generate one crore jobs by 2030. Compare this with the IT sector which is laying off thousands of people every day and a clear picture will emerge as to why EV is looking like the next big boom for India.

The multidisciplinary EV industry will create employment opportunities for entrepreneurs, researchers, product designers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, IT professionals, quality testers, infrastructure developers, charging station personnel, e-cab owners and drivers, EV maintenance mechanics, personnel who are proficient in retrofitting of vehicles from petrol/diesel to electric and sales and marketing personnel.

All hands on the deck
For starters, to promote the use of EVs all stakeholders are in action mode. Both the Central Government and State Governments have rolled out multiple initiatives to support its electricity mission, including a blueprint to generate 10 million jobs and supply skilled manpower to the industry. In fact, a specialised EV course curriculum is in the making, to cater to the expected workforce demand. Manufacturing companies are sealing tie-ups with colleges and training centres to run short and long-term courses to create ready-to-hit-the-road-running engineers, technicians and marketers. What is more, entrepreneurs in the EV space are being given special incentives to come up with innovative solutions.

Opening new doors
Studies reveal that with more EVs hitting the road in 2023, the industry will see 40-45% expansion in the job market in the coming months. At present, the industry is a fertile ground for research and development, new engineering departments, new and innovative product designers. Existing EV players have hired more than 2236 core employees in the past six months, many of them women in top management positions.

Incidentally, the EV industry also boasts of a fully women-run factory in Tamil Nadu.

OEMs are expecting to launch 20 -30 new EVs by 2030 and are looking for analysts and product designers. Semiconductor companies need engineers with EV power-terrain knowledge. Their vendors and suppliers are hiring people who are experienced in last-mile delivery…
IoT, ML, AI and EVs.

Green Mobility, which will be the next big game-changer on the horizon, uses technologies such as IoT, ML and AI to complement it. These technologies will allow EV vehicles to communicate information regarding battery performance; it will allow EV drivers to access maps and other information, thereby saving time, ML algorithms combined with advanced data analysis tools will provide safer driving experiences by identifying obstacles ahead of time. New product designs will help people with disabilities to be mobile and have access to work opportunities.

The stars are aligned – the government, environment, market demand, technology influence, EV options for all strata of society, the export market, employment opportunities and the recent discovery of Lithium in Kashmir. These factors will lead to exponential growth, both from a pull and push front, and redefine India like nothing before.

The writer is founder and MD, Ad Astra.