Job searching while pregnant: how do you tell recruiters?

Pregnancy disclosure during the recruitment process is a deeply personal decision that carries significance for both job candidates and potential employers.

However, successfully navigating this sensitive topic requires careful consideration and informed choices.

In a conversation with People Matters, Nirupama VG, MD of Ad Astra Consultants, a talent solutions firm, provides insights and advice to empower women candidates in making decisions regarding pregnancy disclosure during job interviews, emphasising on transparency, understanding company culture, and aligning expectations to ensure well-being, professional growth, and a harmonious work-life balance.

Considerations and informal rules for pregnancy disclosure

While the decision to disclose pregnancy is personal, Nirupama says it is generally considered ethical. Women candidates should take into account factors such as the stage of pregnancy, job requirements, and the company’s culture. Sharing this information may offer insights into the company’s supportiveness, flexibility, and ability to handle major life changes.

Applying and interviewing for jobs while pregnant

For pregnant women applying and interviewing for jobs, the focus should always be on professional competencies and capabilities, says Nirupama. However, she advises pregnant candidates should first really worry about their health and should keep in mind any health constraints they may have during the application and interview process. They should discuss their pregnancy upfront as the company may have specific work planned ahead for them. It is better to have an open discussion with the potential employer.

Evaluating the prospective company’s maternity benefits and flexibility policies can also be a good strategy for the candidate.

Non-disclosure and trust issues

Non-disclosure of pregnancy should not necessarily be perceived as a trust issue with the future employer but it could depend on the nature of the role. Nirupama suggests that for critical roles involving physical activities or high stress, discussing the pregnancy it might be beneficial for the woman and the potential employer to manage expectations and plan for maternity leave effectively.

Pregnancy-related questions during job interviews

In India, it is illegal for employers to ask candidates about their pregnancy or future plans for having children during job interviews. Such inquiries can be seen as discriminatory. Nirupama says evaluation should be solely based on professional competencies, qualifications, and aptitude for the job.

Pregnancy disclosure after accepting a job offer

If a woman discovers her pregnancy after accepting a job offer, there is no legal obligation to inform the potential employer. However, Nirupama suggests that sharing this information can be a strategic move to understand the company’s policies regarding maternity leave and work-life balance. It provides an opportunity to gauge the level of support the company offers during this significant life change.

Reimagining HR Leadership: A Post-Pandemic Roadmap for CHROs

The pandemic has urged businesses to reconsider their practices, prompting CHROs to prioritise mental health, flexibility, and work-life balance in order to attract and retain talent. Adapting to emerging trends and focusing on employee well-being has become essential in addressing the evolving needs of the post-pandemic workforce.

Nirupama V.G. Founder and Managing Director, Ad Astra Consultant says, “I’ve seen firsthand how the pandemic has accelerated the need for organisations to adapt to new trends and prioritise employee well-being. I believe that CHROs must remain agile and proactive to navigate the ever-evolving workforce.”

Key Future Work Trends for 2023

Work trends for 2023 include innovative hiring methods, flexible work options, non-traditional talent sourcing, managerial support, and addressing the lingering effects of the pandemic. Other aspects include diversity, equity, inclusion, employee data privacy. Additionally, tackling bias in recruitment technology and filling skills gaps will play a significant role in the evolving workplace.

Embracing Flexibility as the New Standard

The pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of flexible work arrangements. In this regard, CHROs must embrace this change and develop policies that permit flexible working hours, remote work options, and other accommodations for employees’ unique circumstances.

Work-Life Balance: The Retention Secret

A healthy work-life balance is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention. Overworking and burnout can result in reduced productivity. CHROs should enforce policies that encourage disconnecting from work and taking sufficient time off. Examples include mandatory time off, “no email” weekends, and promoting the use of personal and vacation days.

Employee Well-being for Organisational Success

Employee well-being directly influences performance and satisfaction at work. CHROs need to ensure access to resources and support systems, including comprehensive wellness programs, mental health resources, and fostering a positive, empathetic, and inclusive company culture.

Mental Health Awareness: A Vital Component

The pandemic has underscored the importance of mental health in the workplace as employees have faced unparalleled stress, anxiety, and isolation. CHROs must prioritise mental health awareness and support, making sure that employees feel at ease discussing their needs and seeking help when required. This may involve training for managers, regular check-ins, and access to professional counselling services.

Adapting to the Post-Pandemic Workforce

CHROs must stay ahead by implementing effective strategies addressing both short-term and long-term challenges, focusing on immediate pandemic-related concerns and anticipating future developments and their potential impact on employees and the organisation.

Investing in Employee Development and Upskilling

As the workplace evolves, the demand for new skills and expertise will grow. CHROs must equip employees with tools and resources to stay relevant and adapt to changing job requirements through training programs, mentorship opportunities, and access to online learning platforms.

Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Adaptability

Encouraging employees to think creatively, take calculated risks, and embrace change will help organisations remain agile and competitive. This includes implementing open feedback channels, promoting cross-functional collaboration, and celebrating successes and learnings. .

In conclusion, CHROs need to constantly watch and assess policy and strategy effectiveness. They should collect data on employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being. Additionally, they must analyse how different initiatives affect the organisation’s overall performance. By staying informed and data-driven, CHROs can make improved decisions and refine their approach to best meet the needs of their employees and the organisation.

Revolutionising Hiring with AI-Powered Candidate Assessment

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a significant impact on the recruitment industry, particularly in candidate assessment. Traditional methods, such as manual resume screening and initial phone interviews are time-consuming and prone to unconscious biases. In response, AI-powered candidate assessment tools have emerged, using algorithms to analyse data from various sources like resumes, social media accounts, and digital portfolios. This approach allows recruiters to quickly and objectively identify candidates with suitable skills and credentials for a particular position.

AI-led candidate assessment not only saves time and resources but also reduces the effects of unconscious biases, leading to more diverse and inclusive candidate pools. This, in turn, promotes fair evaluations and the formation of diverse teams that enhance corporate success. Recruiters can prioritise specific qualifications, skills, and backgrounds, shortlisting candidates most likely to excel in a given role. This targeted approach to evaluation allows for data-driven hiring decisions, lowering the risk of making poor recruits and raising the standard of the workforce as a whole.

However, ensuring that AI algorithms remain impartial while keeping up with shifting market trends and skill requirements is a challenge. Striking a balance between automation and human intuition is crucial, as using human judgement to assess a candidate’s cultural fit and other intangible qualities remains vital.

In conclusion, AI-led candidate assessment is transforming the hiring process by enabling a more effective and unbiased method of evaluating candidates. As organisations continue to embrace technological progress, adopting such instruments will be fundamental in maintaining competitiveness in the quest for exceptional talent.

Striking Perfect Harmony: Merging AI-Driven Recruitment with Personal Touch

In today’s fast-paced business world, organisations are always seeking ways to improve their operations. The rise of AI chatbots like ChatGPT has given them plenty of room for innovation in recruitment. However, it’s crucial to remember the importance of human interaction in the hiring process. 

AI-led solutions such as applicant tracking systems and automated interview scheduling have streamlined the process. Human intuition and personalised interactions still play a vital role in creating a positive candidate experience. By using AI to handle repetitive tasks and data analysis, recruiters can focus on nurturing significant relationships with candidates. This approach highlights that AI can serve as a valuable tool to enhance human efforts rather than replace human recruiters.

To maintain personal connections while using AI, recruiters can combine automated and personalised communication throughout the candidate journey. For instance, AI chatbots can effectively answer frequently asked questions, but recruiters should personally engage with candidates for more complex inquiries and discussions about company culture and values. This approach ensures that candidates feel heard and valued, rather than just feeling like another data point in the system.

Face-to-face or video interviews are still essential for assessing a candidate’s personality, cultural fit, and soft skills. AI can help identify top candidates through data-driven analysis, but the final decision should involve human interaction to ensure that the candidate’s qualities align with the company’s needs and vision.

AI and automation have the potential to transform the industry, but human connection remains essential for creating a meaningful and effective hiring process. By leveraging the strengths of AI-driven tools and merging them with the warmth of personal interaction, recruiters can craft a powerful, effective process that attracts and retains the best talent.

Revolutionising Inclusivity with AI-driven Blind Recruitment

AI-driven blind recruitment is transforming the world of hiring, enabling a focus on skills and qualifications, reducing biases and fostering diversity in the process. This approach anonymises applicant data, removes identifying details, and eliminates unconscious biases during evaluation. The result is a more diverse, creative, and effective workforce, with top talent discovered that might have been overlooked previously.

However, there are challenges to fully benefiting from the potential of AI-driven blind recruitment. The risk of algorithmic bias is a significant concern, unintentionally promoting existing biases rather than reducing discrimination. To address this issue, businesses must proactively monitor and refine their AI tools to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process.

A careful balance must be maintained between automation and human intuition. While technology plays a vital role in reducing unconscious bias, human judgement remains essential for evaluating a candidate’s cultural fit, soft skills, and other intangible qualities contributing to their potential success.

The rise of technology has influenced how companies approach training and education. As the need for professionals adept in machine learning and data analysis is growing, businesses are looking for people who can work with such models and think creatively to develop applications. 

To embrace AI-driven blind hiring, businesses must maintain this balance and continuously monitor algorithms for fairness. With a more diverse and inclusive workforce, companies can leverage technology as a tool to improve their strategies.

In summary, AI-driven blind recruitment is essential for creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. Businesses can benefit by focusing on skills and qualifications, reducing biases, fostering diversity, and continuously monitoring algorithms.

New Age Recruitment with AI Chatbots: Transforming Candidate Experiences

The use of AI chatbots in recruitment has brought about significant changes to the industry, transforming the way organisations interact with job seekers and reshaping their experience. AI-driven tools have become a game-changer for both recruiters and candidates, streamlining processes, and creating new opportunities.

The chatbots have simplified the recruitment landscape by automating mundane tasks such as responding to candidate inquiries in real-time. This allows recruiters to devote more time to building meaningful relationships. 

The emergence of AI chatbots has opened up new opportunities for the hiring industry, particularly in the fields of machine learning and natural language processing. The growing demand for experts capable of designing, training, and analysing such models, as well as those who can apply chatbots in this field, is influencing the industry.

Improved communication between candidates and organisations is another way AI chatbots are influencing the sector. By bridging language barriers, these tools help create a more inclusive and diverse process. Furthermore, real-time support from chatbots results in more efficient and seamless communication, ultimately elevating the candidate experience.

However, it’s crucial to find the right balance between AI-driven communication and human connection to preserve a positive candidate experience. Overly automated processes might result in impersonal encounters, which can drive away potential employees from firms. 

As these chatbots become more prevalent, job seekers and professionals must develop skills in natural language processing, communication, and critical thinking. Embracing these tools and comprehending their potential is crucial for adapting to the ever-evolving landscape.

Leveraging such tools while maintaining a balance with human interaction is crucial for organisations to maintain an engaging and efficient process. As the industry continues to evolve, staying ahead of the curve with AI chatbots is critical to remain competitive and attract top talent.

India’s EV boom opens up vistas for job aspirants

Indian electric vehicle (EV) market is projected to grow from $3.21 billion in 2022 to $113.99 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 66.52 per cent by 2029. With the government’s aim to go fully electric by 2030

Indian electric vehicle (EV) market is projected to grow from $3.21 billion in 2022 to $113.99 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 66.52 per cent by 2029. With the government’s aim to go fully electric by 2030, several brands have come up in the segment. The aim of the government is to make EVs more affordable and reliable as alternatives to ICE. A recent report on Indian Electric Vehicle Market Trends and Analysis, prepared by Ad Astra, an HR and Recruitment Consulting firm, is an eye-opener. It suggests that EV makers and associated companies are said to go on a hiring drive this year when more green vehicles are expected to hit the road amid increasing push towards environmental sustainability, rising fuel prices and policy measures driving significant investments.

Hiring in this sector is expected to grow by 40-45 per cent in the next 6-12 months, according to industry officials and staffing companies. A significant employment growth and an average growth in employee numbers witnessed a 108 per cent increase in the last two years in the electric vehicle space. Engineering department has dominated the EV sector, followed by operation and sales, quality assurance, business development, information technology, human resources and marketing among others.

Interestingly, EV players hired 2,236 prsons in the last six months and women established their presence in almost all sectors. Quite a few companies like Kinetic Green,Mahindra Electric, Convergence Energy Services, OBEN Electric, Ampere Vehicles have women in top management positions. The e-scooter factory of Ola at Ranipet in Tamil Nadu is entirely run by women. India is investing highly in the electric mobility shift. If India sustains this green momentum, its EV segment will be a $206 billion opportunity by 2030.

There are four primary opportunity areas in the industry – original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), component manufacturers, engineering service providers (ESPs), and testing and certification agencies. All OEMs’ activities are unlocking considerable options across other employer segments. Component manufacturers rely on engineers to complement system development, with numerous positions available across model-based development, control systems monitoring, battery management systems (BMS) and more.

Semiconductor companies like Intel are also seeking engineers with EV powertrain knowledge, adding to a growing list of potential roles in the market. ESPs (TataElxsi notably) provide IT and engineering R&D related service and support, requiring resources dedicated to modeling and testing for some of the world’s biggest carmakers. Finally, many institutes and government regulatory bodies (ARAI, CIRT, C-DAC, etc.) are looking for qualified engineers to bring their EV knowledge to the monitoring and certification aspect of the industry. Overall, the EV ecosystem needs more than 10,000 engineers over the next 10–12 months. The current talent supply is inadequate since people with relevant skills are hard to find. But the situation bodes well for graduates and professionals wanting to enter the industry. By upskilling now, they can fit in highly sought-after profiles and hope to land up good opportunities within the year.

Ace your next interview with ChatGPT’s expert tips

Job interviews are fascinating. Whatever the role, level, or industry, job interviews are learning experiences – for the interviewer and the job-seeker. Having said this, one of the most exciting observations in recent times has been watching how ChatGPT can prepare competent candidates for interviews.

With its human-like text and data-driven insights, the AI Chatbots can provide job seekers with valuable inputs on how to crack the most challenging job interviews. Here are some of the steps shared by Nirupama VG – MD Ad Astra Consultants that can help beginners in cracking interviews.

1. PROMOPTING QUESTIONS AND PRACTICING ANSWERS

Answering questions effectively is an essential aspect of an interview. ChatGPT answers prompts with role-related interview questions. The bot then helps candidates to draft intelligent responses using its superior conversational capabilities. Candidates can further refine their answers to show clear thought leadership.

2. FEEDBACK ON RESPONSES

Candidates can request feedback on their answers. Capable of evaluating responses, ChatGPT provides insights on areas of improvement. It can highlight vague or weak parts of a candidate’s response and suggest ways to strengthen it. This feedback mechanism acts as an invaluable support to job seekers.

3. RESEARCH THE COMPANY

Knowing as much as possible about a company is an important asset for a candidate. ChatGPT aggregates information about the company from different sources, sharing insights about its history, values, culture, products, services, and customers.

4. DEVELOP CANDIDATE QUESTIONS

Asking thoughtful questions during an interview is a great way to show engagement and interest in the role and the company. With ChatGPT, candidates can generate relevant and insightful questions such as a company’s plans, team dynamics, or any challenges they may be facing.

5. REFINE LANGUAGE AND TONE

ChatGPT has been helping candidates refine their language and tone, ensuring they sound professional, confident, and articulate. Job-seekers experiment with different sentence structures and even learn new vocabulary to enhance their communication skills.

6. INTERVIEW

Candidates can instruct ChatGPT to simulate mock interviews. For example, type “Conduct a mock interview for a Data Analyst role”, and ChatGPT will generate a list of interview questions in a simulated setting.’

Using ChatGPT to practice for a job interview is much like attending a job counselling course. It brings essential topics into focus and builds knowledge as well as confidence. Candidates feel more prepared. So, candidates know what is expected of them when the interview comes around.

There is no doubt that ChatGPT can be a handy interview-acing tool. However, it is not a substitute for attitude or experience.