IT hiring outlook better than other sectors for December quarter but yet to recover, finds survey

The top five soft skills needed in the IT industry include creativity and originality, critical thinking and analysis, reasoning and problem-solving, active learning and curiosity, and leadership and social influence, it said.

On an overall basis, the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, conducted with 3,020 employers in India, shows hiring intention is more or less stable with a net employment outlook of 37 percent.

Nearly four in five employers reported difficulty finding the talent they need in 2023, declining by three percentage points year-over-year but continuing to be nearly double as compared to 2021 (43 percent).

ManpowerGroup report says that when asked to identify the needs of each age group, employers said that recruiting, upskilling, and reskilling their Gen Z workforce is currently their main area of focus.

Another trend that the report points to is that employers are increasing consideration for non-traditional candidates to mitigate talent scarcity. For instance, firms are looking to hire people who are older and seeking employment or career changes, or have been unemployed due to caretaking responsibilities, have non-linear career paths and multiple career changes or don't meet the technical skill requirements.

Among the top drivers for workforce productivity, according to the report, are professional development, positive work culture, clear goals and increasing efficiency of existing tech.