Hiring in 2021: 53% of India Inc may raise headcount this year, salary hikes expected

Last year, India saw hiring activities decline due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, according to a new survey, 53 per cent of companies say they are planning to increase their headcounts in 2021. The pandemic adversely impacted economies across Asia-Pacific, including India, which had entered 2020 with robust hiring activities, according to professional recruitment services firm Michael Page India's 'Talent Trends 2021 Report'.

It added that the pandemic led to a dip in hiring activities by 18 per cent in 2020. The survey-based report, however, added that optimism is already starting to show, with about 53 per cent of companies in India looking to increase their headcounts in 2021.

According to the report, India projects an optimistic outlook for 2021, with 60 percent of the employers surveyed intending to increase salaries, while 55 per cent of the companies planning to give out bonus payments and 43 per cent of them looking to give out more than one month's worth of bonus. The results for the report was drawn from a survey across 12 Asia-Pacific markets, including in India, among over 5,500 businesses and 21,000 employees.. The report further showed that the healthcare sector is expected to see the largest percentage rise in salary at an average increase of 8 per cent, followed by fast-moving consumer goods (7.6 per cent) and e-commerce/internet services (7.5 per cent).

Source: The Week