The recruiting process for specialists and managers in India is far more complex than in Germany and requires patience, consideration of Indian culture and, ideally, a lot of experience - and not to forget: money.
As a consulting company, we have recently been receiving more and more customer inquiries on the topic of “searching for skilled workers or CEOs for India”.
We find that, on the one hand, German HR departments are often not aware of the challenges they have to face when searching for qualified specialists and managers in India and which specific competencies of Indian applicants they should pay more attention to.
On the other hand, there is often confusion about the individual positions and titles in the Indian Private Limited Company (Pvt. Ltd. Company), the most frequently chosen form of company in India.
Special features and challenges when searching for personnel in India
One thing first: Qualified specialists and managers in India are rare and expensive.
India may still be a low-wage country in many areas, but not in the area of qualified top talent - possibly with experience abroad. Salaries have been rising in India for years; The shortage of skilled workers that also exists there and the traditionally high fluctuation of employees are exacerbating this trend. However, the challenge and the procedure of meeting the salary expectations of a qualified top management and retaining them in the long term is ultimately known and familiar to German human resources departments.
However, another aspect offers a new challenge for recruiting:
In our consulting practice, we repeatedly experience that the newly hired Indian top management emancipates itself from the German parent company within a short period of time and neither supports the corporate culture or requirements of the German parent company nor fits the mentality of any existing owner. The resulting loss of control of the German parent company regularly leads not only to a lack of company success, but also to a multitude of grueling compliance issues.
Which “soft skills” are essential in India
When recruiting in India, particular emphasis should be placed on the so-called “soft skills” of the applicants, especially when filling management positions. Loyalty and integrity, commitment, openness to European standards and the German culture of error are, in addition to professional suitability and international experience, the elementary personality traits that Indian applicants should definitely have. However, for those looking for personnel, their assessment is associated with the difficulty of obtaining reliable information about applicants [Recruitment adventure in India].
Neither the written documents such as application letters and certificates nor references or even the personal interview are meaningful evidence. The truthfulness of written documents is often very doubtful, references are embellished, and self-portrayal in job interviews resembles “Bollywood”. [India personnel search: successful search and selection of managers].
Cultural differences in self-expression
In our 20 years of practice, we have also found that many Indian applicants apparently perceive the advertised job requirements profile differently than most Europeans. For example, people self-confidently apply for a management position in sales, for which, according to our standards, the existing qualification as a “warehouse clerk” is undoubtedly not sufficient. Likewise, one's own skills and abilities are communicated differently in application documents than is usual in Europe - more positive, more flowery, more self-confident. Against this background, it is crucial to know exactly what position the Indian applicant has held in the past and what decision-making powers he actually had in order to be able to seriously assess the suitability of a candidate
Take this to heart Tip
As always for India, our recommendation on this topic is: “Take a close look, don't blindly trust your gut feeling, but rather check with third parties and get specialist expertise and help. And check what financial benefit any HR consultancies may have received from your order.”
Networks established over many years, years of experience on site, well-founded methodological skills and transparent and fair services make up our expertise. We will work with you to find the right managers in India for your company with its individual needs and company-specific requirements. We can do it. For 20 years.
