Operators are broadening the skillset and being flexible while hiring employees in the 5G age with requirements like technology majors with a minor in design or engineers who have done a course in psychology, telecom executives and staffing firms said. This is an attempt to better sync the workforce with consumer and market demands and build more intuitive products and services. Bharti Airtel is applying this strategy across board and said that the discipline an employee comes from does not limit the profile they may occupy.
“We are looking at talent with science and mathematics academic expertise. We need this talent to build data capability platforms, especially in data analytics team,” Amrita Padda, chief people officer, Bharti Airtel, said. The telco plans to widen its talent pool across humanities and hospitality for roles in key account management as their orientation to customer experience is an added advantage, she said.
Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea did not respond to queries sent by ET at press time.
“There is no doubt that they (recruiters) are focusing strongly on soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, empathy, leadership, and prefer candidates with an understanding of concepts which might not be directly related to what is mentioned in the job description,” said Sanjay Shetty, director, professional search and selection and strategic accounts, Randstad India.
Staffing experts say that as companies try to develop application layers that make use of 5G services, it is becoming important that developers and engineers have a good understanding of consumer psychology and trends to build immersive experiences.