Hiring Tech Talents for the AI Revolution: What Tech Companies Say – The Financial Express

In the era of AI, companies across sectors are grappling with a pressing need to attract, nurture, and retain top tech talents. As emerging technologies continue to disrupt traditional business models, companies recognize the critical importance of building a workforce equipped with the necessary skills to drive innovation and stay ahead of the curve.

At the forefront of this transformation lies the domain of Generative AI (Gen AI), poised to revolutionize various sectors, from finance and healthcare to technology and communications. Ascendion, a Gen AI-focused company, has witnessed firsthand the growing demand for talent skilled in this cutting-edge field. ” We have witnessed growth in technology circles such as Gen AI, Data and Product, Platform Engineering, and Quality Engineering,” states Prakash Balasubramanian, Executive Vice President, Ascendion.

“As a Gen AI focused company, we have trained engineers on how to consume GenAI who are helping our clients in building engineering solutions. Gen AI-focused solutions have helped these verticals experience real-time and immediate impact in cost efficiency, automation and time-to-market. Innovation cycles have improved by a third in most of these verticals. And with Gen AI, our clients have experienced over 55% higher engineering productivity

2024 is the year of Gen AI, Data, and Product Engineering. Tech talent with expertise across these three is in demand. To be able to deliver Gen AI experiences to our clients, we strongly believe that our talent should be Gen AI aware. That’s why, 100% of our engineers are already trained on Gen AI 101, and Engineers part of the Core Gen AI Circle trained on Gen AI 201,” he added.

Beyond Gen AI, the demand for skilled professionals extends across various tech domains, including cybersecurity, software development, and data analytics. Talking on it, Sharda Tickoo, Director Sales, Large Enterprise and Technical Leader -Trend Micro, India & SAARC, “At Trend Micro, we place a premium on nurturing tech talent through initiatives such as internal training sessions for our staff and Trend Campus, an educational platform for our partner network. These endeavours are geared towards empowering individuals with the necessary skills to excel in the digital realm. Furthermore, the cybersecurity sector, in particular, is experiencing a significant talent shortage, creating an urgent need for skilled professionals. Looking ahead, we anticipate a continued emphasis on upskilling and reskilling efforts, fuelled by the emergence of generative AI technologies. Additionally, diversity and inclusion initiatives will play a pivotal role in ensuring a vibrant and inclusive workforce.”

To address this talent gap, companies are implementing strategic initiatives to nurture the next generation of tech professionals. Honeywell, for instance, has designed internship programs that provide students with hands-on experience and exposure to the company’s corporate culture. “At Honeywell, our internship initiatives are strategically crafted to allow students to engage in hands-on projects and collaborate with our teams, granting them valuable insights into our corporate culture and operational dynamics,” explains Dipti Vij, Director of Talent Acquisition at Honeywell.

Moreover, companies are recognizing the value of continuous learning and development for their existing workforce. “Honeywell is also invested in developing experienced hires via an array of training & development programs ranging from byte-sized to long-term to mentor-led programs,” Vij adds.

Despite the challenges, the enthusiasm and adaptability of emerging technologists offer hope for the future of the industry. Specialized roles such as incident response, threat hunting, security operations, forensics, AI-driven cybersecurity models, and data analytics are witnessing a surge in demand, reflecting the evolving needs of the cybersecurity landscape.

Talking on it to Jhilmil Kochar, Managing Director, CrowdStrike India, “In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, attracting and retaining top talent poses significant challenges. The industry’s exponential growth has led to a surge in demand for skilled professionals, intensifying competition among companies vying for a limited pool of candidates. Moreover, there’s a widening chasm between the skills possessed by new graduates and those required by the industry.  Their coursework often doesn’t adequately prepare them for the practical, hands-on capabilities to deal with the dynamic threat landscape and cutting-edge technologies we rely on.

To address this pressing issue, companies like CrowdStrike are implementing various initiatives. For instance, when it comes to hiring talent, we primarily look for problem solvers with the mindset of a white hat hacker and an innate passion for cybersecurity.

CrowdStrike’s approach to nurturing tech talent extends beyond recruitment. We invest in university recruiting, internships, mentoring, upskilling, and STEM outreach programs to cultivate interest and skills in cybersecurity from an early age and provide students with hands-on experience. Our new, expanded facility in Pune exemplifies this commitment, serving as a hub for developing local talent pipelines and upskilling initiatives for our workforce. “

As the tech industry continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, companies are recognizing the imperative of investing in their talent pipelines. With generative AI proliferating, the ability to integrate and manage the technology will become vital across disciplines. Companies getting creative with talent acquisition and empowerment will thrive in this brave new world.