AI and machine learning will only continue to grow in 2022, with a significant increase in the demand for such roles, notes Sekhar Garisa, CEO, Monster.com.
The last year has been a tumultuous year for all.
The highs have been absolutely incredible.
It was a matter of absolute pride to see Indians commandeering prime positions in tech companies, fresh graduates receiving offers matching or when surpassing the pay packet of most CEOs and the Indian software boom which has radically transformed itself through a wonderful combination of luck and skill.
But lest we forget, the pandemic has had devastating consequences for the Indian economy, the ramifications of which are still felt to this day.
Through it all, India Inc and her resources came out as resilient, adaptable and a little more empathetic than they were before.
Here's the job outlook for 2022 which also details the skills candidates need to equip themselves with to stay relevant in their workplaces.
1. AI and machine learning job demand estimated to grow
With rapid tech adoption across industries and entirely tech-enabled sectors such as IT and BFSI, the role of AI and machine learning will only continue to grow in 2022, with a significant increase in the demand for related roles.
Industry reports further suggest that AI/machine learning investments in India will continue to grow at a CAGR of 33.49% till 2023.
2. Chat-bots to empower customer support services
To enhance customer engagement, more and more organisations are adopting chat-bots which are forecast to empower approximately 45% of organizations’ customer support services by 2022.
Roles in learning and development, travel, consumer analysis, and lead Nnrturing would witness a spike in demand, in this regard.
3. Growth of FinTech in 2022
The Indian fintech market is expanding rapidly, and is estimated to become the third largest market in the world by 2025.
The future holds increased digitisation and digital adoption opportunities across the industry, with a positive outlook for talent demand in the sector.
4. Continued spike in IT talent demand
Indian IT space has continued to hire through the course of the pandemic, and will exhibit similar trends in 2022.
It is encouraging to note that the IT industry is expected to grow 7% in the current year, and likely to see a gross employee addition of around 4,50,000 in the second half of FY22.
5. Big Data Analytics roles to witness huge demand
Based on several recent reports, 96% of companies are definitely planning or likely to plan to hire new staff with relevant skills to fill future big data analytics related roles in 2022.
This is most likely going to be the most in-demand role in 2022.
Data science, cloud computing and machine learning roles captured most of the e-recruitment market.
6. Skilled manpower to be the future of the workforce
The demand for skilled manpower or professionals adept in digital skills is likely to witness a surge in industries such as BFSI and new sectors such as crypto.
The top skills organisations are on the lookout for are data science, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and machine learning.
7. Sales professionals in demand
The demand for sales professionals is estimated to increase especially in industries such as FinTech, retail, e-commerce, and social commerce.
8. Location-agnostic future
The future of working is certainly hybrid. Location-agnostic working goes hand-in-hand with this, especially for tech companies with large work forces.
With a number of employees preferring remote working and staying in their hometowns, more and more organisations are considering setting up smaller offices in Tier-2 cities or utilising co-working spaces to provide employees with better resources and access to technology.
This would, in turn, lead to an increased demand to hire across Tier-2 cities in the coming months.
9. Optimistic outlook for fresher hiring
Hiring for freshers has picked up over the last three months of the year, and is estimated to increase considerably in 2022.
The continuing emergence of startups will further contribute to the demand for entry level professionals across industries.
