The electronics industry is booming, and according to TVS Electronics CHRO Nageswar Rao, the demand for skilled talent is on the rise. However, there is a shortage of skilled technical operators and engineers, amidst this growth. In this interview, Rao shares strategies on how TVS Electronics is building a future-proof talent pipeline and reveals top job roles dominating hiring in the industry in 2024.
How do you see the current market size in terms of talent retention and acquisition in the electronics industry at this moment?
Over the past two years, FY 24 and this year, FY 25, manufacturing has been a key growth area, especially in electronic manufacturing services (EMS). This sector is thriving across various parts of India. In electronics, there is a strong emphasis on electro-mechanical products. Manufacturing and electronics are domains that will sustain significant growth over the next three to four years.
According to a Quess report, the electronics industry saw a 154% increase in hiring and skilling in March 2024 compared to March 2023. What are the expected in-demand job roles for 2024?
In the EMS sector, we see a high demand for various roles, especially in middle and top management. There’s a critical shortage of skilled technical operators, who are essential for electronics manufacturing. Additionally, product design engineers, vital for our product development, are in high demand due to their importance in creating innovative products.
Lastly, quality assurance engineers are also crucial. These three roles—technical operators, product design engineers, and quality assurance engineers—will dominate hiring in the electronics manufacturing industry.
How do you handle the skilling and upskilling of your current employees?
We categorise skilling and upskilling into two areas: management and technical teams. For the technical team, skilling and reskilling occur annually based on business projections. We have a structured training practice where we identify critical skills and train our employees. This training includes certification programs to ensure our engineers are qualified to work on live projects. We have an in-house academy for both technical and management skills, which helps us maintain a high level of expertise within our organization.
What challenges do you expect to see when filling those job roles?
One of the main challenges is ensuring a good cultural fit for new hires. While they may perform well in their current roles, they need to be able to scale up for future responsibilities and align with TVS-E’s cultural values. The pace of technological advancement in our industry is relentless. This creates the need for professionals who can adapt and commit to long-term projects, having proficient technical skills and a commitment to continuous learning. Additionally, we prioritize hiring through institutions and campuses across India, providing a structured induction program to acclimate new hires to our culture and expectations.
How are you navigating these challenges and turning them into opportunities?
We have a stringent hiring process with strong filters. Each candidate undergoes a psychometric assessment and a case study evaluation. These assessments help us understand their technical skills, cultural fit, and behavioural attributes. Based on these benchmarks, we create individual development plans for each hire, ensuring they can meet both current and future requirements.
Investing in internal talent development yields numerous benefits. How does your organization prioritize and integrate talent development within its strategic goals?
Around 60-70% of our middle and senior positions are filled from our internal talent pool. We have a robust internal job posting system that allows employees to apply for roles within the organization. Even if a candidate is only 60% fit for a role, we provide them with structured development plans to help them meet the requirements. This approach ensures we nurture and retain our talent effectively.
How does your organisational culture adapt to innovation and change in the current work landscape?
We have an idea-generation process that encourages innovation at all levels, managed by our HR team. Our Innovation Governing Council, comprising our leadership team, evaluates and validates new ideas. This ensures a stable environment for innovation. We also recognize and reward employees who contribute implementable ideas that have a positive impact.