Recruiting in Bangalore: creative ways to attract new talent
The ramp-up in production at Safran companies is having a positive ripple effect on the Group’s support entities. These include Safran Engineering Services India, in Bangalore. ONE reports on how the company is innovating to win the talent war in today’s fiercely competitive job market.
- Photo Report
- Radar
- At a glance
- Perspective
Ramp-up boosts production activities
The Bangalore facility is an offshore Safran Engineering Services center that provides tailored services for Safran companies, including the design of mechanical and electrical systems, software development, technical publications, IT and, more generally, all aspects of innovation and new technology.
“Since last year, we’ve seen a sharp increase in most of the areas where we offer support,” says Sandeep Kumar Shivapuram, CEO of Safran Engineering Services India. As a result, the company is looking to hire people with solid technical expertise in its main fields. However, the site also provides services in niche sectors such as including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analysis and the Internet of Things (IoT). “Although we’re mainly looking to recruit people for highly operational assignments, we’re also eager to hire experts who can bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table,” adds Sandeep Kumar Shivapuram. “This will enable us to improve operational efficiency and build on our foundations going forward.”
Fast-evolving talent market
Hiring new talent in India is becoming increasingly difficult. “There’s been a sharp and unprecedented rise in demand for talent, fueled by a surge in business in the post-pandemic economy, coupled with a boom in the startup ecosystem,” explains Veerabadhra Rao, head of Human Resources at Safran Engineering Services India. “Some job seekers are even getting several offers at the same time.”
At the end of 2021, the entity therefore rolled out a raft of recruitment initiatives with the support of the company’s head office teams. Catherine Buche-Andrieux, Vice President Human Resources, Safran Engineering Services: “By early 2022, we’d only managed to fill around 80 of the 175 positions we’d opened in 2021, leaving us with 100 vacancies. What’s more, as well as attracting new talent, we had to ensure we retained our current employees!”
- 175
Is the number of positions that were open in 2021. Since then, 80 new hires have been taken on and recruitment is underway to hire 100 more.
Attract and retain
“We’re looking for candidates with solid core skills who are passionate about what they do,” emphasizes Sandeep Kumar Shivapuram. “We don’t expect them to tick every skills box – provided they show potential and demonstrate a willingness to learn.”
Alongside classic recruitment methods, Safran Engineering Services India is making a big drive to promote its employer brand image, notably by growing its social media presence.
“These efforts have already had a positive impact, and we’re expecting an increase in applications and a better job offer acceptance rate,” comments Veerabadhra Rao. “We’ve adopted new methods such as online skills assessments, virtual interviews and one-off recruitment drives. In addition, we’ve increased the number of partnerships with training providers from three to eight. This alone has helped us attract interest from engineers with experience in integrated software, application, design and analysis software and technical publications. Furthermore, our newly launched Campus Connect outreach program will allow us to cement ties with universities above and beyond the goal of seeking interns and job candidates. For example, contributing to study program content that’s of direct interest to our industry, the ultimate aim being to become a strategic partner to universities. Safran managers and experts will also give lectures at partner universities.
At the Bangalore site, staff can opt to work from home two days a week, and a comprehensive action plan has been rolled out to encourage more internal mobility so that employees can work on different projects and develop new skillsets more quickly. “Our aim is to meet and even exceed the expectations of today’s job seekers so that we continue to foster our image as a company that’s a great place to work and grow,” concludes Veerabadhra Rao.
