India sees 33 percent growth in diversity-based employment, led by BFSI and IT sectors

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS): The country saw a 33% year-on-year increase in diversity employment in June, with banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) and IT software services leading the way, according to a report released Tuesday.

Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are leaders in recruitment, showing positive trends in diversity in leadership roles.

According to a report by talent platform foundit, overall recruiting activity increased by 12 percent year-on-year (June 2024 vs. June 2023) and by 2 percent month-on-month.

Over the past six months, employment in the country has increased by a solid 15%, confirming the positive forecasts for 2024.

“The 33% increase in multi-skill hires compared to the previous year underscores the critical role that diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies play in shaping today’s Indian workforce,” said Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), a Quess company.

Looking ahead, “we envision an even greater focus on inclusion through initiatives such as mentoring and leadership programs for underrepresented groups and bias training at all levels,” he added.

Indian companies are placing an emphasis on hiring candidates from diverse groups, including women, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disabilities.

The sectors that saw the largest increase in diversity-related job postings were BFSI and IT-Software and Services (IT-ITeS), which accounted for 30% and 19% of all job postings, respectively.

“Job adverts now use inclusive language, such as recording a candidate’s preferred pronouns, to avoid gender discrimination,” the report said.

As part of the diversity hiring trend, there is also an emphasis on promoting women into leadership positions through mentoring and specialized training.

Other cities that offer significant employment opportunities to marginalised communities include Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, the report said.