Train & Hire

When a corporate needs associates for their junior-level associates, everyone knows the solution is campus hiring. Campus hiring is a big process and precise planning is requisite. If you miss the timing, all our efforts go in vain.  If you missed the bus, what other ways are there? Yes, we in the IT sector recently started two other channels to get junior-level associates from the market.

 

 1) Hire and Train (which is commonly used for blue-collared jobs)

 2) Train and Hire

 

Both, almost sound the same but there is a huge difference in cost and profit margin. 

 

For all channels, demand study and Curriculum are important. 

 

Demand Study:

1.    Based on demands in the business unit you handle, we need to check with our clients where we can place trained associates in a billable role.

2.    Gather the details Skillset, domain, location, client, count, work authorization….. etc

 

Curriculum:

1.    As we work on a generic curriculum across the practice, we identify the lead /sponsor for the initiative to take charge from end to end. 

2.    Work with various SMEs and ensure the curriculum is validated and approved by the Lead. 

3.    Also, ensure training, can be completed within 6 to  8  weeks

 

Train and Hire

 

As the model suggests, first we need to train the junior-level associates and then hire them. We need to work with the dept which deals with pre-employment firms. 

 

 Pre-Employment Dept: Most of the IT companies nowadays have a full-fledged Pre-employment Department, which works closely with various training Partners. They take care - 

 

 1) Based on the training needs as per the curriculum given by the business, check for trainers, candidates, and the availability of other training needs like training material, use cases, and the required software.

2) Sometimes IT Company is involved in the recruiting of trainees for their training program too, like doing the skip level evaluation and recommending the associates for their Training.  

3) Finalize the Training partners based on various criteria. 

1.    Rate of the Trainees per hour

2.    Minimum Count commitment  

3.    Qualified Trainers /Lab Availability 

4.    Sharing weekly assessment scores

5.    Training period/availability of Trainees. 

6.    Liquidation damages 

7.    Trainees should be certified, by the end of the training. 

 

An SOW is signed for each batch/cohort with the training partner. 

 

Trainees 

1.    Pre-qualification needed for the training – defined by you as per the Skillset 

2.    Expect a minimum of 6 months to 12 months of work experience in IT. 

3.    Any work authorization needed (VISA processing) post-hiring - we can set the expectation based on your company’s global mobility policy / sometimes the client wants to.

4.    Trainees are flexible to relocate to the location of the demand, post-training - once when the Travel ban is lifted and clients insist our employees at the client site /office. 

5.    Set the joining date based on the training aftermath and your demand start date.

 

3 Connects with the Trainees - prior onboarding. 

 

1.    Meet & Greet 

2.    Demo Day 

3.    Final Evaluation 

 

Meet & Greet:

 

1.   At this event, we get to schmooze with the trainees.
2.   It is a lively and friendly event, where we socialize with them. 
3.  Get to share, each other’s background
4.  Talk about how a day is at the client’s place using the tool/skillset they are learning. 
5.  Client’s expectation
6.   Onboarding formalities / Career path.

 

Demo Day: It is a time when there is close interaction between the trainees and the mentors / Panel. 

1)   We divide the batch /cohort into 4 to 5 groups/projects.

2)   Identify a Vertical champion for this skillset and have him/her ready with an additional 2 or 3 Panel members. 

3)   Each group or project is aligned to 1 or 2 vertical

4)   On Demo Day, the trainees showcase their project /use case and talk about it. The project is designed - so it covers the entire Curriculum. 

5)   The training instructor can explain to them ‘WHAT & HOW’ needs to be done. However, these mentors help with ‘WHEN’, ‘WHY’ - during the group discussion /Demo day. 

6)   This helps the trainees with an organizational touch and keeps them more engaged. They feel more connected.

7)   It also helps in building up the aspiration within them and it kindles the self-learning fire in them

8)   The mentor and instructor/trainer handshakes and takes the entire cohort moving forward.

9)   At the end of the Demo Day, the mentors/Panel would have completed the pre-screening and able to rank their trainees. 

 

Final evaluation: 

 

1.    The same set of mentors get to evaluate the trainees on a one-on-one basis.  

2.    Can be planned for 30 mins.

3.    Prepare the IOS during this and decide whether the candidate is Selected/Rejected/ Retrained. 

4.    For Retraining the Panel can mark which are the modules the trainees are not scaling up. 

5.    He/She will be trained on the modules where it is marked as “below average”

6.    Retraining will be done for 2 weeks by the Training Partner.  

7.    The trainee will be re-evaluated on all modules again at the end. 

 

Onboarding

 

1)   The confirmed associates are onboarded as  Contractors

2)   They can be converted to  FTE after 1 yr.

 

Marketing Profiles:

 

1)   Vertical Champion works closely with the BizOps and Engagement partners.

2)   Based on the demand study done initially, they market these trainees’ profiles with the business and fill them for the billable demands that they have.

3)   With the Pandemic situation, we are in, it is difficult for these trainees to learn on the job in a virtual model. Hence they are available with 2 months Cost Holiday.

4)   They try to push into projects where they have a team and these associates are not individual contributors and have less interaction with the client. 

5)   This will help the associate to gain knowledge and confidence from the other associates on the ground and learn on the job and deliver. 

 

Weekly connect:

 From Operation, also have a weekly 30 minutes connect with the Vertical champion and trainees to address

1.    Any needs they might have - extra mentoring post-training 

2.    How to handle internal hiring managers, in case they approach them. We get the details of the Hiring manager and do help in following up

3.    Also, ask them to take up additional external certifications, which will add value to their profile.  

 

Recently we did a cohort of AWS Data engineer and the top 80% was selected and in the process of getting placed for billable roles….

 

It is such a soul-satisfying feeling to see our trainees getting into the billable role and starting their career… It is a win-win situation, for both them and the company.

 

                              Thank You!