Blue-collar jobs up for grabs, e-commerce sector will provide 10 lakh jobs in 2022
Blue Collar Jobs: Since COVID hit India, a structural change has been observed in the ecosystem. This shift alters the operations, features, and labor needs of businesses. Even for the most part now, people are turning to online shopping. Between fiscal year 2020-2021, approximately 1.3 million manual jobs were added in the sector. In 2021, hiring in e-commerce increased by 30%. 2022 looks even more optimistic – almost 10,000 jobs are expected to be added in the sector, said Ajoy Thomas, Vice President – Retail, E-Commerce, Logistics and Transport, TeamLease Services.
These new opportunities are not only limited to Tier I sites, but also Tier II to backcountry sites. In 2020, migration has had a negative impact on the availability of labor in prime locations. Nonetheless, it has actually made companies realize the importance of local hiring, leading to a hiring boom in places beyond Tier I. This year, the top places to hire in e-commerce will be maximum are found in regions like Ahmedabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Pune, Vizag, Mumbai and Noida. Not only Tier I locations, but even Tier II through IV regions have seen an increase in hiring, especially as e-commerce has now taken root deeper within the country.
E-commerce jobs: new profiles are being generated
Nowadays, e-commerce companies are increasingly hiring for profiles such as operations, customer service, technology, machine learning, applied sciences, support functions, supply chain management. procurement, warehouse roles (deliverers, movers, order pickers, packers, shippers, etc.) data scientists, warehouse workers, supply chain managers, delivery people, center operators calls and more have increased dramatically. The market is full of jobs for people ranging from software product developers to web architects, user interface designers, analytics experts and data miners. Even for related roles like logistics and warehousing, companies will be hiring heavily this year. The digital evolution coupled with the increased use of mobile apps for shopping, demand for consumer analytics, fact mining and cybersecurity features have revolutionized the e-tail/e-commerce space. This has put organizations in dire need of talent that is equipped to create specialized and personalized e-commerce centric services and products for consumers. In addition, it has also pushed sectors to hire more IT/ITeS professionals. Some of the other profiles where hiring will experience rapid momentum are scientists, warehouse workers, delivery chain managers, shippers, customer service managers, name center operators, internet architects, customer interface designers, analytics experts, marketing experts, etc.
Make in India has given birth to a pool of new SMEs/MSMEs
Another interesting trend is that the push towards Make in India has given rise to a pool of new SMEs/MSMEs. This local ecosystem also creates many job opportunities, including local roles like craft employees and artisans, among others. Applicants should be aware that upskilling/requalification has become even more important. Companies want candidates to have the right combination of domain/technical skills and soft skills. There is a constant need to close this skills gap by instilling future skills for industry in our education system. Some of these skills are complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordination with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, service orientation, negotiation and cognitive flexibility.
