Indian news media companies have some very unique challenges when looking for talent. These challenges primarily fall into three buckets, explained Abhijit Bhaduri, author and management consultant.
Speaking at the INMA South Asia Media Festival, Bhaduri said the first consideration is whether the prospective employee views the industry sector itself as attractive. If the individual has a choice between working in several different sectors, which would they choose?
“Talent, if it really finds that sector attractive or not, is probably the first measure,” he told INMA.
The second consideration is whether the company and position gives the candidate sufficient opportunity to learn new skills. This happens when people are allowed to move between different segments in a job.
“Can a finance guy move into marketing? Can a marketing guy move into sales?” Bhaduri posed. “Digital into print, or print into digital? If you have very watertight compartments, that’s a very old-world method of looking at it.”
The third consideration is the nature of how an individual candidate works, and if the role offers them the opportunity to work with the brightest and best team, and the latest technology.
“All of that really creates an attractive place for talent to come in,” Bhaduri said.
Across four different types of organisations, from start-up to market shapers, talent moves across all of these depending on where the opportunity lies to learn and advance the most.
“Up-skill and re-skill is probably one of the most under-leveraged areas that any sector can use,” Bhaduri explained. “People very often think about buying out talent, but that’s just the way people have done it in the analogue world.”
Start-ups often get the brightest talent, even with less money, because they are willing to invest in that talent, he concluded.
About Shelley SealeShelley Seale is a freelance reporter and editor based in Austin, Texas, United States. She specialises in media and publishing, and can be reached at srseale@gmail.com.