How to Leverage Indian Remote Workers to Expand Your Business
In 2020, the pandemic created a seismic shift to the remote work culture at a pace and scale rarely seen across workforce trends. From a mere 7% of employees working remotely before the pandemic to the expectation that 70% of the workforce would work remotely by 2025 – the focus and mindset shift has been nothing less than radical.
From entry-level associates to CEOs, most people today get remote or hybrid work options where they can choose to work from anywhere. Companies like Zapier, Adobe, Microsoft, Spotify, TCS, and other prominent names have been the frontrunners in showing their commitment to the WFA/WFH trend.
An HBR study found an employee’s productivity levels improved from 13% to 22% in just 9 months of WFH. The world experienced relocations with workers moving to their home cities, saving on living costs, and spending more quality time with their families.
Meanwhile, the companies saw WFH as an opportunity to expand their footprint to even more countries. It has opened up new avenues for companies seeking cost-effective solutions, and India has emerged as a prominent destination for outsourcing and offshoring. The Indian workforce offers several compelling advantages that make it an ideal choice for international businesses.
They offer a skilled and diverse talent pool, cost-effectiveness, excellent English proficiency, and a track record of successful collaborations. Therefore, if you want to pitch your services abroad and leverage the benefits of offshoring, India provides a compelling proposition worth considering.
Spotlight on India: A Powerhouse of Remote Talent
With its rich demographic dividend, phenomenal talent, and a robust ecosystem of startups and MNCs, India is among the top choices for companies hiring remote workforce today.
According to Microsoft's Annual Work Trend Index on India, approximately 74% of India’s workforce is keen on remote work options. The report said, “The data is clear: extreme flexibility and hybrid work will define the post-pandemic workplace.”
Global software houses outsource to India for several reasons:
- India’s huge talent pool with a diverse skill set
- Ease of communication, considering the world’s second-largest English-speaking population, resides here
- Readily available infrastructure, such as 5G Internet, digital payments, etc.
- An in-depth understanding of Western thought and the influence of pop culture
India is expected to have a talent surplus of 11 million tech workers by 2030, making it a potential leader in the tech job market. The talent surplus from the overly saturated Indian job market can readily fulfil hirings for diverse skill sets otherwise unavailable elsewhere.
Successful Companies Leveraging Indian Remote Workers
State of the Global Hiring Report highlights global companies' growing trend of remote hiring, with a 227% rise in Asia Pacific, 286% in Latin America and Europe, and 250% in the Middle East and Africa.
India has the highest employer-of-record adoption at 70.5% across the globe today.
Multinational companies like Adobe Inc., Airbnb, Buffer, Gitlab, Zapier, Google, LinkedIn, Squarespace, Dell, Oracle, and hundreds of others have adopted the Indian remote-first, hybrid work model. The companies offer flexible work schedules, paid parental leaves, equity, vacations, and other exciting benefits to maintain the morale and motivation of their remote employees.
Airbnb and Uber’s well-thought strategic ‘partnerships with people, organisations, and government’ have led to their sustained growth in the country.
Benefits of Hiring Indian Remote Workers
Successful companies see India as an innovation and IT hub with a far more accessible landscape than some of the world's biggest economies.
India offers cost-effective hires to the level and quality of talent available. Companies save 60-80% when hiring remote workers from India. With the cost of living 64.6% lower than in the US, the cost differential is huge and lucrative for global companies to source talent from India.
In the US alone, there is an expected shortage of 6 million tech workers, which makes hiring remote tech talents from India an ideal choice for global corporations to fill in the gaps and survive the imminent economic downturn.
India's level of skill and talent is unmatched compared to other economies. Furthermore, with global corporations striving to diversify their workforce, India presents a leg-up with its diverse demographics by culture, religion, race, and gender.
Besides skill and diversity, hiring Indian talent can help companies extend their business working hours, given the benefit of different time zones, leading to optimal profits and productivity.
How to Effectively Leverage Indian Remote Workers
Despite the tremendous benefits of hiring a remote workforce out of India, global corporations face problems leveraging skilled talent to its fullest potential. The hiring process can also get overwhelming, given that the Indian market is still at its lowest regarding hiring maturity.
However, the advantages of employing Indians still outweigh the challenges. With the right strategies and policy implementations, hiring remote workers from India can be a breeze.
- Set clear expectations with effective job descriptions that state the hiring objectives, job responsibilities, and the company culture.
- Have standardised screening and vetting processes using online assessments and interviews to screen the best candidates efficiently yet unbiasedly.
- Effective communication and collaboration tools are key to building rapport with prospective employees, informing them, and keeping them engaged until the onboarding day arrives.
- Equitable and inclusive company culture can bring top talent and reduce attrition and turnover rates for your company.
The Future of Remote Work in India and Its Global Impact
The potential trends and implications of the rise of remote work in India would work in its favour. Providing livelihood to millions and global opportunities to upscale careers. The future of work is a hybrid remote work model, with India leading the front.
The remote working option would bring greater flexibility, better work-life balance and access to global opportunities for remote workers in India. It would be a huge opportunity for global corporations to tap the rich talent pool and skill set to their advantage in India.
As we inch nearer to a world powered by virtual reality and AI, greater connectivity, improved security, and better flexibility, conventional office spaces will dissipate to give way to online borderless, streamlined remote workspaces.
TL;DR
The Indian job market is ripe for a remote work revolution. The global workforce trends show a clear shift to remote working as an unequivocal success mantra for organisations. The new normal will be all about a distributed global workforce, flexible work opportunities and embracing technology as a collaborative force.
Global businesses should consider leveraging Indian remote workers to reap the benefits of cost-effective hiring, a rich talent pool, culturally diversified demographics, and reduced overhead costs.
In a time of layoffs and unpredictable market conditions, remote hiring employees in India can present a recession-proof and effective way to stay ahead of the competition while saving on taxes, administrative costs, and recruiting hassles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What cost benefits do companies gain from hiring remote workers in India?
Ans: Hiring remote workers from India can lead to substantial cost savings, ranging from 60-80% compared to hiring in certain Western countries. The lower cost of living and high-quality talent contribute to this cost-effectiveness.
Q2. How can companies effectively manage and leverage remote workers based in India?
Ans: Effectively managing remote workers involves setting clear expectations, implementing standardised screening processes, using communication tools, and fostering an inclusive company culture. These strategies help organisations maximise the potential of their remote workforce.
Q3. What is the future outlook for remote work in India and its potential global impact?
Ans: The future of work may involve a hybrid remote work model, with India positioned as a leader in this trend. This model promises greater flexibility, improved work-life balance, and access to global opportunities for remote workers.
Q4. In the context of hiring remote workers, what challenges might global corporations face in India?
Ans: Challenges may include navigating the lower hiring maturity in the Indian market, but these are outweighed by the advantages of accessing a rich talent pool. With the right strategies, companies can overcome challenges and seamlessly integrate Indian remote workers into their teams.
