Harassment prevention key trend in future hiring

New Delhi: A whopping 87 per cent of professionals in India say that harassment prevention at the workplace is a very important trend for the future of hiring and HR compared to 71 per cent globally, a new LinkedIn report said on Thursday.

In India, 50 per cent of hiring professionals said that companies now talk about their harassment policies as part of their pitch to potential hires -- nearly double the global average of 29 per cent.

"Anti-harassment is an especially hot-button issue in India," said the LinkedIn "Global Talent Trends 2019" report that surveyed over 5,000 talent professionals in 35 countries, including more than 400 professionals in India.

While 75 per cent of those surveyed globally noticed some change in workplace dynamics/culture over the last two years, 92 per cent in India said that their company has implemented some harassment prevention action or tactic in the last 12 months or is planning to -- which is higher than the global average of 80 per cent.

There has been an over 71 per cent (year-on-year) increase in workplace harassment content shared on LinkedIn.

Employees are starting to feel more empowered to stand up against harassment - not just by calling for change, but by changing their own workplace behaviour, said the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform.

Work flexibility was another important factor in considering a new job.

"About 67 per cent of talent professionals in India agree that workplace flexibility -- the option for employees to work when and where they'd like -- is extremely important in shaping the future of recruiting and talent," the findings showed.

Globally, in just the last two years, there's been a 78 per cent increase in job posts on LinkedIn that mention work flexibility.

In the space of only four years, there's been a 24 per cent increase in the number of people who say flexible work arrangements are a very important factor when considering a new job.

"With technology easing the way we work, 74 per cent respondents in India believe that the main benefit from allowing employees to work remotely, is enabling them to achieve better work-life satisfaction.

In the opinion of 66 per cent respondents, flexible work hours encourage employee retention.

"Women are 22 per cent more likely than men to cite flexible work arrangements as a very important factor when considering a job, with those aged 36 to 45 being the most likely to do so," the report said.

The report looked at four key trends impacting the future of HR and the recruiting industry, both globally and in India: Soft Skills, Work Flexibility, Anti-Harassment and Pay Transparency.

"Developing markets like India, Mexico and Brazil assign greater importance to soft skills in shaping the future of recruiting and HR," said the report.

In India, 87 per cent respondents believe that candidates with strong soft skills will be increasingly important to the success of their organizations, however, only 53 per cent say their companies have a formal process for assessing soft skills.

"Nearly 71 per cent respondents in India agree that the top benefit of sharing salary ranges is fostering greater job satisfaction for employees. That said, 78 per cent also fear that this will create salary disputes among current employees," the report noted.