Indian firms offer best career opportunities

A majority of Indian companies believe that they have been able to offer a wide range of opportunities and work experience to their employees in the last one year, says a survey.

According to a study conducted by HR consultancy Towers Watson's Talent Management and Rewards, 61 per cent of the Indian companies surveyed said that they are able to provide their employees a wide range of jobs and work experience over the last 12-month as against 50 per cent in the Asia Pacific region.

On the prime reasons behind it, the survey noted, "...Indian markets surging and the economy well poised for growth."

The Indian economy is expected to expand 8.6 per cent in the current fiscal. India employers score comparatively high when it comes to providing job security to their employees, with 81 per cent of Indian employers able to provide a secure and a stable position to their employees as compared to 60 per cent employers in the Asia Pacific region.

The survey also reveals that 30 per cent Indian employers provide their employees an opportunity to move to a different country compared to 21 per cent employers in the Asia Pacific region.

The 'compensation element', which is popularly considered as the prime motivator for employees, is another parameter where Indian employers score better.

While 37 per cent employers in the Asia Pacific region believe they provide an opportunity to their employees to earn higher levels of compensation to a great extent, around 54 per cent employers in India felt so.

Overall, 60 per cent of Indian employers reported an improvement in career advancement opportunities over the last 12 months, while 40 per cent of the respondent companies said that career advancement opportunities remained the same.

In other Asia Pacific countries, 54 per cent Chinese employers feel that career advancement opportunities for their employees have improved Singapore 28 per cent and Japan 19 per cent.

"The impact of the recessionary environment was less harsh on India Inc and consequently on the Indian workforce, but what is important to note is the studied and measured response of corporate India to the slowdown as compared to the rest of world and the Asia Pacific region in particular," Towers Watson (India) MD Dhritiman Chakrabarti said.

"Equally important, on a comparative note, is the affirmative and buoyant sentiment that has been expressed by corporate India, be it in terms of job security, skill development or opportunities to earn higher levels of compensation," Chakrabarti added.

When it comes to offering skill development opportunities to their workforce, 64 per cent of Indian employers surveyed believe that optimal opportunities are available to their employees to rapidly develop skills and abilities, as against a 49 per cent Asia Pacific average.

The survey said that 61 per cent of Indian employers are able to provide their employees an the opportunity to develop innovative products and services, as compared to their counterparts in the Asia Pacific region at 41 per cent.