STEM and digital profiles high on wish lists: Randstad survey

87% of survey respondents say if they were 18 years old again, they'd opt for a study field within STEM; 89% would focus on digital/online

There is an increasing need for professionals in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) domain, according to the latest findings of the Randstad Workmonitor survey. About 78 per cent of the respondents indicated that there is an increasing need for professionals in the STEM space. The survey also revealed that 89 per cent of the respondents believe that more students should focus on a career within STEM to find a steady career path.

A vast majority of the survey respondents (89 per cent) also agree that their employer should invest more resources in developing digital skills, thus highlighting that social and digital literacy are becoming major must-haves for new age employees. Additionally, 87 per cent of the survey respondents also indicated that if they were 18 years old again, they would opt for a study field within STEM and an even higher percentage (89 per cent) mentioned that they would focus on a study field within digital/online. An almost equivalent number of male and female respondents (more than 85 per cent) agreed with the above two statements.

With regard to the digitalization in their job, as many as 90 per cent of the survey respondents from India mentioned that they feel equipped and confident to deal with this trend. However, only 69 per cent expected that their job will be automated within the next 5 to 10 years.

Finding the right talent remains an issue for employers across the country. About 62 per cent of the respondents felt that their employer has trouble in finding the right talent today and 61 per cent even expect it to become increasingly difficult for their employer to find the right talent in the future as well, thus reinforcing the impact of the new war for talent that is continuing to be a serious impediment to India Inc. today.

Moorthy K Uppaluri, MD & CEO, Randstad India said, "India being a growing knowledge economy, the rise in demand for STEM professionals is nothing new. Traditionally, India has been producing a lot of graduates in the STEM domain, with around 40 per cent of the total graduates passing out from colleges each year with a STEM specialization. However, the priority of India Inc. is to ensure that the quality of talent being churned out is high and they are employable."

The Randstad Workmonitor was launched in 2003, and now covers 34 countries around the world, encompassing Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. The Randstad Workmonitor is published four times a year, making both local and global trends in mobility regularly visible over time.