India has been on a growth trajectory for nearly two decades and the future remains promising from many perspectives. However, one aspect that stands out as a contradiction of sorts is employment. While we have a huge number of people available for work, the employability of a vast majority among them remains a major handicap. And this handicap is not limited to the large organized sector which is but a minor portion of the total employment potential in the country. The unorganized sector including micro, small and medium enterprises, trade and services, farm and field and indeed every conceivable employment potential faces this colossal challenge.

 

In the everyday experiences of managers in industry, getting the right people to man various positions is perhaps the biggest challenge. And it is not always the technical or professional qualification and skill that is the limiting factor. The proliferation of technical and professional education centres have ensured that large numbers of diploma and degree holders emerge to join the employment market. What remains wanting in many cases is the quality of learning, the application skills. Infrastructural facilities for project based applied learning and financial facilities for large scale research and development activities are lacking in many cases and the end product is therefore short of expectations. This is perhaps reflective of the situation in practically all areas of learning and skill development which would be expected to directly contribute towards employment opportunities.

 

While there may be problems concerning the technical and professional qualifications and skills such as the ones mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the globally integrating economy has thrown up a different challenge to employability. Pre globalization and the communication / information technology revolution, a small percentage of elite interfaced with the outside world and if they were suitably equipped, the tasks at hand could be accomplished. Post globalization, a multitude of workforce is required to interface with the outside world and it is here that severe limitations emerge, leading to poor employability, bad image and low output. Some of these limitations are discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.

 

Foremost perhaps is the sense of ethics and integrity. These are really rooted and anchored in the basic values which one grows with, believes in and lives by. Far too easily are most people led into making compromises of all kinds rather than standing up for the right principles and values. In the name of expediency or personal gain, all manner of compromises are justified and this tendency seeps into the character of individuals and groups leading to a corruptible environment.  Every kind of employment at each level is made to open and submit itself to acts which could clearly be identified as undesirable from the perspectives of ethics and integrity. Perhaps a return to the seniors living by example and teaching moral and ethical values through school would be useful ways of rebuilding integrity of character.

 

Lack of personal discipline, which perhaps flows from the above, often leads to a casual and easy attitude towards quality, deadlines and costs. The unwillingness or inability to approach a task with strict adherence to the quality, time and cost parameters, results into all manner of undesirable consequences. That which does not affect the individual directly is not seen to be of any consequence. The underlying attitude may well be that as long as one does not know or is not affected or it serves the individual's purpose, means and methods do not merit sanctity --- the end result alone justifies the means and methods. Compromises on quality, deadlines and cost become the norm rather than a rare exception which meets instant disapproval and is considered to be a legitimate ground for penalty.

 

Attitude is another key factor which influences employability. A positive “can do” attitude, a smiling, pleasant visage, a ready willingness to stretch the extra mile would do wonders to a person's potential. What are often seen instead are a tendency of offer justification, excuse and reason for why things may not be accomplished,  an unfriendly countenance and persona,  the wrong arguments about ones role and responsibility ---“this is not my job; why should I do it or be answerable for it; what will I get out of it”. Such negative tendencies are an automatic barrier to good employability. Any discerning employer will agree that quite often, individuals with a positive attitude have been preferred over those who may be better qualified technically. Indeed, most often, those with the right sense of ethics and integrity, personal and professional discipline and a positive attitude rise higher in their chosen fields. 

 

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