Why Vuram is Training Students From Tier 2 Cities to Become Job-Ready

Vuram, a global hyperautomation services company headquartered in Chennai, is in a rapid hiring phase. The company, which had an employee base of 540, has added over 400 employees in the last year. It plans to take the headcount to 1400 by the end of FY22. As part of its hiring plan, the company is exploring different talent acquisition strategies.

In an interaction with AllThingsTalent, the company’s Director of People and Operations, Suresh Kumar Chitralayam shares how the company has created a hiring pipeline by training students in tier-2 cities and offering them placements when they pass out.

What are the different Talent Acquisition strategies the company has? What kind of innovation and automation is implemented in the company’s HR department? 

At Vuram, our focus is to get the right people for the organisation. The individual needs to be culturally fit and aligned with the organisational principles. One way we get the right people aligned to the value systems and culture of the organisation is through referrals since they are recommended by people who thrive and have experienced the ecosystem at Vuram.

The impact of the pandemic made HR function virtual. All the operations including hiring, onboarding, and more were carried out by supporting our people to work remotely. We also ensured that we have an internal job portal for referrals and a bank to save profiles for future use. Despite the pandemic, we continued campus placements and internships supporting students. Further, learning opportunities were made available for our people through the Vuram Upskills initiative.  

Also read: Side Gigs, Upskilling, Recreational Offices: Zoho’s Tech Director Believes it’s Time to Accept the Change

Can you give a background on the Vuram Uplift initiative? How is it different from other industry edtech skilling programs in the market? 

Since 2019, Vuram conducts training for students in the latest technologies equipping them to be job-ready and offers placements for those who have completed the training. The Vuram Uplift initiative maximises human potential and helps students to secure employment, saving years in their careers. 

In 2019, we initiated the program in the Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam College of Engineering providing training to 16 students out of which 14 students were offered placement in Vuram. We further expanded the initiative to two institutions in 2020; currently, we support AVC College of Engineering and EGS Pillay Engineering College alongside the initial institution placing 61 students in 2021.

With most of the technology industry focusing on the urban sector, human potential in rural India widely remains untapped. With more than 60 percent of Vuramites based out of rural areas, our next step of expansion will focus on tier-2 cities with our office in Tiruchirapalli already functioning; more offices in Jaipur and Coimbatore are set to be operational from 2022.

“Since 2019, Vuram conducts training for students in the latest technologies equipping them to be job-ready and offers placements for those who have completed the training. The Vuram Uplift initiative maximises human potential and helps students to secure employment, saving years in their careers.”

Can you give some background on how the company has grown in terms of talent?

As of May 6, 2022, our headcount is 977. Compared to last year, we grew by 80.9 percent from 540 people. By the end of 2022, we aim to reach the global strength of 1400 people. While adopting virtual hiring in people operations, focusing on nourishing a people-centric work culture supported by people-friendly policies and benefits helped us grow. An empathy-first approach to hiring also allowed us to ensure gender equity with over 51.7 percent of women in the organisation.

Also, during the pandemic, we ensured 100 percent job security for Vuramites, along with permanent, optional,  work from home and work-from-anywhere policy which helped us immensely. 

Does Vuram Upskills also help existing employees train themselves on the latest tech?

Vuram Upskills is a workforce transformation initiative, a part of performance management, and is tied to Vuramite’s career progression. Under this initiative, Vuramites enrol in virtual courses that are in their core areas and other areas of interest with suggestions from their respective Business Unit (BU) heads and leads. Vuramites can take up the courses anytime, anywhere, through an on-demand, third-party, learning platform that consists of over 9000 technical and non-technical courses, including a combination of videos, e-learning courses, practice virtual labs, audiobooks, and other practice materials.

The average learning day per Vuramite during the year is 2.15 working days, with each Vuramite attending an average of 17 hours of training. With the total organisation clocking in at 14965 hours, 669 out of 872 Vuramites attended training sessions and 710 of our people completed at least one SkillSoft training during 2021. 

Why does Vuram create a policy for hiring personnel from the Indian armed forces? How many joined, what roles, and what training are required?

While we are rolling out the policy officially during the third quarter of 2022, this is a step towards valuing those who serve our nation and leveraging their experience. The inclusion of personnel from the Indian Armed Forces is a way to show our respect and appreciation for their selfless service to the nation and honouring their commitment. By creating career opportunities, we can further support their vision to add value to the growing economy of the nation, while supporting them to grow personally and professionally.

Also read: TresVista’ Sudeep Mishra on Hiring Pipeline, Outplacement Cell For Employees and Why Hybrid Office is Likely to Go Outdated

What is the company’s presence in India and global?

In India, Vuram has offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Tiruchirappalli, while the organisation plans expansion into tier-2 cities in the coming months with offices in Jaipur, Coimbatore, and Hyderabad in the pipeline. Vuram has offices globally in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Also, we have plans to open our office in the United Kingdom in 2022.