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Summary
Demand for AI skills may be surging, but employers are moving more carefully than ever. In an interview, PageGroup CEO Nicholas Kirk, says hiring mandates are taking longer to close, executives are increasingly risk-averse, and India continues to deliver robust growth.
When Nicholas Kirk, chief executive officer (CEO) of recruitment and search firm PageGroup, joined his first job as a sales executive in the 1990s, his desk had an ashtray and a telephone, pretty much defining what was ahead. A lot has changed since then, and the skillsets in demand have kept evolving. Today's ask of artificial intelligence (AI) skills is not the first time they've had to be reworked, he says.
Among other issues, in this interview with Mint, Kirk speaks about the hesitancy in the job markets and the inertia amongst CXOs to move, and how the hiring scenario in India remains strong for the firm.
The macro environment has not been very conducive to hiring over the last one year. How has it been for your firm?
We are more optimistic now than we were over the last 8-10 months. There was about 5% growth during that period, and now 40% of the markets that we operate in have started showing spurts of growth.
About 50% of our business is in Europe, and while France, Germany and the UK are yet to pick up, the US, APAC (Asia-Pacific), Japan and China have recovered from a slow phase. India, on the other hand, never stopped, and has steadily grown at a rate of 10-15%, and we estimate that this growth rate will continue over the next six months.
How has the recruitment and search business changed, keeping in mind the shifts in the global environment and the latest factor called AI, which has changed how firms look at talent?
Corporates around the world are now looking for CXOs who are comfortable with AI. We are flooded with demand for specialized prompt engineers, and this is a skill set that did not exist a few years ago. But we often forget that the market has always evolved, and it is the consultant who has to keep adapting with the times.
I remember when I joined the workforce in the 1990s. On the first day of my first job, I was given a telephone and an ashtray. I was in sales, and it was clear what I had to do throughout the day. After that came the internet age, which required a completely different set of skills.
Therefore, if we look back, the changes that AI is bringing are not the first time we have had to rework our skill sets.
What are companies concerned about when it comes to investment in talent? Leaders now have to balance investments in human capital and bots.
Boards are asking questions about the cost of AI. Over the last couple of years, CEOs have spoken about making significant investments in AI. But now boards and advisory bodies are asking where the returns on those investments are. The track record of these investments is being scrutinized.
Although layoffs are the most commonly discussed concern, I sense that in many cases it is simply that businesses no longer need to sustain a certain number of employees. Therefore, it is an operational challenge, but firms are using AI as the excuse.
Is there inertia among CXOs and senior executives when it comes to shifting loyalties? Given the uncertainties, do they need more than the usual coaxing, and do they develop cold feet at the last moment?
In Europe, it is very difficult to retrench an employee who has worked for more than five years. Companies have to document and explain to boards and other authorities why the employee was let go. This is why getting employees to leave a firm in Europe is difficult because they know that if they stay put for five years, their jobs are fairly secure.
However, in geographies such as the US, where one can be fired within hours irrespective of tenure, the risk-taking appetite is much higher.
Do you see mandates taking longer to close because of hesitancy among clients?
Yes. If a candidate earlier went through three rounds of interviews for a role, it is now at least six or seven rounds. Candidates also have interviews with senior executives in global offices. The chances are that when someone goes through so many rounds of interviews, there will be at least one interviewer who disagrees with the choice. The others then do not move forward, and the search starts from scratch again.
Given how companies are looking at new-age technologies as the next engine of growth, do you get caught between promoters and the next generation of leaders on the profile or suitability of a candidate?
This battle has always existed. If we get to meet the promoters and the next generation in a single meeting, we gauge their needs and try to identify common denominators. Sometimes they are not even in the same country, and then we engage with them separately, go through multiple checks and balances, and come up with a shortlist.
But this is a skill that consultants need to bring to the table, and it is an old challenge.
About the Author
Devina Sengupta
Devina is a journalist and editor who covers workplaces, human resources, education and the consulting sector for Mint. Her reporting focuses on how work is evolving in India, from shifting corporate practices and labour policies to the rise of new career paths in the digital and creator economy.<br><br>She also writes the opinion column Pen Drive, where she offers sharp, accessible insights on workplace culture, leadership, and the broader social impact of economic change. Alongside this, she produces longform stories that explore the human side of work, highlighting real experiences, emerging trends, and underreported voices shaping the future of employment.<br><br>In her editorial role, Devina leads a team covering workplace issues, legal developments, telecom and the fast-growing creator ecosystem. She also hosts The Working Life, a podcast on HR trends in corporate India. Through conversations with industry leaders and experts, she examines topics such as talent management, workplace innovation, and career growth in a rapidly changing professional landscape.
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