Common Challenges and Pitfalls to Consider with Indian Tech Talent

India is considered the powerhouse and rich source of tech talents, producing over 1 million engineering graduates annually. This pool of Indian digital natives is attracting global tech giants. Not only does the easy availability of Indian tech wizards attract MNCs, but also their skills, lower costs, and qualities.

Many companies in 2022 have increased their Indian employee headcount, double that of the previous. This is because Indian tech experts tend to be hard workers, natural problem-solvers, adapt to changing environments, and are always open to new ideas.

With these, there come a few common challenges and pitfalls companies need to consider while hiring tech experts from India. This article will discuss some of the common challenges and pitfalls.

Common Challenges and Pitfalls to Consider with Indian Tech Talent

1. Cultural Differences

No doubt, the culture of India and other Western countries is completely different, or we can say the complete opposite. Lifestyle, work habits, communication, and many other parameters differentiate Indian culture from Western countries. Many times in the corporate world, a few Indians communicate more professionally and indirectly. On the other hand, people in Western parts of the world tend to be very straightforward while talking, which may seem slightly informal.

Companies need to set some rules, establish a suitable communication channel, and schedule a meeting daily to have better communication. Also, they must consider training Indian talents for the work culture so that they can have a better understanding and work accordingly.

2. Time Zone Differences

When companies prefer remote work culture, the time zone difference between Indian and Western countries is significant. This serves as an obstacle to effective communication. Indeed, it may affect work productivity. To overcome the issue of time zone differences, companies must schedule meetings beforehand so that Indian employees can make themselves available at the specified time, even if it is odd for them.

Another best solution to the time zone difference is having a team of committed employees willing to work during overlapping hours.

3. Language Barriers

India is the second top English-speaking country after the United States, despite being a non-native language. Average Indian working professionals communicate in English.

However, MNCs should not forget that English is not Indian’s native language. So, it may be challenging to understand technical jargon and terms. When team members do not understand, it may result in miscommunication, leading to delays in accomplishing deadlines. To overcome this issue, companies must consider training Indian talents with the necessary technical terms and jargon used often. They must have translation tools in place to help them understand communication. 

4. Intellectual Property Protection

Intellectual property is the property type that involves intangible creations of human intellect. There are several types of intellectual property, and a few of them include trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.

There were some issues with India regarding protecting intellectual property in the past. So, every software development company must ensure their confidential information is safe and protected. These measures may include providing limited access to sensitive data, establishing data security protocols, and hiring trusted applicants with a proven working history.

Conclusion

India is serving as a rich source of tech talent for software companies across the globe. Along with the benefits of hiring Indian digital natives, companies need to consider the above-mentioned common challenges and pitfalls. Fortunately, MNCs can address or overcome these challenges and pitfalls with the right strategies, measures, and appropriate tools in place.