WorkIndia, a leading platform in job and talent connectivity, has released its comprehensive survey report in 2025, highlighting key trends in employer behaviour, hiring intent, and candidate preferences across India. The survey spans the entire year of 2024, from January to December, gathering findings over this twelve-month period. With responses from over 2,000 employers and 1,154 candidates, including significant insights into blue-collar workforce dynamics, the survey underscores the transformative changes in India’s hiring landscape.

About one-third of employers indicated their willingness to hire candidates from outside their city or state, with 50% of employers in Pune and Bangalore. Among those willing to hire from outside their region, 80% are open to non-local candidates, while 20% prefer local hires. Furthermore, employers are embracing modern recruitment methods, with two-thirds conducting online interviews for non-local candidates and 50% offering relocation benefits to deserving talent. This trend underscores the growing shift toward national talent acquisition, with most employers now recruiting candidates from all parts of the country.

According to the survey, over 30% of employers already employ non-local talent, primarily through direct recruitment. Among those engaging with outstation candidates, 62% expressed satisfaction with such inquiries, and 63% observed an uptick in these interactions. Additionally, 53% are conducting interviews via online or phone platforms, and 57% report no issues in managing outstation hiring processes.
Industries such as logistics, manufacturing, and retail are increasingly dependent on non-local blue-collar talent. Many employers are leveraging digital platforms to streamline the recruitment process and are offering relocation support to attract skilled blue-collar workers to metropolitan hubs. 24% of candidates expressed willingness to relocate to larger cities for better job prospects. Preferred cities include Delhi (12%), Pune (11%), Bengaluru (4%), and Ahmedabad (4%), with 19% open to relocating to any city.

Interestingly, 72% of candidates are unwilling to travel or relocate for a job, with 92% actively inquiring about office locations to visit in person. Despite this, 57% of employers report no challenges in hiring outstation candidates, indicating a positive shift toward accommodating non-local talent.

Commenting on the Survey, Mr. Nilesh Dungarwal CEO and Co-Founder at WorkIndia, said:  "Our survey uncovers a transformative shift in India’s hiring landscape, where geographical boundaries blur, and skills take center stage.

Employers are tapping into non-local blue-collar talent, while workers are slowly embracing relocation for new opportunities. Through our innovative platform, WorkIndia enables outstation candidates to seamlessly discover job opportunities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. With features like location-based job search, language preferences, and verified employer details, candidates can find the right jobs that match their skills and aspirations. By eliminating barriers to access, we’re empowering millions to take bold steps toward better career prospects in India’s urban centers.”
The study was conducted as a quantitative research initiative by WorkIndia, involving telephonic surveys with over 3,000 participants from diverse industries and regions. This year’s report includes a detailed analysis of the blue-collar workforce, offering a comprehensive view of India’s evolving hiring trends.About WorkIndia:
WorkIndia is India’s largest blue and gray-collar platform, offering employment opportunities across 50 categories like tele-calling, field sales executives, delivery partners, etc. WorkIndia’s purpose of existence is to provide meaningful livelihoods to the 258M blue-collar workers of India. This 258M is the single largest segment in the entire world, which has not been disrupted by technology as yet.

WorkIndia is the only platform in India that is technologically solving a massive pain point i.e. Fraud jobs for the 258M segment. Driven solely by technology, the platform has built a recruitment ecosystem that eliminates middlemen, fraudulent jobs, and vulgar jobs, providing job seekers with a platform they can trust when it comes to finding genuine job opportunities.Headquartered in Bengaluru, WorkIndia is spread across 772 cities, 28 states & 8 union territories in India. Over 2.6Cr Indians trust the WorkIndia platform for finding meaningful employment opportunities. The platform caters to the critical hiring needs of over 15 lakh SMBs and multiple large corporates. With over 1.87 lakh job listings, WorkIndia empowers 1 lakh Indians monthly by helping them find meaningful jobs.