Customer Facing and Technology Roles Drive Entry-level Hiring Demand in Indian Telecom

The Indian telecom industry witnessed a slowdown in overall workforce growth, even as demand for entry-level customer-facing (Sales, Support and Service) and technology roles remained positive, according to the latest data from TeamLease Services (NSE: TEAMLEASE).

While the industry's associate workforce expanded by an impressive 51.05% in FY21-22, this growth moderated to 31.41% in FY23-24. However, telecom companies continued to actively hire field sales executives, customer relationship executives, retail executives, installation engineers, fibre repair executives, and cell site repair staff during this period.

"Our data reveals a dichotomy in the telecom sector's workforce trends," said Kartik Narayan, CEO-Staffing of
TeamLease Services. "While the overall employee growth rate tapered, we witnessed a demand for young talent in customer-facing and technology roles that support the industry's field operations and network infrastructure."
The findings highlight the telecom workforce's young demographics, with 56.8% in the age group of 18-29 years. This youthful employee base aligns with the industry's frontline service delivery and tech deployment requirements.

Notably, the sector's attrition rate declined from a peak of 58.4% in FY22-23 to 43.4% in FY23-24, this can be partially attributed to the slowed growth in the workforce size. Sustained average salaries between ₹24,600 - ₹25,475 likely supported employee retention efforts.

"While the slowdown in overall growth is notable, we are encouraged by improving attrition rates and sustained entry-level hiring traction," said Subburathinam P, Chief Strategy Officer at TeamLease Services. "Our insights underscore telecom's strong appeal among young job seekers and the industry's efforts to attract this digital-savvy talent through competitive compensation."

TeamLease's data provides a comprehensive view into the evolving workforce dynamics of India's telecom sector as it navigates a transitional phase marked by moderate growth but rising demand for specialized customer-facing roles and technology professionals.

Data Insights