As the world sees the workplace change at lightening speed, a latest report on World Youth Skills Day unearths a radical transformation in what Indian employers look for in freshers. Based on TeamLease EdTech’s most recent Career Outlook Report HY1, the most hireable in 2025 would not only be technical experts but also ones possessing critical human abilities such as flexibility and computational thinking. The report states that “future-proof” talent—individuals with the ability to adjust along with shifting work requirements—is in the spotlight of recruitment efforts across industries right now.

Findings are drawn from a wide-ranging survey of 649 firms from varying industries and cities across India, indicating a countrywide turn to skills-based recruitment. Instead of depending on degrees or educational qualifications, firms are now more actively placing emphasis on applicants able to showcase hard-earned skills from the actual world. With Indian firms in the midst of digitalizing themselves and mechanizing reengineering work processes, the search for hybrid skillsets—combining technical knowledge with human-skills—is intensifying at rocket-speed levels.

Most perceptive of the points raised in the report is the pivotal positioning of new technology today as the driver of fresher employability. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is not specialized anymore but core, especially as sectors like manufacturing, logistics, and IT more and more depend on automated processes to gain efficiency. Freshers with RPA skills are being hired into positions such as Robotics System Engineers, and such a demand will further increase in the coming years.

Equally significant is the rising prominence of Prompt Engineering, a discipline that has been given birth even more forcefully with the surge in generative AI technology. Prompt Engineering—basically the art and science of designing exact inputs for AI models—is now a revolutionary capability that has turned into an absolute capability. Companies are now seeking positions like Prompt Engineers and Product Analysts with specialized skill sets in this domain, unlocking a whole new domain of digital human resource demands.

In the realm of cybersecurity, Network Security has also become another top-of-the-mind career. With increasing cyber attacks being perpetrated and firms from all industries going digital, it has become an absolute business strategy to secure digital assets. Thus, profiles like Network Security Analyst and Information Security Analyst are witnessing good hiring intent, especially in metro cities where the density of tech companies is greatest, like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

But it’s not just technical skills that firms are seeking. The report highlights the fact that interpersonal skills—sometimes referred to as “soft skills”—are also playing an equally crucial role in the hiring equilibrium. Right at the top of them is computational thinking, a disciplined, systematic approach to thinking about issues. Whether it is a data analyst dissecting data sets or a software programmer fixing a coding bug, the science of deconstructing hard problems and addressing them bit by bit is now a cornerstone of innovation.

Moreover, flexibility. Adaptability. They are no longer luxuries but necessities. With different sectors developing tectonic shifts and new sectors like renewable energy and health tech picking up pace, employers are interested in tapping workers who know how to change gears. This kind of adaptability and willingness to change are especially sought in high-speed environments where jobs and responsibilities keep changing.

Shantanu Rooj, TeamLease EdTech Founder and CEO, had best summed up the spirit of such an evolution in the following words: “There is a clear direction and focus towards hybrid skillsets where technical skills such as RPA, Prompt Engineering, Network Security and similar skills need to be accompanied with flexibility and computational thinking.”. To remain relevant, not just skilling for the jobs and expectations of today but also provisioning for flexibility in order to adapt with expectations of tomorrow, is required by freshers. Employers need job-ready candidates but increasingly look for talent who they see are future-proof.

Geographical and industry trends influencing freshers’ hiring are also highlighted in the report. Bangalore remains at the forefront as 78% of employers have a high hiring intention of recent graduates. Mumbai and Chennai are next at 65% and 57% hiring intent, respectively. At the sector level, E-commerce and Technology Startups are leading the way, with 70% of those who work in these sectors eagerly looking to bring in new hires. Manufacturing (66%) and Engineering & Infrastructure (62%) also have strong recruitment intent, reflecting the fact that new and old industries alike are catching on with skill-based recruitment.

In fact, the Career Outlook Report HY1 is both a map and wake-up call for graduates. The message is clear: technical skills alone are no longer sufficient. The current job market rewards individuals who can integrate technical skills with interpersonal skills—individuals who are not only professionally skilled, but “future-ready.” For the freshers who seek to make a successful career in 2025 and beyond, continuous learning, adaptability, and an innovation mindset will be the true game changers.