CHENNAI: Rising demand for its cars in both domestic and export markets post easing of lockdown has pushed Hyundai Motor India to hire more employees for its Sriperumbudur plant near Chennai. The country’s second largest passenger vehicle maker plans to hire around 1,800 employees, mainly apprentice and trainees to manage its shop floor, and has already started the recruitment drive.
“Due to the current pandemic situation, we have witnessed customer preferences for personal mobility. To fulfil this growing demand in both the exports and domestic markets, we have recently started our third shift operations.
We have also started the apprentice and trainees hiring to meet the requirement of operations,” Stephen Sudhakar J, Senior Vice-President, People Support and Business Strategy, HMIL told this publication. Sudhakar further added that the hiring will help to fill the gap created by those who were unable to return to or re-join work due to Covid-19 lockdown and travel ban situations prevailing in the state. Recently, a top official of the company said that recovery is Indian market was happening at a faster pace.
In June, Hyundai reached 75 per cent of the sales as compared with last year and in July they are expecting to reach 90 per cent of sales that it registered in the same month a year ago. The ailing automotive industry received another major blow during the lockdown following which the sector witnessed layoffs and pay cuts. Hyundai, however, has not laid off a single employee due to pandemic.
In fact, the company has given promotions to its blue-collared employees to boost their morale. “This is a difficult time for all. But we believe it is equally important for an employer to care for their employees and boost their morale at such a time. We have already completed the formalities for promotions of the technicians cadre and for the other category, it is a work in progress,” Sudhakar added.