ITV

Tag: LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn releases fourth edition of 2019 Top Companies list

    LinkedIn releases fourth edition of 2019 Top Companies list

    MUMBAI: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today launched the fourth edition of the 2019 Top Companies list for India. Determined by the actions of its 610+ million members globally, the annual ranking highlights the 25 most sought-after companies in the country by professionals. The list reveals where Indian professionals really want to work and stay, fuelled by proprietary LinkedIn insights including job seeker’s interest in the company, engagement with the company’s employees, job demand, and employee retention.

    With more Millennials and Gen Z professionals entering the job market, the 2019 Top Companies have actively deployed employee-first initiatives such as informal work culture and fairness of working conditions and wages. At the same time companies are focusing on blazing business growth through smart acquisitions, and the expansion of employee strength with innovative hiring practices. These emerging trends have led to the debut (and comeback) of IT giants on the list this year, and new entrants including homegrown Internet and IT companies, Swiggy, Zomato, and Freshworks.

    Internet companies dominate the top 10 spots as Flipkart (Walmart) jumps one spot up to #1, Amazon moves to #2 from #4 last year, and OYO has made headway from #10 to#3 – respectively taking the top three spots this year. While India’s IT giant Tata Consultancy Services has debuted at #7, new entrants and homegrown Internet and consumer services companies Swiggy and Zomato rank at #6 and #8 respectively, and Uber, another new entrant, takes the #5 spot. One97 Communications, a constant on the list’s Top 5, comes in #4. Breaking the monotony,India’s Oil and Energy conglomerate Reliance Industries takes a massive leap from #24 to #10, consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a new entrant at #13, along with banks, YES BANK and ICICI Bank that come in on the list for the first time at #14 and #20 respectively.

    “Every year, based on LinkedIn’s unique position to be the pulse of what job seekers in India are looking for, the Top Companies list highlights homegrown companies and global giants, where professionals want to land their next job. Interestingly this year, half the companies are new entrants on the list, including IT giants such as Tata Consultancy Services and IBM that showcase the changing job and hiring landscape. The presence of more blue chip Indian companies such as Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Industries, among others emphasizes the fact that these large firms are getting better at attracting Millennial employees,” said Adith Charlie, India Managing Editor, LinkedIn.

    Here are the 2019 Top 25 Companies in India:

    1.    Flipkart (Walmart)
    2.    Amazon
    3.    OYO
    4.    One97 Communications (Paytm)
    5.    Uber
    6.    Swiggy
    7.    Tata Consultancy Service
    8.    Zomato
    9.    Alphabet (Google)
    10.    Reliance Industries
    11.    EY
    12.    Adobe
    13.    Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
    14.    YES Bank
    15.    IBM
    16.    Daimler AG
    17.    Freshworks
    18.    Accenture
    19.    Ola
    20.    ICICI Bank
    21.    PwC India
    22.    KPMG India
    23.    Larsen & Toubro
    24.    Oracle
    25.    Qualcomm

    Some of the emerging workplace themes this year are:

    Betting big in a dynamic business environment: Most top companies are not shying away from spreading their wings. Of the top three, Amazon is foraying into the offline world by bagging retail chains and setting up kiosks in malls. Flush with money from its $1 billion fundraise, OYO is venturing into food-tech, event management and co-working by acquiring startups. With 450,000 exclusive rooms globally, the online hospitality company aims to overtake Marriott as the world’s largest hotel chain by 2023.

    Engineering – amongst the most hired for job functions: Technology roles were seen to dominate the jobs market but soft skills are also critical to succeed in this tech age according to the 2018 India Emerging Jobs Report  by LinkedIn. This year’s rankings corroborate this trend with majority of companies in the list making maximum new hires for engineering jobs followed by operations and business development. Tata Consultancy Services, the country’s largest IT services company made a net addition of nearly 27,000 employees last year, up four-fold from 7,000 in 2017. Ranked at #9, Alphabet (Google) resumed campus hiring at the IITs in 2018, after giving the elite engineering schools a miss for two consecutive years.

    Informal work culture drives happy employees: Holding #4 rank this year, mobile Internet company, One97 Communications (Paytm) has done away with the concept of work appointments. Employees are free to have impromptu meetings and occupy available rooms without blocking calendars. Designations such as assistant general manager, deputy general manager and general manager could soon be a thing of the past at India’s second-largest private bank ICICI (#20) which seeks to cut hierarchy and boost accountability.

    Traditional hiring takes on a new twist: New entrant on the Top Companies list, Freshworks (#17) has an eye for people with alternate career interests as it looks to employ marketers who host podcasts, engineers who are full-time musicians, and even social activists. At #21, PwC India is moving from its monopoly of chartered accountants and tax professionals by hiring employees from diverse backgrounds such as journalists, doctors, design thinkers, data scientists and environmentalists.

    Sustainable business is a profitable business: With employees putting purpose before passion in their job search, even companies are looking to give back to the society. New on the top companies list, IBM at #15 is harnessing the power of emerging technologies to solve problems specific to India, whether it’s eradicating food wastage or predicting crop prices to help farmers. Mopping up $300 million as part of its partnership with Hyundai which is focused on electric cars, Ola eventually aims to put 1 million green cars on Indian roads by 2022.  
    Read more about the 2019 Top Companies in India list here. Join the conversation on LinkedIn using the hashtag #LinkedInTopCompanies.

    Methodology

    The Top Companies list is the only ranking of its kind to be based entirely on the actions of users. We analyze billions of data points generated by LinkedIn’s 610+ million members around the world to come up with a blended score used to rank the winners in each geography.

    LinkedIn ranks companies based on four pillars:

    (I) Interest in the company: Interest in the company is measured by unique, non-employee new follows of the company’s LinkedIn page

    (II) Engagement with employees: Employee engagement looks at how many non-employees are viewing unique employees at the company

    (III) Job demand: Job demand counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company, including both paid and unpaid job postings on LinkedIn

    (IV) Employee retention: Employee retention measures how many employees are still at the company at least one year after their date of hire, based on LinkedIn member profiles

    To be eligible, companies must have at least 500 employees as of February 1 and must have flat or positive employee growth over the 12 months (based on LinkedIn Talent Insights data). Only parent companies rank on the list; majority-owned subsidiaries and associated data are wrapped into its total score. All data is normalized based on company size. The methodology and insights time frame is February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. All data is aggregated and anonymised to protect members’ private information.

    LinkedIn excludes all staffing and recruiting firms, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies and government-owned entities. LinkedIn and LinkedIn’s parent company, Microsoft, are excluded from all LinkedIn Lists.

  • Mahesh Narayanan appointed country manager for LinkedIn India

    Mahesh Narayanan appointed country manager for LinkedIn India

    MUMBAI: Professional networking website LinkedIn has announced the appointment of Mahesh Narayanan as the company’s country manager for India. He will handle his responsibilities from 7 January 2019.

    Previously, Narayanan has also served as the India managing director for Saavn and led Google India's mobile advertising business from 2010-2013. He also led the digital transformation and market-entry strategies for a host of marquee digital businesses such as Sociomantic Labs and AdMob among others in the past.

    On his appointment, Narayanan said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to further LinkedIn's vision and mission in an important market that is rapidly digitising.”

    Narayanan will be reporting to LinkedIn's Asia Pacific (APAC) region managing director Oliver Legrand and will join the company's Asia Pacific senior management team.

    To Narayanan’s appointment, Legrand said, “India continues to be a strategic market for LinkedIn, and we are pleased to have Mahesh join our team to take our business to its next growth chapter.” Further adding he said, “As we continue to invest in the market, Mahesh's strong track record in leading growth businesses and his deep market experience will bolster our efforts in India.”

    LinkedIn has over 59 crore members globally and more than 5.3 crore members in India. As LinkedIn's fastest-growing and largest market outside the US, India has seen its member base grow from 34 lakh members in November 2009 to more than 5.3 crore members in July 2018.

  • #YouAreMyParleG short films created by thought blurb continues to tug at the hearts of Indians

    #YouAreMyParleG short films created by thought blurb continues to tug at the hearts of Indians

    MUMBAI: The second leg of the #YouAreMyParleG campaign is back with three heart-warming films by thought blurb. No Indian needs an introduction to this brand that’s become an icon in itself. The brand is one of the oldest in India and appeals to every demographic in the country, transcending age and socio-economic divides. Parle-G biscuits are as inseparable from the Indian consciousness as some human relationships. This variety of human relationships would need different interpretations that can be related to the viewer’s deep bond with the brand. Parle wanted to talk about this very bond Indians have with Parle-G through human relationship and so came the campaign ‘You Are My Parle-G’..

    thought blurb, the creative agency behind the campaign was given this challenge. Mayank Shah, Senior Category Head at Parle Products, Parle Products gave the agency a clear one-line brief – ‘Parle-G is not just a brand, it’s an emotion.’

    The first phase of this campaign was launched in the month of August with two films that celebrated relationships we often forget to acknowledge, but without which, life isn’t quite the same. The first film was a long overdue salute to the unsung hero of the nation, the soldier while the second film captured the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister who can’t stand each other yet can’t stay apart. Needless to say, both films received an overwhelming response and went viral.

    Followed by the success of the first phase of the campaign, Parle launched the second phase in December with three films that told stories of everyday relationships and focused on that one person everyone has in their life who has always been there for us. They are such an important part of our life that we take them for granted, just as we take our breath for granted. 

    These films take us through the inevitable, deep-settled familiarity between a husband and wife, the intense bond between a mother and son that never fades with time or new family members and the endearing, eternal bond between a father and daughter. In each film, an action, a few words, or an emotion triggers the moment of clarity. The subtext of the relationship becomes clear to the protagonist and they understand how indispensable the other person is to their life. India’s complex and unwavering connection to Parle-G is equated to this. When the protagonist tells someone ‘You are my Parle G,’ he speaks for India and its relationship with the brand.

    One of the astounding facts about this campaign is that it became viral through WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn and other channels, organically much before putting any media money behind it. This is a good example of a client working closely with the agency, thought blurb to create video content for a brand, that narrates a story so powerfully that it makes for compelling viewing. After all, even in the digital age, the source code for every engaging content continues to be consumer stories.

  • Facebook hunts for CMO

    Facebook hunts for CMO

    MUMBAI: Even Facebook is finding it hard to fill vacancies. The company has posted a job notice on LinkedIn looking for a CMO. It has been without a CMO all year, since Gary Briggs exited, leaving the company without a top marketing strategist just as it was hit with some of its most difficult challenges.

    At minimum, the right person will know how to “guide a brand’s reputation and experience in crisis management,” says the job description. That might undersell the talents this person will need. Today’s CMO needs to be able to show real business results and infuse the whole operation with a consistent brand identity and focus on the message. On Facebook, that message needs to be about feeling safe and connected. “What they need is a PR master, someone that can build back the public trust,” Pattisall says. “Not just a marketer, but someone connected to leadership answering directly to Sheryl and working pretty closely with Mark to carry their vision forward.”

    In 2017, Facebook spent $325 million on marketing, and it is looking for a person with experience of managing marketing budgets of at least $500 million. That would mean a likely candidate has to be from the top 100 largest advertisers in the US In the past, the CMO would only need to handle ad campaigns and traditional communications, but the role is evolving, Pattisall says.

    CEO Mark Zuckerberg was pressured to testify before Congress to answer for mishandled consumer data, which came to light in the Cambridge Analytica affair.

    In July, Facebook was threatened with the largest fine possible from UK regulators over its flimsy data policies that exposed consumers to malicious developers for years.

    According to reports, data is not Facebook’s only problem. It has been blamed for everything from helping to destroy democracy in America to enabling genocide in Myanmar. Both of those charges stem from bad actors who have been able to warp Facebook for their nefarious purposes—in Myanmar, hate-filled posts have stirred real world violence against a minority group.

    “This is a challenging job,” says Pivotal senior analyst Brian Wieser. “Facebook is not quite the prestige brand it once was, and there is so much worse to come.”

    This year, Zuckerberg has focused the company on a multi-year project to clean up the platform, rid it of the most offensive content, and improve people’s experience. Those efforts could ultimately reduce the amount of time people spend on Facebook, as the company has promised to prioritise people’s well-being over profits.

    Facebook recently rolled out an ad campaign meant to remind people of all the good times they’ve had on the social network with promises to do better to fight fake news and spam. Those attempts to rejuvenate the brand have not gone well. This week, satirist John Oliver mocked Facebook’s marketing campaign on his HBO show, calling the company “history’s most profitable data-harvesting machine.”

  • LinkedIn crosses 50 million user mark in India

    LinkedIn crosses 50 million user mark in India

    MUMBAI: For all the tech giants, India is becoming a high potential market very fast. Microsoft-owned professional networking platform LinkedIn has crossed the 50 million user mark in the country. The company which rolled out in 2009 had only 3.4 million users then, whereas now India is the second largest market globally.

    “Our members-first, localised approach has helped us cross the 50-million mark in India. We are at the beginning of an exciting journey, as we democratise opportunity for every member of the Indian workforce,” LinkedIn country manager and international product head Akshay Kothari said.

    The company has doubled its user base in the last four years on the platform. In future, the company will continue to focus on students, career starters, and professionals, beyond knowledge workers.

    For localisation of the platform, the company took several initiatives. In 2016, it launched the LinkedIn Lite website targeted for areas where internet connection is slow. The company has come up with an app version of LinkedIn Lite for Android users also.  

  • Shweta Jain joins Amazon Internet Services

    Shweta Jain joins Amazon Internet Services

    MUMBAI: Former NDTV senior vice president of software solutions Shweta Jain has joined Amazon Internet Services as head of media and entertainment services for South Asia.

    Amazon Internet Services is a local legal Indian entity that acts as a reseller for Amazon Web Service (AWS) in the country.

    As head of the media and entertainment vertical at AWS India, Jain will work with media organisations helping them initiate/accelerate their cloud adoption for better efficiencies and scalability.

    Jain has joined Amazon after a stint of more than 19 years with NDTV, where she worked closely with editorial and production teams.

    “Super excited to join the AWSome India team of @Amazon Web Services, to head Media and Entertainment business across India and neighbouring countries. Joining AWS empowers my own belief in the power of cloud and the huge impact it can have on the media enterprises–big and small, traditional and contemporary,” Jain posted on her Linkedin profile.

    “After a highly rewarding stint of nearly two decades at NDTV, where I enjoyed teaming up with many remarkably talented people doing some fantastic work, I’m now moving on to my next challenge,” she added.

    Apart from her stint at NDTV, Jain was also the founder director of a digital business incubated at NDTV, managing the P&L of a B2B vertical publishing TV listings (EPG) of over 1000 channels to more than 50 platforms in India and abroad. She also founded UREQA, a content discovery and personalised recommendation app for Android.

    Also Read:

    Making the news: A look at what news broadcasters did in 2017

    NDTV to reduce workforce by up to 25%

  • Sony Pictures IMS acquires majority stake in ad network Httpool

    MUMBAI: IMS Internet Media Services (IMS), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television Networks and one of the largest digital ad sales and media buying companies in Latin America, has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Httpool, an international cross channel ad network, with a presence in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.

    Subject to regulatory approval, the deal will create one of the largest digital marketing and ad sales companies in the industry, with a combined operation supporting more than 6000 agencies and brands worldwide, and exclusively representing Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify and more than 5000 global and local publishers across 30 countries in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions.

    This alliance includes acquisition of Httpool India that was founded in 2010 and has offices in Mumbai & Delhi, working with over 300 brands and executing over 2500 campaigns annually, across all channels of digital advertising. This partnership with IMS will give Httpool India access to a diverse range of products and technologies from enriched markets, as well as knowledge sharing of best practices, that will not only expand their portfolio but also help in their endeavor to change the dynamics of Indian digital advertising.

    “This acquisition will enable IMS to develop some of the highest-potential geographies across Europe and Asia, and create a truly global company. IMS and Httpool together can offer an end-to-end solution in digital marketing campaign delivery, helping partners with our deep knowledge of local markets, and empowering local publishers, advertisers and 1000s of digital professionals and entrepreneurs,” said IMS CEO Gastón Taratuta.

    “With the coming together of IMS and Httpool, we enhance our digital offerings to include superior services for ad targeting and delivery. Moreover, this allows SPN to augment its service offerings to an already robust list of advertisers. This initiative will go a long way in helping us grow our digital business,” said Sony Pictures Network India CEO NP Singh.

    “We have always been committed to providing cutting edge technology and media products along with exceptional services with access to best practices, and joining the Sony-IMS family enables us in taking this ambition forward. Integration of Sony’s eminent presence in the country and Httpool’s expertise will further elevate the digital advertising experience for all our partners and provide us with a platform to create a greater impact in an exhaustive market like India. This association will not only help Httpool India to showcase our expertise but also fuel our growth to help expand our proprietary solutions across the market,” added Httpool India MD Sunny Nagpal.

    “Httpool and its team established an amazing international position, developed complementary ad technologies and share the same entrepreneurial values as IMS. By joining forces, the two groups can make a lasting impact on the broader digital ecosystem through continuous innovation, openness, creativity and partnerships,” Taratuta added.

  • OYO among LinkedIn’s top 10 for job-seekers

    MUMBAI: Action and engagement by over 500 million LinkedIn members have put OYO among the top 10 companies in India that attract the best talent. It is the only hospitality player among the top ten, rubbing shoulders with marquee global and Indian companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Flipkart, KPMG, Adobe and Reliance Industries. OYO has jumped seven places to the 9th spot (from 16th last year) in the second edition of the LinkedIn’s survey titled Top Companies 2017: Where India wants to work.

    “OYO is an urban innovator that continues to engage world-class talent driven by commitment and passion to transform the world,” said OYO founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal.

    OYO CHRO Dinesh R said, “OYO is a unique workplace that caters to diverse skill-sets bound by a common thread – the drive to excel and impact the world.”

    According to LinkedIn Tech Editor Adith Charlie “The list of market leaders in their chosen sectors represents the firms where LinkedIn members most want to work now. Our methodology takes into consideration three main pillars to uncover the companies our members are most interested in; job applications, both views and applies on postings; engagement with employees as well as with the company directly and retention.”

    In a short span of over three years, OYO expanded its network to become the largest hospitality company in India.

    Watch Here :

  • WeTransfer appoints Httpool as India partners

    MUMBAI: Httpool has added another global major to their extensive kitty of partners, with WeTransfer. The international cross-channel advertising network, that has partnered to monetise WeTransfer Ad inventories in 15+ markets in Europe, will also now be representing them in India.

    Founded in 2009, WeTransfer is the pioneer of effortless file transfer. With seamless and deeply integrated access they have over 40 million active users every month! WeTransfer provides brands with an extensive ad inventory to reach their target audience effectively through full-screen background or wallpaper spots.

    Httpool; an international cross-channel ad network, is an optimal partner for media agencies seeking integrated digital advertising solutions. Httpool employs the most advanced proprietary and licensed technologies to offer the broadest range of ad network products and ad tech solutions across display, video, engagement, social and performance channels, on all devices. It represents Twitter, LinkedIn, BBC, AOL, Spotify and other selected global and local publishers across 30+ Central and Eastern European and Asian markets. Httpool India was founded in 2010 and has offices in Mumbai and Delhi that work with all major agencies and brands.

    WeTransfer’s John De Lang explains: “Httpool brings with them extensive experience and leadership in the digital space. We have been working with them for a while now and they have been representing us in multiple markets across Europe and Asia; we are pleased to have them represent our platform within the Indian market too.”

    Httpool India managing partner Amit Gupta adds, “WeTransfer experiences a lot of traction from varied target groups belonging to diverse fields, making it a great platform for advertisers. We look forward to this exciting and challenging journey in an exhaustive market like India”

  • Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for USD 26.2 billion

    Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for USD 26.2 billion

    MUMBAI: What comes as a major development in the technology and social media space, tech giant Microsoft has announced its plan to acquire LinkedIn, the social network that connects professionals by the end of this financial year. The company will buy LinkedIn’s shares priced at $196 in an all cash transaction amounting the acquisition to $26.2 billion, which includes LinkedIn’s liquidity as well.

    The acquisition will not affect LinkedIn’s branding, work culture and independence, with its CEO Jeff Weiner retaining his position and reporting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

    “The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals,” Nadella has said at a press conference announcing the development. “Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet,” he added.

    In the past one year LinkedIn has shown great growth trajectories ranging around 19 percent growth year over year (YOY) and expanded its network base to more than 433 million members worldwide. The social media platform had released a new mobile friendly version and acquired learning platform Lynda.com to add to its services.

    “Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said, supporting the acquisition. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story.”

    “Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn. I see incredible opportunity for our members and customers and look forward to supporting this new and combined business,” said LinkedIn co founder Reid Hoffman . “I fully support this transaction and the Board’s decision to pursue it, and will vote my shares in accordance with their recommendation on it.”

    To carry this high profile M & A forward, Morgan Stanley is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Microsoft, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is acting as legal advisor to Microsoft. On the other hand Qatalyst Partners and Allen & Company LLC are acting as financial advisors to LinkedIn, while Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, is acting as legal advisor.

    Microsoft will finance the transaction primarily through the issuance of new indebtedness. Upon closing, Microsoft expects LinkedIn’s financials to be reported as part of Microsoft’s Productivity and Business Processes segment. Microsoft expects the acquisition to have minimal dilution of ~1 percent to non-GAAP earnings per share for the remainder of fiscal year 2017 post-closing and for fiscal year 2018 based on the expected close date, and become accretive to Microsoft’s non-GAAP earnings per share in Microsoft’s fiscal year 2019 or less than two years post-closing.

    In addition, Microsoft also reiterated its intention to complete its existing $40 billion share repurchase authorization by Dec. 31, 2016, the same timeframe as previously committed. Microsoft and LinkedIn will host a joint conference call with investors on June 13, 2016, at 8:45 a.m. Pacific Time/11:45 a.m. eastern time to discuss the transaction in detail.

    (Source: Microsoft Media Release)