Bangalore: Information Technology (IT) firms cashing in on the outsourcing boom to expand their base are tapping young talent through innovative hoardings and advertisements on the popular FM radio.

"We find using radio the right medium to reach out to the target audience. The young guys who are on the FM loop are the guys who are suited for the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry," Human resource hiring firm PeopleOne Consulting chief executive officer Ajit Isaac said.

PeopleOne, which hires professionals for domestic and international BPO and IT firms, airs jingles on the radio, which it says helps in recruiting the right talent in a cost effective way.

Multinational firms like Accenture, one of the top American IT firms, are also using the medium to attract talent in an industry, which faces a high attrition rate of nearly 30 per cent.

The 1,200 strong Accenture, which has an IT services and BPO outfit in India aims to double its team to 2,500 in two years, but the company declined to comment on how it uses various mediums to strengthen its presence in the country.

Out of air waves, splashed on hoardings across Mumbai and Bangalore are the ads by Mphasis with a toll-free number, inviting experienced techies to join its over 4,500 team.

"The hit rate is higher at about 150 people in around 300 applications, as compared to 150 to 200 for 3,000 CVs in a newspaper ad," Mphasis chief financial officer Ravi Ramu said.

With increase in outsourcing of software and BPO operations to India from America and Europe, Indian firms are facing a shortage of talent to keep pace with the growth.

Nearly two lakh software engineers and about a lakh graduates are employed in the various IT and ITES industry firms in the country.

"The jingles in the radio prompted me, why not take a look at a job in a call centre," 19 year-old S Sudhir, a fresher who joined a multinational company (MNC) call centre, said.

IT firms are also now looking at posters and events aimed at the college growing crowd, so as to mould the youngsters for the industry.

"There are lot of initiatives…it helps in cutting the lead time to take in a youngster. The trend is to offer a career to the person than just a job," Isaac said.

The Bangalore-based Mphasis, which has a BPO subsidiary Msource is now offering options to middle aged professionals to join the industry that is relatively young.

"It helps in spreading the team and add in mature and experienced people," Ramu said.

PTI