Think talent search and the obvious places for companies to hunt are the metros. But thanks to Covid-19, and the onset of the ‘work from anywhere’ phenomenon, the geography of hiring is now spreading far and wide. Take Wellthy Therapeutics, a Mumbai-based digital therapeutics start-up. In the last six months, it has added over 30 people from places like Ahmedabad, Kochi and Hyderabad.

Says Anam Dhila, V-P, Finance: “Covid-19 has created a lot of interest in healthcare, and we are expanding to Europe and Singapore. For each of these geographies we are hiring small boutique teams, but the hiring is agnostic of location.”

What will happen to these hires, when the economy opens up, and when the need for physical interactions may be felt again? Responds Dhila: “A lot of what we do is tech-enabled. Only a few roles may need physical interaction. So yes, we have taken a long-term view when hiring from these places.”

Dhila says for qualified people in smaller cities, working from their own home-towns gives them confidence. For companies, the talent acquisition costs are lower.