Why Product Companies Are Hiring Product-Bred Talent- A Look into India’s Hiring Revolution

For years, India’s tech talent has powered global innovation. Initially, it was driven by its world-class IT service sector, but now, it is also fueled by a rising wave of product-focused companies. As startups are evolving and organisations are adopting a product-driven approach, there is a significant shift in expectations from new hires.

As product companies operate in fast-paced, metrics-driven environments, even a small experiment, feature, or interaction can influence business outcomes. Hence, these enterprises seek professionals with a product-building mindset. They are hiring candidates who can align their skills with customer behaviour and growth metrics. 

According to a 2024 India Today article, Indian companies are increasingly hiring for skills rather than job titles, valuing adaptability, context, and user empathy. This indicates that product-based companies choosing talent with a product background is not out of bias but because they want to speed up their processes, reduce risks, and preserve product velocity. 

Company Culture in Product-Based Companies

In product-based organisations, the constant pursuit of innovation defines the culture. Employees thrive by pushing boundaries, providing tangible solutions and driving success. Other defining characters include:

• Different teams of industry experts with diverse skill sets collaborate to address complex challenges and build products that have a real impact on users’ lives. 
• Cross-functional teams bring varied viewpoints, ideas, and expertise to the table, resulting in continuous evolution.
• A dynamic environment that encourages individuals to think beyond conventions and innovate without restrictions. 

Company Culture in Service-based Companies

On the other hand, service-based companies focus on delivering tailored solutions to cater to every client’s specific requirements. They prioritise responsiveness and adaptability. Other defining features are:

• Client relationships take centre stage as companies promote client interactions and strive to exceed expectations.
• Employees are expected to meet and interact with clients to understand requirements and address queries promptly.
• These companies seek professionals who can think and adapt quickly to the ever-changing demands of their clients. 

Why Do Product Companies Prefer Product-Bred Talent?

With rapid scaling and increasing global competition, product companies are adopting more intentional hiring strategies. They are now seeking specialists who have worked in environments that prioritise data-driven decisions, customer empathy, and measurable results. Below are the top five reasons behind this major shift in hiring preferences. 

Familiarity with Product Lifecycle

It’s no longer about specific skills but about candidates’ real-world exposure and how product-ready they are. Product-trained professionals have seen the entire product lifecycle, right from ideation and design to test and launch. 

They have hands-on experience with user research, product experiments, and A/B testing. Moreover, they understand that the real work begins after the launch, analysing user data, improving engagement, and iterating continuously.

This end-to-end exposure comes in handy while setting priorities, making insightful decisions, and weighing trade-offs.

Domain Expertise and Long-Term Vision

Specialists with years of experience in a single product area often demonstrate deep technical and domain knowledge. Their proactive thinking is the core of a product-led culture. This is a critical asset in designing innovative products that drive success. 

Additionally, a product-centric approach fosters a long-term product vision and strategy. Professionals can predict future market demands, identify trends, and build relevant solutions.

Cost and Time Efficiency

Product-bred talent already understands core product metrics, such as retention, conversion, and churn. These professionals can design products and create features with minimal supervision. 

However, hires transitioning from a service background require additional onboarding time to adapt to product workflows, tools, and data-driven practices. Also, there can be issues related to quality or missed deadlines, which product companies cannot afford in this fast-paced and highly competitive market.

Employer Branding to Attract Top Talent

Product companies strive to build brands that attract top talent. Many Indian professionals prefer product-driven enterprises to accelerate their careers and build something that matters in the real world.

Each thriving candidate hired by a product company becomes its cultural ambassador, which not only inspires the next generation of professionals but also attracts them to work in this domain. 

Context Alignment Between the Business and Outcome

Product companies focus on leveraging technology to add value to their products and enhance the customer experience. This alignment is the key while assessing potential candidates.

Hiring managers want professionals who can understand why certain features are needed and how they matter. Moreover, context alignment enables seamless collaboration across teams, including product, design, marketing, and technology.

Conclusion- A Shift to Product-Centric Hiring

Seeking product background talent is an evolution toward better business alignment. Leaders and hiring managers want to build teams that resonate with their operational processes and innovation goals. 

They are hiring for a product mindset rather than just technical prowess and fostering a culture that values user empathy and experimentation. 

As India places itself as a global innovation hub, product companies that align their hiring strategies with this new reality will grow faster and shape the future.