Business

Smartphone cos step up festive hiring

By Sohail Khan 10 September 2026, 12:46 am

Benchmarks
Nifty23,431.50-203.6

Precious Metal
Gold (MCX) (Rs/10g.)153,721.001142.0

Enter search text:

Business News›Industry›Cons. Products›Electronics›Smartphone companies step up festive hiring

Read Today's Paper

Smartphone companies step up festive hiring
Synopsis

Brands and manufacturers have also initiated recruitment significantly earlier this year, moving away from reactive, last-minute hiring towards a more structured pipeline initiated 12-14 weeks ahead of the festive peak, said Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer, operational talent solutions, Randstad India. Randstad expects seasonal hiring to grow 12-15% increase over last festive season, led by targeted deployment across retail counters, field sales, and consumer engagement roles.

Hiring - IANS — Temporary workers to be roped in for assisted selling, financing-led conversions: Staffing companies

NEW DELHI: Hiring of temporary and seasonal workers for festive season sales of smartphones are expected to be 34% higher than 2025, reaching around 39,600 in 2026 driven by the need for assisted selling, financing-led conversions, and stronger product demonstrations amidst steep price hikes denting demand, staffing firms said.

According to Quess Staffing Solutions, hiring in smartphone retail increased 36.3% year-on-year in the January-August 2026 period, with August alone seeing the highest monthly level on record.

"This momentum is also reflected in the festive outlook, with July-December hiring expected to reach around 39,600, approximately 34% higher than 2025," said Nitin Dave, CEO, Quess Staffing Solutions.

Staffing firm Teamlease said ecommerce and logistics players have already started large-scale onboarding of seasonal workers, with one platform alone targeting over 1,000,000 seasonal roles this cycle, split across its seller network and logistics ecosystem.

Also Read: Delhi HC refuses to quash criminal case against Supertech executives

Workers being hired well ahead of the festive period this year ties directly to the longer festive runway this year, with the promotional window starting from August through mid-November, said Balasubramanian A, senior vice-president and business head, TeamLease. However, TeamLease said hiring activity for the smartphone sector is expected to lag behind the overall electronics and consumer durables segment due to the steep price hikes eating into sales volumes, with the industry prioritising certain regions and sectors where sales are expected to be higher.

Large-format retail is seeing stronger hiring demand this season, TeamLease said, while general trade-linked field sales and distribution roles are focused on areas where higher volumes of sales are expected.

"This tracks with tier-1 metros' rising share of frontline hiring (40.5% in 2026, up from 33.1% in 2024), driven by organised retail and quick-commerce scaling," TeamLease said, adding that brands are also prioritising roles such as area sales managers, in-store promoters, and feet-on-street sales roles which is expected to grow 9-10% in FY27, among the highest in electronics sector.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
festive hiringTeamleaseQuess Staffing SolutionssmartphonesRandstad India

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year