With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%, India’s media and entertainment industry is projected to reach USD 73.6 billion by 2027. This growth is propelled by the rise of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, online gaming, animation, and visual effects (VFX), all reshaping content consumption habits.
Amid this surge, workforce dynamics are undergoing significant transformations. 48% of media and entertainment employers have reported workforce expansion in FY 2025, a trend continuing into 2026. This expansion underscores the critical need for effective (HRMS) human resource management software solutions to navigate the complexities of a growing and diverse workforce.
These systems automate HR processes and enhance compliance, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. They also boost employee engagement, helping organizations stay competitive in an ever-evolving business environment.
The Role of HR Software Solutions in Media Organizations
With hybrid and cross-functional work models now standard across media teams, HR systems must handle distributed workflows. Media companies operate in a fast-paced ecosystem characterized by tight deadlines, creative demands, and a diverse workforce that includes part-time employees, freelancers, and contractors. A full-suite HRMS software solution enables media companies to manage human resources effectively, fostering efficient operations and a culture of continuous improvement.
Boosts hiring
Media organizations need professionals with niche skill sets, which can be difficult to find. A full-suite HRMS software solution with a robust recruitment module can help talent acquisition teams create SEO-friendly job pages that can be shared on social media channels to increase visibility and expand reach. In addition, it can also help manage partnerships with recruitment agencies, eliminating disconnected email threads and spreadsheets and consolidating all candidate information in one place. GenAI now assists recruiters by creating job descriptions and personalized outreach messages, saving time per role.
The introduction of AI in HRMS has reduced manual screening time and inefficiencies, accelerating the hiring process. For instance, AI-driven recruitment solutions like the one offered by greytHR automate resume shortlisting through AI-assisted skill matching, removing the need to scan individual candidate resumes manually. The solution provides an in-built chatbot, Lisa, that can help connect with applicants and collect documents, reducing admin load for HR teams and keeping candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process. See how Lisa makes document collection easier. Schedule a demo.
Accelerates onboarding
Once candidates are finalized, advanced HR management software can help to automate and send digitized offer letters using pre-built templates and collect and store candidate responses and documents in a single place, making the onboarding process quick and seamless.
Streamlines leave and attendance for a hybrid workforce
The media industry often involves managing a workforce comprising full-time staff, freelance script writers, directors, editors, and content creators. An effective HR management software provides tools to manage attendance for on-site crew, automate leave approvals, and ensure that the right skills are allocated to appropriate projects.
Automates payroll and compliance
With such a diverse workforce mix, ensuring payroll and compliance accuracy can be a challenge. A full-suite HRMS and payroll solution can help HR and payroll teams manage salaries, taxes, and other deductions based on the employee category.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Automated salary calculations | Calculates fixed salaries for full-time employees, project-based payments for freelancers, and hourly wages for contractors. |
| Tax & compliance deductions | Auto-calculates TDS, professional tax, and PF deductions for employees, and GST for freelancers and contractors. |
| Freelancer payments | Many media businesses engage global freelancers. An automated HR and payroll software can adhere to cross-border payment regulations like FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) and integrate payment gateways to manage currency conversions and regulatory reporting. |
| Payment gateway integration | Enables currency conversions and regulatory reporting for global payments. |
Data security
Since HRMS deals with sensitive employee data, ranging from personal data to payroll and performance records, its protection is not negotiable. Modern HR software solutions leverage end-to-end encryption to protect information in transit as well as when at rest, protecting it from unauthorized access. The adherence to legislation, like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023, ensures that media companies meet regulatory requirements while upholding data integrity.
Empowers workforce with ESS (Employee Self Service)
Since media companies have a distributed workforce, providing an ESS portal with mobile access can help staff quickly access routine but crucial information like payslips and leave & attendance records from anywhere, anytime. It can also help employees edit and manage personal information and upload documents and investment proofs without contacting the HR teams, enhancing the employee experience while reducing the admin load on HR.
Selecting the Right HR Management Software for Media Businesses
With so many HR software solutions, choosing the most suitable one can be difficult. Media companies must keep the following in mind while choosing HR management software:
- Fits unique needs: Media companies must opt for HR management software capable of addressing the complexity of a media workforce consisting of full-time workers, freelancers, and contractors. To cater to fluid work structures, the solution should support project-based payroll, variable scheduling, and multi-role management.
- Cloud-based HRMS: Media organizations are fluid with ever-changing workforce management needs, and a cloud-based HRMS solution is crucial. Companies can easily scale or manage their software requirements based on the existing workforce, hiring, and payroll requirements. Also, it provides accessibility from anywhere and on any device, making it the right fit for media organizations. Cloud-based HR software solutions eliminate the need for an on-premise infrastructure, reducing significant upfront costs.
- Automation & AI capabilities: Choose a system that automates hiring, payroll processing, compliance monitoring, and performance management. AI-based recruitment tools facilitate automated resume screening, interview scheduling, and workforce optimization, lowering manual workloads.
- Integration capability: It must be able to integrate well with current tools and platforms, such as project management and communications systems, to deliver an end-to-end process.
- Customization: The software should provide advanced customization to handle HR processes and company policies unique to every organization.
HR Tech Can Help Build Stronger Media Teams
Choosing the appropriate HRMS software solution can help:
- Accelerate hiring and onboarding with AI-driven recruitment.
- Ensure payroll and compliance for a diverse workforce.
- Streamline attendance and workforce tracking across projects.
- Enhance employee experience with self-service tools.
The way forward is to compare different HR software solutions, enroll for demos, and then select the solution that best addresses current needs and long-term growth strategies.
Start your exploration with a greytHR demo and see how it empowers dynamic team like yours. Book a demo today.
FAQs
Is HRMS suitable for both small and large media organizations?
HRMS solutions like greytHR are designed to scale with business needs. Small media companies benefit from automation and a systematic hiring process, while large organizations use HRMS to manage complex workforce structures and compliance across multiple regions.
How does HRMS support media organizations with shift-based and project-based work?
Media companies often have irregular work schedules due to broadcast deadlines, production cycles, and event coverage. An HRMS helps manage shift-based scheduling, overtime tracking, and project-based assignments, ensuring fair compensation and efficient workforce planning.
What should media organizations consider when migrating from legacy HR systems to advanced HRMS?
Companies should assess data migration capabilities, ease of integration with existing tools, scalability, user experience, and vendor support to ensure a smooth transition to an advanced HRMS.
