Every year, Cognizant hires engineers and graduates in non-engineering or computer science fields to fill a variety of roles. (Photo: Cognizant)
Facing social media backlash over its annual salary offer of Rs 2.52 lakh for fresh graduates, IT giant Cognizant on Sunday said it is offering a salary of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh to fresh engineering graduates, and the salary quoted on social media is for non-engineering degree holders.
The company also faced ridicule on social media for giving annual pay increases of just 1 percent, but what is cited is the lower range of the 1 to 5 percent annual increases the company has given based on individual performance.
Cognizant annually hires new engineers and non-engineering or IT graduates for a variety of roles.
Since both recruitments were conducted almost in parallel, the hiring of students with three-year degrees from fields other than engineering or information technology increased and was widely shared as Cognizant’s salary package for newcomers.
“Our recent job offer for non-engineering talents with a three-year college degree was completely flawed. This job offer, with a remuneration of Rs 2.52 lakh per annum, was meant only for candidates with a three-year college degree and not for engineering graduates.
“Our annual compensation for fresh engineering graduates ranges between Rs 4 lakhs and Rs 12 lakhs annually, depending on the hiring category, skill set and industry-accredited advanced certifications,” said Surya Gummadi, Executive Vice President and President, Cognizant Americas.
Cognizant hires students with non-engineering college degrees for administrative and other roles, and invests a substantial amount of time and money in upgrading their IT skills and training, after which they are absorbed into various roles.
“The compensation we offer engineering graduates is highly competitive within the IT services peer group,” he said.
Cognizant’s salary package for engineering graduates is at par with the best in the industry and at some levels is even higher than its peers.
“We have been recruiting and training fresh students from engineering institutions as well as colleges offering degrees in science, arts and commerce. Today, as AI increasingly powers modern businesses, we are creating new pathways for talent to thrive in India’s tech industry,” Gummadi said.
Gummadi, who joined Cognizant as a fresher two-and-a-half decades ago and rose through the ranks to now head geography, which accounts for three-quarters of Cognizant’s revenue, said the company has a robust training program that has benefited freshers across the board.
“When we hire for entry-level positions, we invest approximately Rs 200-300,000 per associate in the initial few years to train, mentor and upskill in advanced technologies. This applies to both engineering and non-engineering associates. Hundreds of our associates, who joined us with a three-year college degree, today hold key positions from manager to assistant vice president across the company,” he said.
Regarding annual increases, Cognizant said it is working diligently to be competitive in its compensation strategy.
“Merit increases this year are linked to both individual performance and macro-industry dynamics. This year, we are one of the few IT companies in India to have given both raises and bonuses to employees. This recent salary increase is the fourth that most Cognizant associates have received in the last 3 years. Moreover, these raises are just one component of the overall total rewards,” he said.
Gummadi said Cognizant is a people-first company.
“India is Cognizant’s heartland and largest talent hub, with over 70 per cent of its global workforce of over 336,000 employees located in major metropolises and tier-2 cities across the country,” he added.
“To bring our offices closer to where our associates live, we have recently opened new centres in Bhubaneshwar and Indore and expanded our operations in Hyderabad. Everything we do depends on the quality, dedication and scale of our talent.”
Over the past decades, the company has continued to unleash the full potential of India’s rich talent pool.
“We continually invest in training and upskilling our associates in advanced digital technologies, sponsoring higher education and leadership development programs with top institutions so that our people are empowered to be at the forefront of innovation, learn the latest technologies, work with global clients and accelerate their professional growth,” he said.
He said Cognizant has been recruiting and training fresh graduates from engineering institutions as well as universities offering degrees in science, arts and commerce.
“Today, as AI increasingly powers modern businesses, we are creating new pathways for talent to thrive in India’s tech industry.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: August 18, 2024 | 12:29 pm IS
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