The IT company Cognisant claimed on Sunday that it pays fresh engineering graduates between Rs 4 and 12 lakh, and that the salary being quoted on social media is for undergraduate degree holders who are not engineers. This move came in response to criticism on social media regarding the Rs 2.52 lakh annual wage offer for freshers.
The company was also made fun of on social media for giving out yearly pay increases as little as 1%; however, the amount mentioned is the lower end of the 1–5% annual raises that the company has given out depending on employee performance.
New engineers and non-engineering/IT graduates are hired by Cognisant every year for a variety of positions.
Hiring for three-year non-engineering/information technology bachelor degree holders picked up as the two recruiting cycles ran nearly simultaneously, and this information was widely disseminated along with Cognizant’s fresher wage package.
“The job advertisement we recently made for candidates with a three-year college degree who don’t have an engineering background has been blatantly false. Only individuals with a three-year undergraduate degree were considered for this job advertising, which offered an annual salary of Rs 2.52 lakhs. Engineering grads were not eligible to apply.
According to Surya Gummadi, EVP and President of Cognisant Americas, “Our annual compensation for fresh engineering graduates ranges from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 12 lakhs annually, depending on the category of hiring, skill set, and advanced industry accredited certifications.”
Employing non-engineering undergraduates for administrative and other positions, Cognisant spends a lot of time and money on skill enhancement and IT training before integrating them into a variety of roles.
“The compensation we offer for engineering graduates is highly competitive within the IT services peer group,” he stated.
For engineering graduates, Cognisant offers a compensation package that is on par with industry leaders and, in certain cases, higher than competitors.
“We have been hiring and retraining freshmen from engineering schools and from universities that grant degrees in the humanities, sciences, and business. We are building new avenues for talent to flourish in India’s technology sector as AI increasingly powers contemporary businesses’, Gummadi stated.
Gummadi, who started at Cognisant as a trainee two and a half decades ago and progressed through the ranks to become the head of geography, which accounts for three-fourths of the company’s income, stated that the company has an extensive training program that has helped new hires in every department.
“We invest about Rs 2 to 3 lakhs per associate in the first years of employment for entry-level roles in order to train, mentor, and upskill in advanced technologies. This is applicable to associates who are engineers and those who are not. Hundreds of our employees, who started with us with just a three-year bachelor’s degree, now hold important roles in the organisation, ranging from manager to assistant vice president,” he stated.
Regarding the yearly raises, Cognisant stated that it makes a concerted effort to maintain a competitive pay plan.
This cycle’s merit increases are dependent on both individual success and the overall dynamics of the business. We are among the select few Indian IT companies offering bonuses and raises to staff members this year. The majority of Cognisant employees have now earned four pay increases in the last three years. Furthermore, these increases represent only a portion of the overall, full incentives, it stated.
Gummadi stated that Cognisant prioritises its employees.
“India is the heart of Cognisant and its largest talent hub – with over 70 per cent of its over 3,36,000 global workforce – based in major metros and Tier-2 cities, across the country,” he stated.
“We recently extended operations in Hyderabad and created new facilities in Bhubaneshwar and Indore to bring our offices closer to where our associates live. Everything we do is dependent upon our talent’s calibre, commitment, and scope.”
The company has been working for decades to fully utilise India’s abundant talent pool.
“We continuously invest in training and upskilling our associates in advanced digital technologies, sponsor higher education and leadership development programmes 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 career growth,” he said.
According to him, Cognisant has been hiring and training recent graduates from engineering schools as well as from universities that grant degrees in the humanities, sciences, and business.
We are paving the way for talent to flourish in India’s technology sector as AI powers modern enterprises more and more.