Salary For Fresher Engineers Between Rs 4-12 Lakh, Explains Cognizant Following Social Media Backlash

The hiring drive was intended for freshers with an undergraduate degree in the non-engineering/IT field, however, it was circulated as the salary package on offer by the company for engineers, it said

IT major firm, Cognizant, announced on Sunday that it provides a package of Rs 4-12 lakh per annum to engineering graduates. The tech company has been facing a lot of criticism on social media over its recent hiring campaign offering a salary of Rs 2.52 lakh per annum.

The firm issued a clarification and said that the salary offered in the campaign is for non-engineering undergraduate degree holders, reported PTI. The recruitment drive was intended for individuals with an undergraduate degree in the non-engineering/information technology field, however, it was circulated as the salary package on offer by the company for freshers.

“Our recent job posting for talent from non-engineering backgrounds, with a 3-year undergraduate degree has been grossly misrepresented. This job posting, with compensation of Rs 2.52 lakhs annually, was only for candidates with a 3-year undergraduate degree and not for engineering graduates. 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,” explained Surya Gummadi, EVP and President, Cognizant Americas.

Backlash On Appraisals

Notably, the company also received major backlash for giving out annual appraisals as low as 1 per cent, however, it explained that the annual salary hikes were distributed based on the individual performance of the employees. It added that the overall increments were given in the range of 1-5 per cent.

The firm typically recruits fresh engineers and non-engineering/IT graduates for several roles. Gummadi explained that the company’s compensation offered to engineering grads is competitive within the IT services industry.

The executive noted, “When we hire for entry-level roles, we invest approximately Rs 2 to 3 lakhs per associate in the initial years to train, mentor and upskill in advanced technologies. This is for both engineering and non-engineering associates. Hundreds of our associates, who joined us with a 3-year undergraduate degree, today hold key positions from manager to assistant vice president across the company.”