Infosys keeps 2,000 freshers waiting; onboarding delayed for 2022 recruits | – Times of India

In a surprising turn of events, Infosys, one of India’s leading IT companies, has delayed the onboarding process for nearly 2,000 fresh graduates who were offered positions in 2022. The delay has left many of these candidates in limbo, raising concerns about the company’s hiring practices and the broader state of the IT industry.

Infosys onboarding delayed

The affected positions are primarily for System Engineers and Digital Specialist Engineers.These candidates were asked to undergo two pre-training sessions as part of their onboarding process, with the most recent session scheduled for August 19, 2024. However, many candidates have reported that they have not yet received the necessary credentials to log in to the online portal for the pre-training sessions, causing further frustration.
As of now, Infosys has not provided an official comment on the matter. However, in July, the company did acknowledge that a small portion of its earlier hirings were still pending. This has done little to assuage the concerns of the affected candidates, who have been left in the dark about their future with the company.

The candidates’ perspective

The situation has been particularly challenging for the candidates, many of whom received their offer letters as far back as 2022. Despite having completed multiple rounds of assessments and pre-training sessions, they are now being asked to repeat the process. This has led to growing apprehension and frustration among the candidates, who are questioning why they are being subjected to repeated assessments despite having already secured their positions.

Salary details

According to a Moneycontrol report, the positions in question offer competitive salaries, with System Engineers earning Rs 3.6 lakh per annum and Digital Specialist Engineers commanding Rs 6.5 lakh per annum. However, the uncertainty surrounding their onboarding has overshadowed the financial benefits of these roles.

Industry-wide issue

The delay in onboarding is not unique to Infosys; it reflects a broader trend in the IT industry. With fears of a looming recession in key markets and a reduction in discretionary spending, many IT companies have paused or slowed down their hiring processes. As per reports, this has led to a significant decline in headcounts across the industry, with Infosys reporting its first-ever full-year headcount decline in over two decades.

NITES’ involvement

In response to the delays, the Pune-based IT employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has filed a request with the Ministry of Labour & Employment to investigate Infosys for what it describes as the “exploitation and unprofessional treatment” of these 2,000 engineering graduates. NITES has called on the government to take immediate and strict action against Infosys to protect the rights of these young professionals.

Pre-training sessions

The onboarding process for these candidates has been marked by repeated pre-training sessions. The first session, which lasted over four weeks, was followed by a second session that was supposed to last for six weeks. However, this second session has not yet begun, further delaying the candidates’ onboarding.

Candidate frustrations

The repeated delays have left many candidates feeling disillusioned and frustrated. One candidate reported receiving a pre-training date of July 1, with the expectation that the results would be announced within two days and that the joining date would be set for September 2. However, after completing the exam on July 24, the candidate received yet another pre-training email, this time stating that the exam would be held offline. This has led to growing distrust among the candidates, many of whom have spent over two years waiting to start their careers with Infosys.