The second phase of Deloitte’s Workforce and Increment  Trends survey 2021 provides India-specific insights on rewards, impact of COVID-19 on  benefits policies, and return to work strategies of organisations. According to the survey findings, 92 percent companies gave an increment in 2021 at an  average of 8.0 percent compared with only 4.4 percent in 2020 where just 60 percent  companies had extended a pay hike. 

Early estimates reveal that average increment for 2022  is expected to increase to 8.6 percent in line with a healing economy and improving  confidence. If this holds true, increments in 2022 would reach the pre-pandemic levels of  2019. About 25 percent of companies surveyed have projected a double-digit increment for  2022. 

Anandorup Ghose, partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, said, “While most  companies are projecting a higher increment in 2022 compared to 2021, we continue to  operate in an environment where COVID-19 related uncertainty persists, making it harder for  companies to forecast. Some of the survey respondents have also just closed their 2021  increment cycle so 2022 increments are a fair distance away for them. GDP forecasts for FY  2021-22 were revised down after the second wave and we expect organisations to closely  watch similar developments while managing their fixed cost increases next year.” 

Here are some key highlights from the survey-

• The survey indicates that in 2022, the Information Technology (IT) sector is likely to offer the  highest increments, followed by the Life Sciences sector. IT is the only sector that is expected  to extend double-digit increments with some digital / E-commerce companies planning to give  some of the highest increments.
• Retail, hospitality, restaurants, infrastructure, and real estate  companies continue to project some of the lowest increments in line with their business  dynamics. 
• Not all employees are expected to get the same increment as organisations  continue to differentiate pay increases by skills and performance. Top performers can expect  about 1.8 times the increments given to average performers. 
• Approximately 12 percent employees were promoted in 2021 as compared to 10 percent in  2020. Almost 12 percent of companies have updated their bonus or variable pay plans to align  their rewards structures with the changing priorities. 
• With respect to hiring, 78 percent of companies stated that they have started recruiting at the same pace as they used to prior to  COVID-19. 
• About 60 percent organisations updated their health insurance policy due to COVID-19 and  24 percent organisations readjusted their life insurance policy. Most organisations that  updated their insurance policies, either introduced a COVID-specific claim or increased the  coverage amount for their employees. 
• Almost 2 out of every 3 organisations readjusted their  leave policy and introduced special leaves of 14 to 21 days, over and above the regular annual  paid leaves. Almost half the respondents provided some sort of monetary compensation to  the family of the employees who lost their lives due to COVID-19. 
• As far as return to office is concerned, only 25 percent of companies have conducted an  employee preference survey to decide their return to work strategy. 
• The IT sector has been  the most proactive in assessing employee preferences with regards to the desired workplace.  
• However, at an  all India level, only 40 percent organisations have finalised their return to work strategy. 

The 2021 Workforce and Increment Trends survey was launched in July 2021 as a B2B India specific survey. The primary audience for this survey were seasoned HR professionals. More  than 450 organisations participated in this edition spread across seven sectors and 24 sub sectors. 

It is heartening to note that most companies are extending  increments in 2021 even in sectors which have not fully recovered yet. Also reassuring is the fact that while most organisations have not finalised their return to work strategy, almost 90 percent organisations said that they are likely to finalise a hybrid model in future.