As it enters into the third year of mega recruitment drive for entry-level talent, HCL Technologies is hoping to hire over 10,000 freshers this fiscal year. This pool will be hired from across India including school pass-outs who have completed class 12, graduates and postgraduates from engineering and non-engineering streams. 

As per a media report, over 3000 freshers will be for Noida alone including 1000 freshers who have just passed out of school i.e. completed class 12 in 2018 or 2019. 

The entry-level talent will have to undergo a paid training of a year in case of school pass outs and six months in case of graduates/postgraduates with a fee of Rs 2 lakh after passing an entrance test. 

Sanjay Gupta, Executive Vice President and programme director (New Vistas), HCL Technologies stated, “The freshers after they complete the training would join at entry level at HCL. While on training, they would also be entitled to a stipend.”

Gupta added that a nominal fee for the training is being charged to ensure that there is 100% commitment and accountability on the part of candidates. 

As part of the New Vistas initiative, over last two years, the company has absorbed 500 freshers who have cleared class 12. Gupta added, “It is only after seeing the results that we are scaling up the hiring number this year. They (school pass outs) are as good as the graduates after completing the training.” 

The class 12 pass outs will also get an opportunity to study further and graduate with a degree -Bachelor of Science in design and computing through the company’s exclusive tie-up with BITS Pilani and Sastra University for other degree courses. 

While the company is bullish on hiring, HCL also experienced an increase in attrition from 15.5 percent to 17.7 percent in the last 12 months. HCL’s CHRO, Apparao V. V. shared last month that the company is putting in all efforts to understand what are the pain points that are causing attrition. 

As per a TeamLease Services report, about 2.5 lakh new jobs are expected to be added in the Indian IT industry this year, with IT firms being expected to hire more talent with data science and analytical skills.