Tech Industry Embraces Skills Over Volume in Fresher Hiring
Bengaluru's technology sector is witnessing a significant transformation in its approach to hiring fresh graduates. Companies are shifting away from traditional volume-based recruitment models toward a more targeted, skills-led strategy. This change reflects the industry's growing demand for specialized expertise in emerging technological domains.
Premium Packages for Niche Skills
Even as overall entry-level hiring slows down, tech firms are willing to pay premium salaries for freshers with specific capabilities. Packages now range from Rs 16 lakh to an impressive Rs 55 lakh for specialized roles. This represents a dramatic increase compared to the typical Rs 4 lakh entry-level packages that previously dominated the IT hiring landscape.
Companies are actively competing for talent in high-demand areas including artificial intelligence, data engineering, digital engineering, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. Some of these specialized roles now command salaries up to four times higher than conventional entry-level positions.
Corporate Examples Highlight the Trend
Several major technology companies have implemented this new approach to fresher recruitment:
- Palo Alto Networks is offering technical solution intern roles to select students from tier-1 colleges with compensation reaching Rs 35 lakh per annum, including restricted stock units.
- Infosys has revised its compensation structure for freshers in specialized roles as part of its campus recruitment program for the class of 2026. The company now offers specialist programmer positions across three proficiency levels with packages ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 21 lakh annually, plus joining bonuses.
- Digital specialist engineer roles at Infosys carry annual packages of Rs 6.25 lakh with additional joining bonuses of Rs 75,000.
Leadership Perspectives on the Shift
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh addressed the company's compensation strategy during a recent earnings interaction. "With our most recent approach and launch, we put together a framework for highly skilled software engineers working in AI," Parekh explained. "We're creating specialized engineering roles within our structure, accompanied by higher, significantly higher, compensation levels."
HCLTech has also confirmed its commitment to increasing fresher hiring, particularly for roles aligned with the company's artificial intelligence strategy. This emphasis on specialized skills reflects broader industry recognition that technological advancement requires targeted talent acquisition rather than mass recruitment.
Implications for Engineering Graduates
The changing hiring landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for fresh engineering graduates. While traditional volume hiring has decreased, students with demonstrable skills in emerging technologies now have access to substantially better compensation packages. This shift encourages technical education institutions to focus more on specialized skill development alongside foundational engineering knowledge.
The talent war for expertise in cutting-edge fields has pushed IT companies to raise their salary brackets significantly. This trend underscores how specific technical capabilities are increasingly valued over general qualifications in today's competitive technology job market.
