Infosys Technologies Ltd. (500209.BY) is planning to hire more experienced people for the next fiscal year, rather than fresh graduates, as it prepares to cater to an expected rise in outsourcing orders.
India’s second largest software exporter by revenue now plans to offer jobs to 13,000 people leaving college for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2010,
Nandita Gurjar, senior vice president and group head of human resources at Infosys, said Wednesday.
Going by a late November senior company executive’s statement that Infosys plans to hire a total of 20,000 people, this could mean that 7,000 experienced workers will be taken on.
This compares with the current fiscal year’s target of “18,000 freshers and 3,500 laterals (industryspeak for experienced hires),” Gurjar told reporters on the sidelines of an industry meet.
India’s software companies, which earn most of their revenue from clients in the U.S., are slowly recovering from the effects of the economic slowdown as technology spending makes a modest comeback.
“Considering that lateral recruitment was suppressed this year and last year because of the slowdown, you (would) want to improve the experience mix,” said a Mumbai based analyst who didn’t wish to be named.
“Deals are getting complex and you need experienced people to handle such transformational projects (which generate higher revenue),” he added.
Historically, experienced hires who are more expensive used to account for 20%-25% of Infosys’ staff additions. But the ratio slipped to 14%-15% in the first half of the current fiscal year as the company sought to protect margins.
“Essentially, that needs to move up if you want to maintain the delivery structure,” said another analyst.
Infosys which is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq hired 28,231 employees in the previous fiscal year which ended March 31.
New BPO Chief Likely By Jan. 1
Gurjar said that the company expects to appoint a new chief executive for its business process outsourcing unit by Jan.1.
She said that “70% of our people come from inside. The BPO CEO is going to be hunted from inside. The interviews have started.”
She added that there are five contenders from within the company, and that two of them are located outside India.
Amitabh Chaudhry, who resigned as chief executive of Infosys BPO Ltd. on Nov. 23, is continuing as acting chief for now.
Chaudhry had taken over as chief executive in March 2006.
Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091209-703776.html
