Infosys, India’s second-largest software company, has launched a new initiative offering cash rewards to senior staff members who participate in lateral recruitment interviews, aiming to enhance staff engagement.The Bengaluru-based IT firm has introduced this incentive-driven scheme for the first time. The cash benefits are restricted to recruitment within India. This initiative recognises staff contribution to the interview process during a period when the IT industry is prioritising lateral recruitment over campus placements.A staff member indicated that this initiative aims to motivate team managers and mid-level leadership to acquire external talent and encourage employees to connect with high-calibre candidates.The scheme awards 700 points (Rs 700) for each interview conducted. Staff members can claim rewards for interviews dating back to January 1, as the programme is being implemented with retrospective effect, according to sources who spoke to ET.At the organisation, technical professionals including track leads, architects and project managers at job levels 5 and 6 (JL5 & JL6) regularly conduct 2-3 rounds of interviews with candidates selected by the talent acquisition team for lateral recruitment, before proceeding to the HR stage.Also Read | Infosys staff gets bonus letters; most employees get just 50% payout, some receive 70%Under Salil Parekh’s leadership, Infosys organises recruitment sessions during weekends, attracting numerous applicants. During these events, staff members can conduct 10-15 interviews daily, evaluating candidates’ proficiency in software technologies including Python, Java, Machine Learning, DevOps, and others. The monetary incentive serves to boost interview participation.The organisation has not included HR personnel, talent acquisition staff, contractors and senior leadership positions from participating in the incentive scheme. The reward cannot be claimed for cancelled interviews or when candidates fail to appear.The $280 billion software services industry faces a scarcity of skilled professionals, particularly in AI, whilst dealing with growth challenges caused by declining global demand and trade conflicts in primary markets.The initiative was introduced to address concerns among employees who received modest salary increases of 5-8% for FY24, coupled with reduced performance bonuses for the March quarter.“Earlier, we did not get any such cash incentive for interviews done. In fact, the company gave us compensatory leaves for the interviews conducted at the campus over the weekends,” the employee said.Although this practice isn’t widespread, several prominent and medium-sized technology organisations, including Honeywell, Accenture and Sonata Software, provide monetary and non-monetary benefits to motivate staff participation in interview panels, ensuring the recruitment of top industry talent.Also Read | Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer Foxconn readies 300-acre iPhone making campus in India with dorms for 30,000 employees
