Wipro targets critical areas for hiring despite Q1 cuts

BENGALURU, INDIA — IT services giant Wipro stated plans to hire new employees in artificial intelligence (AI), data, security, and engineering despite reducing its employee count by 8,812 in the June quarter.

This move comes as the firm reported an 11.9% rise in its Q1 profit, reaching 28.70 billion rupees (US$350 million).

Wipro Chief Human Resources Officer Saurabh Govil noted that they will continue to recruit people in critical areas based on the demand.

We’re seeing a big investment in AI, data, security, [and] engineering. We’ll see continued hiring for these specialized skills as we move forward and calibrate it every quarter depending on the demand,” Govil stated. 

Interestingly, no fresh graduates were onboarded during the first quarter. Earlier this year, Wipro stirred controversy by encouraging fresh hires to accept significantly lower starting salaries. Despite this, 90% of recruits accepted reduced compensation to fast-track onboarding.

Govil also shared that future salary increases will be linked to employees’ ability to upskill and reskill.

Just this week, Wipro announced a $1 billion spending plan to train its entire workforce in AI and integrate the technology into its product offerings.