Cognizant has announced plans to hire 20,000 fresh graduates in 2025, marking more than a twofold increase over last year’s intake.
The goal is to reshape the company’s workforce structure by bringing in early-career talent who can support managed services and AI-focused development.
While total headcount remained steady at around 336,300, Cognizant’s leadership emphasized the need to invest in young professionals as it looks to boost growth and innovation.
2. Building a Stronger Workforce Pyramid
During its recent Investor Day, CEO Ravi Kumar S made it clear that increasing freshers’ hiring is central to the company’s strategy.
Managed services demand has significantly grown over the past two years, prompting Cognizant to lean more on junior talent, who come at a lower cost and are often based offshore.
While this onboarding push may initially increase bench time, it sets up a layered workforce structured for long-term efficiency.
3. Balancing Costs, Productivity, and Utilization
Cognizant’s approach hinges on a three‑pronged strategy: hiring more freshers, boosting productivity through AI, and improving utilization rates to manage labor costs.
While adding junior staff increases overhead, the company intends to offset this by deploying AI tools to speed up delivery and drive higher utilization.
This strategy reflects a shift toward optimizing output while keeping costs in check.
4. Rehiring and Upskilling for the AI Era
In addition to new recruits, Cognizant has rehired 14,000 former employees, with another 10,000 rehiring offers underway.
CEO Kumar noted that the firm is heavily investing in upskilling programs, using AI to train employees and meet growing skill demands.
The emphasis is on building a pipeline capable of working in AI-driven domains, ensuring both newcomers and returning staff are ready for new challenges.
5. Financial Performance and Strategic Context
For the January–March quarter of 2025, Cognizant reported revenue of USD 5.1 billion—a 7.45% year-on-year rise.
The firm, based in New Jersey, sees the fresh hiring and upskilling push as key to sustaining that growth.
By aligning workforce planning with AI and managed services demand, Cognizant aims to reinforce its position in a fast-changing market.
This 500‑word overview lays out Cognizant’s strategic plan—hiring 20,000 freshers, rehiring former staff, upskilling via AI, and optimizing utilization.
These moves are designed to strengthen the workforce base, control costs, and support ongoing revenue growth into the future.
Note: We are also on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google News, and YouTube, to get the latest news updates. Subscribe to our Channels. WhatsApp– Click Here, Google News– Click Here, YouTube – Click Here, and LinkedIn– Click Here.
