TCS democratizes entry-level hiring by looking beyond the traditional campus
With the demand for expertise in technology growing at an exponential pace, there was a critical need to rethink talent acquisition at scale and deploy new methods to recognize and retrain candidates who truly fit the bill.
As part of its larger recruitment strategy, TCS, therefore, designed the National Qualifier Test – an entry-level exam in India that leverages a nationwide talent ecosystem by going beyond the college campus. TNQT is an online screening exam open to every engineering student across India, regardless of the college or sub-discipline they belong to. This test is held on TCS’ digital platform, TCS iON™. With this process, selection of candidates from over 300,000 prospects could be completed in just two days.
Apart from a career in next-generation technologies, top performers in the TNQT also qualify for a differentiated, entry-level hiring process called TCS Digital, with an even more attractive compensation package compared to those offered to recruits that clear the selection process.
Students who perform above a certain grade in the TNQT and display higher-order thinking in the talent stream are thus sieved via a separate selection process. Traditional talent acquisition techniques rarely account for such differentiation in compensation designed around a candidate’s level of digital acumen.
Creating a deployment-ready workforce
Leveraging its strong IT infrastructure, TCS incorporated video interviews into the entry-level hiring process, following the TNQT. This significantly reduced turnaround time and cost.
Seamless integration of systems and processes has formed a robust technology ecosystem to conduct TNQT and hold online training. Web-based learning portals help new hires navigate the induction process while still in college and after joining the organization, ensuring deployment-ready talent.
Leveraging the talent ecosystem to create industrywide disruption
The move to rethink talent acquisition at scale has helped TCS gain first-mover advantage among private enterprises in democratizing campus hiring in the IT industry, and it has introduced an agility in the hiring process. The TNQT has induced industry-level disruption, with several other organizations looking to follow suit.
The reimagined hiring process also saw TCS gain industry recognition; it was awarded the CIO Disruptive 100 Award and the CIO 100 Business Transformer Award, in India in 2019.
By tearing down limitations brought on due to distance and/or infrastructure, the TNQT has truly reimagined the hiring process. Aspirants now find themselves assessed based only on talent and skill, regardless of where they live or study in India.
When viewed from a larger perspective, the TNQT has helped further the cause of equal opportunity and has reimagined the manner in which talent is accessed, assessed, and shaped.