Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services company, has introduced a landmark cash reward program for its employees, offering Rs 700 for every interview they conduct as part of lateral hiring. This is the first time the Bengaluru-based tech giant has linked direct cash incentives to staff participation in recruitment, marking a significant shift in its talent acquisition strategy. The initiative, effective retrospectively from January 1, 2025, is designed to boost employee engagement and accelerate the hiring of experienced professionals amid a challenging talent landscape.
The cash reward scheme specifically targets technical professionals at job levels 5 and 6—such as project managers, track leads, and architects—who are responsible for conducting multiple rounds of interviews for lateral recruitment. These interviews are crucial in assessing candidates’ expertise in high-demand domains like Python, Java, Machine Learning, DevOps, cloud, and cybersecurity before they proceed to the final HR round.
How the Cash Reward Scheme Works:
Under the new policy, eligible employees receive 700 points, equivalent to Rs 700, for each valid interview they conduct. The reward can be claimed for interviews held since January 1, 2025, as the program is being implemented with retrospective effect. The scheme is applicable only to recruitment within India and specifically excludes HR personnel, talent acquisition staff, contractors, and senior leadership from participation. Additionally, no reward is given if an interview is cancelled or if the candidate fails to appear.
Infosys’s recruitment drives, often held on weekends, see technical staff conducting up to 10-15 interviews in a single day. This could translate into daily earnings of Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000 for those heavily involved in the hiring process. The company’s leadership believes that incentivizing internal experts to take an active role in recruitment will help attract top external talent more efficiently and ensure a higher standard in candidate selection.
Addressing Industry Challenges and Employee Morale:
The introduction of this cash reward program comes at a time when India’s $280 billion software services sector is grappling with a shortage of skilled professionals, especially in areas like artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The industry is also facing subdued growth due to global demand slowdowns and trade tensions in key export markets. For Infosys, lateral recruitment—hiring experienced professionals from outside the company—has become a priority as campus hiring slows across the sector.
Employee morale has also been a concern. Many staff members received only modest salary hikes of 5-8% for FY24, and performance bonuses for the March quarter were trimmed to 50-70% for most employees. Previously, Infosys rewarded interviewers with compensatory leave, especially for weekend recruitment drives, but did not offer any cash incentives. The new scheme is seen as a direct acknowledgment of the extra effort employees invest in building high-performing teams and is expected to motivate managers and mid-level leaders to engage more actively in the hiring process.
Industry Trends and the Road Ahead:
Infosys’s move stands out in the Indian IT landscape, where few companies have formalized cash rewards for interview participation. While some firms like Honeywell and Accenture offer a mix of cash and non-cash incentives—such as training or leadership development—Infosys’s straightforward cash payout is a first for the company and rare in the industry. The policy is widely viewed as a “people-first” strategy that recognizes the critical role employees play in shaping the company’s future.
By encouraging more experienced staff to participate in interviews, Infosys aims to speed up its hiring process, improve the quality of new hires, and deepen employee involvement in talent acquisition. As the IT sector continues to evolve, such innovative HR initiatives could become more common, especially as companies compete fiercely for talent in emerging technologies.
The success of this incentive-driven hiring drive will likely be closely watched by industry peers. For Infosys, it signals a renewed commitment to employee engagement, performance recognition, and building a robust pipeline of skilled professionals to navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing global tech environment.