Infosys Faces Criticism Over Trainee Layoffs Amid Stricter Evaluation Standards

The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has criticized the decision, as reported by The Economic Times.

On Friday, approximately 400 employees at Infosys Mysore were summoned in groups and presented with ultimatum letters due to their inability to meet the minimum qualifying standards, as reported by several employees to The Economic Times.

On the morning of February 7, groups of approximately 50 trainees arrived with their laptops for a meeting scheduled to begin at 9:30 am. They gathered in a room that was secured by guards outside and monitored by bouncers inside.

On that day, Infosys terminated approximately 400 trainees who had not passed evaluation tests on three consecutive occasions.

Numerous trainees rushed to secure taxis and buses to return to their hometowns. Many had joined Infosys nearly two and a half years post-graduation, only to face termination just months later. A sense of fear and uncertainty prevailed as they contemplated how to communicate the news to their parents upon their return home.

Further, on 14^th February, approximately 450 trainees will undertake their third evaluation attempt. It is yet to be determined how many of them will retain their positions.

“You are required to maintain confidentiality, hence please do not discuss this, or share this calendar invite with anyone,” said a mail sent to the affected employees one day earlier.

Trainees, who requested anonymity, claimed that the company has imposed very strict eligibility criteria for the 2024 cohort.

They reported that trainers had previously cautioned them that the exam would be structured in a way that would likely cause many trainees to find it difficult to succeed.

Concerns persist that approximately 4,500 trainees currently in training may face a similar outcome, according to sources.

“This is cruelty, it is a big company, trainees fear speaking the truth,” said one trainee, part of the affected workforce.

The assessment and completion standards for trainees are categorized into various focus areas, each with specific benchmarks that must be achieved for successful completion.

According to internal documents reviewed by Moneycontrol, trainees in the “technology stream” must attain a minimum score of 50 percent in each focus area. However, merely passing individual focus areas is insufficient; trainees are also required to maintain an overall average score of at least 65 percent across all focus areas within the “technology stream.”

Trainees claim that the freshers training program has experienced significant changes over the last two and a half years.

In 2022, the program was well-structured and allowed ample time for learning. However, by 2024, the curriculum has been extensively broadened while the time allocated for completion has been significantly shortened, rendering it nearly unfeasible for trainees to meet the necessary assessment criteria.

In 2022, candidates were not restricted by a time limit when taking the generic test; they had the flexibility to attempt it at any time during their six-month training period.

Sources indicated that even if a candidate did not pass the generic phase, they were permitted to advance to the technology stream phase and continue their education.

In numerous instances, trainees who did not succeed were still promoted to fulfill the company’s hiring requirements.

In 2024, the entire system underwent a comprehensive overhaul, significantly increasing its complexity during a period when the IT industry was facing a difficult demand landscape.

In 2022, new recruits were required to complete two primary testing stages: the generic phase and the technology stream. The generic phase consisted of two assessments: FA1, focused on Java, and FA2, centered on Database Management Systems (DBMS). FA1 included a single coding challenge along with several multiple-choice questions (MCQs), whereas FA2 necessitated the execution of only four queries within the DBMS.

The overall passing criterion was set at 50 percent.

Now, in the generic phase, the two assessments have been rebranded as F1 (Java) and FA2 (DBMS).

F1 (Java) now encompasses Data Structures, Object-Oriented Programming, and Programming Fundamentals. Candidates are now required to tackle three coding challenges—one for each of the areas: Data Structures, Programming Fundamentals, and OOPS—along with multiple-choice questions.

Furthermore, each section mandates a minimum passing score of 65 percent, up from the previous requirement of a 50 percent average.

FA2, or DBMS, has increased its complexity by requiring candidates to execute eight queries instead of four.

The curriculum for Programming Fundamentals has expanded to approximately 120 hours, while Data Structures is around 40 hours, culminating in a total study requirement of 200 hours.

Candidates are expected to attend training from 9:15 am to 5:45 pm and are also required to dedicate an additional eight hours daily for self-study, which is nearly unfeasible.

In addition, DBMS training has been condensed to just 10 days, despite necessitating 100 hours of study.

These abrupt and significant changes have led to a notable rise in failure rates.

Out of the 930 trainees who began on October 7, only about 160 succeeded on their first attempt, with over 140 passing on their second try.

By January 1, 2025, more than 630 students had failed due to the expanded syllabus and reduced preparation time.

Previously, freshers were allowed up to three attempts in the generic phase and could advance to the stream phase regardless of their performance. Now, trainees must successfully complete the generic phase before progressing.

Termination rates, which were previously below 10 percent, have surged to between 30 and 40 percent.

A significant issue raised is that the same curriculum is being applied to various roles that have substantial salary disparities, according to sources.

System engineers, earning around Rs 20,000 monthly, are now studying the same material as specialist programmers, who earn approximately Rs 70,000.

Infosys addressed the report by clarifying that the evaluation process is longstanding, having been established for more than twenty years. The company noted that new employees receive foundational training at its Mysuru campus and are required to pass an internal assessment to maintain their employment.

“At Infosys, we have a rigorous hiring process where all freshers, after undergoing extensive foundational training at our Mysuru campus, are expected to clear internal assessments. All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organisation, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients,” said Infosys.