From Infosys to HCLTech, majority of IT firms support hybrid work model

But a large chunk of firms representing the $200 billion industry says that the nature of work in future is going to be 'hybrid'

Ever since the pandemic came to an end, the workforce in India’s IT sector has waited and watched with a great deal of anticipation. Will they have to return to office? Or will the Work from Home experiment remain?

India’s $200 billion IT services industry seems to be divided over the nature of the work for their employees. India’s largest IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) told its employees to be back in the office or see the impact on their variable pay. Nasdaq-listed Cognizant has warned employees to be back or lose their jobs.

A large chunk of firms says the nature of work in the future is going to be ‘hybrid’.

Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services player, told Business Standard that it will continue to offer employees flexibility through a hybrid work model.

Shaji Mathew, Group Head, Human Resource Development, Infosys said: “We are seeing an increasing trend of employees voluntarily coming to work as they see value in working from office in a hybrid mode. In India, approximately 84 per cent of employees, who are residing at our DC (Development Center) locations, are attending office in a hybrid mode – attending office at least one day in a week.”

Infosys has also opened offices closer to where its employees are based to provide them with more flexibility. In the past year, it has opened centres in Indore, Nagpur, Hubballi, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Mumbai, and Noida.

Still a work in progress

Company   Nature of work

TCS Back to office 

Infosys Once a week/hybrid

HCLTech 3 days a week/ hyrbrid

Wipro 3 days a week/hybrid

TechMahindra 3 days a weel/hybrid

Genpact Hybrid 

“The objective of the hybrid work model is to build and retain social capital among employees that will help enhance collaboration, innovation, and self-development,” Mathew explained.

While Infosys has not yet mandated any days for being back in office, other players want employees to be back for at least three days a week.

TCS, which has told employees that their presence in the office will impact their performance, has not ruled out the hybrid nature of work.

“If the person is performing well and then for some reason they cannot come, and also has the support of the team leader they can avail WFH. But no performance and also no office will have an impact on their quarter variable pay,” a senior employee said.

HCLTech, too, said they are getting employees back into office for three days a week.

“We continue to hold the policy of hybrid working as our preferred model. We did make a choice, a careful choice not to take punitive measures as an approach to encourage people to get back to work. We have always taken an approach to showing value to people as to why it makes sense for people to come back to the office and spend a few days in the office,” said Ramachandran Sundararajan, chief people officer, HCLTech, during the analyst call post results.

“Recognising the benefits of in-person collaboration and innovation, we are now taking the next step in our workplace policy evolution and requiring all employees to work from the office three days a week, effective from November 15, 2023. We believe that in-person interactions are critical to the professional development of our talent as well as to our success in driving ongoing innovation for clients,” said a Wipro spokesperson. At present, more than 70 per cent of employees are coming to the office three days a week.

 At Tech Mahindra, too, employees are back three days a week.

“We constantly engage in constructive dialogues with our employees to align their roles with business objectives, ensuring everyone remains connected and productive. This balance is crucial for fostering the innovative and collaborative spirit that defines Tech Mahindra,” said Richard Lobo, Chief People Officer, Tech Mahindra.

Human resource experts agreed that firms should look at a hybrid model rather than force employees to be back on all days.

Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship says that the reality is that companies want their employees back in the office, whether that's three days a week or five.

“Being in the office promotes better collaboration, ideation, innovation, and a stronger sense of community among employees, which are crucial for an organization's success. It also helps in setting healthy boundaries between work and personal life,” he said.

Reddy, however, votes for the hybrid model in the long run. “Hybrid model is more effective. Employees can come into the office for three days and work from home for the remaining two, as long as productivity and responsibilities towards the team and work are maintained,” he added.

Agrees Aditya Narayan Mishra, Managing Director and CEO of CIEL HR Services.

“A one-size-fits-all strategy is neither feasible nor beneficial. The path forward lies in tailoring work models to the unique needs of each role, ensuring that while business objectives are met, the holistic well-being of employees remains a priority.”

As Urvashi Singh, India HR Head, of Genpact says, the aim is to reinstate a strong culture of collaboration, efficiency, and innovation in this new environment.

.