Latest reports by the IT-employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) have confirmed that LTIMindtree’s campus hires who received offer letters in January 2022 are still awaiting onboarding.
What’s more, the IT services company has asked them to complete a new training programme to demonstrate their eligibility.
Mindtree Delays Onboarding of Freshers
Freshmen criticized the training curriculum as a ruse to fire them since if they don’t participate, their offer letters are automatically revoked. This occurs at a time when the business environment for the IT services sector is difficult due to global macro headwinds that are causing widespread layoffs, sluggish hiring, and delayed onboarding.
Freshers received information on the training program, named IGNITE, by email two days ago. A duplicate of this has been seen by Moneycontrol. Freshmen are urged to confirm their enrollment in the training programme by April 12 at 6 p.m.
Approximately 600–700 freshmen who are awaiting their joining dates will have to go through this additional training and screening regimen, according to several sources.
Harpreet Singh Saluja, President, NITES, stated, “Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES strongly condemns the unethical tactics adopted by LTI Mindtree. We have received complaints that the company is about to remove freshers who have been awaiting their joining date for more than a year under the pretext of a new training program called IGNITE.
The company had sent offer letters to these freshers for training and employment in January 2022. However, instead of providing them with an onboarding date, the company has now introduced a Learning and Training Program with a duration of 6-7 weeks. The freshers have been given two options: to undergo this assessment-based training or have their earlier offer automatically canceled.
This behavior is completely unacceptable and goes against ethical business practices. It may also set a dangerous precedent for future recruitment practices. It is clear that the company is putting these freshers in a state of uncertainty and using this new program as a way to delay their onboarding. This is not only unfair to the freshers who have been eagerly waiting for their employment, but it is also a breach of trust and a violation of their rights as employees.
We urge LTI Mindtree to reconsider their decision and provide a clear and transparent process for the onboarding of these freshers. The company must respect the commitment made to these freshers and provide them with a fair and just opportunity to begin their employment. We call upon LTI Mindtree to immediately halt this program and provide these freshers with a clear onboarding date.”
Offer Letters Given Out to Freshers in January 2022
According to Saluja, offer letters for these freshmen were given out in January 2022 after they were chosen in November 2021 from their campus.
These newcomers will be graded by the IGNITE programme after completing a training course that consists of 80% self-paced study and 20% instructor-led training. The weighted average for the assignments will be divided roughly 40 percent into multiple choice questions (MCQ) and 60 percent into coding tasks. Freshmen will have two chances to complete each task, and they will only be regarded qualified if they receive a grade of at least 60%.
However, eligibility by itself does not guarantee these new hires a start date. According to the email, they will be “considered for onboarding in batches based on business demand.”
There are more IT companies using similar tactics besides LTIMindtree. Wipro emailed individuals to whom it had made an offer of Rs 6.5 lakh per annum (LPA) in February, requesting their agreement to join for Rs 3.5 LPA. Additionally, there have been delays in on-boarding for Tech Mahindra campus hires.
