Future salary hikes in Wipro will be based on individuals ‘upskilling and reskilling’ themselves, the IT major’s human resources chief has said, laying special emphasis on ‘niche skills’ such as generative AI and cybersecurity.
New employees, too, will not be hired with a straight 30% pay rise, declared Saurabh Govil in an interview with Times of India.
No More Straight-Pay Hikes
“In 2021, people had a lot of opportunities, our attrition was high, and employees were being hired at 30% premiums. That will not happen now. But now, niche skills like generative AI and cybersecurity will get a premium,” Govil, Wipro’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for more than 30 years, told the English daily.
Continuing, Govil said, “As generative AI picks up steam, a lot of the work at the bottom of the pyramid, like doing analysis, will be done by the machine, forcing people to do more complex work.”
Wipro and AI
Touching down on AI and its applications specific for Wipro, Saurabh Govil mentioned that Wipro’s objective is to utilize bots to resolve 80% of the queries typically directed to the HR department. Meanwhile, HR professionals will focus on coaching managers and leaders to enhance their team-building and management skills, as stated by Govil.
These statements from Wipro’s Chief Human Resources Officer come in the context of 92% of freshers who are in the process of onboarding. They have accepted Wipro’s proposal to start at a lower salary of ₹3.5 lakh per year instead of the originally offered ₹6.5 lakh per year. Additionally, Wipro’s chairman, Rishad Premji, voluntarily reduced his remuneration by approximately 50% for the fiscal year ending in March 2023.
