IT companies using retention bonuses to keep staff with new digital skills

Tech companies WiproNSE 0.26 %, Tech MahindraNSE -0.23 % and Cognizant are doling out retention bonuses to hold on to their limited pool of talent with expertise in robotics, machine learning, cognitive tools, artificial intelligence, block chain, augmented reality and other automation technologies.

“Emerging tech talent is currently at a premium due to short supply. We have given retention bonuses this year to this talent pool and would continue to do so till the pool is abundant,” Saurabh Govil, chief human resources officer at Wipro, told ET.

At the junior level, companies are ready to give raises of as much as 70% to keep recruiters away. At the top, the salaries for such talent ranges from Rs 2 crore to Rs 4 crore per annum without variables, according to Arun Das Mahapatra, chairman of Heidrick & Struggles India, an executive search firm.