In a world where technology evolves at breakneck speed and workplaces are increasingly decentralised, the role of human capital has never been more critical. As someone who has witnessed over two decades of transformation at Cognizant, I can confidently say that our approach to people, purpose, and progress has remained resolutely human-centric, even as digital disruption has redefined the rules of the game.
Global Consistency, Local Nuance: The India Advantage
At Cognizant, we strike a fine balance between standardisation and local relevance. From a people perspective, we set global standards, practices, and policies to support consistency and fairness around the world, then tailor by region, where appropriate, to provide a competitive and engaging employee value proposition. Two specific examples of this for India include our benefits and our in-office engagement programs.
Cognizant subsidises coverage of parental medical insurance. This is unique to India and also unmatched in our industry, and we are proud to offer this standout coverage.
As we spend more time in the office, we are also organising more special programs and events to deepen our associate engagements across all 13 centres in India. For example, our ‘Bring your kids to Office Day’ helped create lasting memories, especially for children who had a wonderful time discovering their parents’ workplace, getting a sneak peek at the exciting work they do. In 2024, we also re-initiated Celebrating Cognizant, a series of sporting and cultural activities designed to bring together our associates and celebrate their talent, team spirit, and achievements.
Humans and Machines: Building a Collaborative Future
We like to say that technology alone does not drive change; humans and technology do. AI simply does not have the creativity and judgement people bring to a task, so it is about training people to work alongside AI agents to get to the best outcome together. It also necessitates an even greater focus on soft skills, especially for leaders who are now overseeing teams made up of both humans as well as agentic assets.
At Cognizant, our learning ecosystem has always balanced the ‘hard’ technical upskilling with the ‘soft’ leadership capability building. Leadership development programs are offered to all associates at all levels, regardless of whether or not they lead a team. Even as the need for technical upskilling accelerates, we remain focused on a balanced learning plan for all of our people.
Personalised Well-being: The Power of Choice
Well-being at Cognizant is not a checkbox; it is an evolving ecosystem built on autonomy and insight. Many of our health programmes are opt-in, allowing associates to decide what suits them best. Our health concierge services and one-on-one coaching are complemented by aggregate-level data that helps us understand macro trends and refine our offerings.
Cognizant uses aggregate information from these programs to identify areas of need and then enhances the programs or deploys activities aligned to those priorities. For example, if we notice a widespread interest in self-care topics, we might create more educational events or communications to raise awareness of our self-care offerings.
We also ensure that our people are well-informed about the benefits we provide so that they can consistently make the best choices for themselves.
Sustainable Performance: Encouraging Health in High-Pressure Environments
The well-being of our people is paramount. Put simply, we cannot serve our clients if our people are not supported in both their personal and professional lives.
We take a multi-pronged approach to keep wellbeing top of mind for our people. The IT industry is known for its relentless pace, but performance cannot come at the cost of well-being. In 2023, we reimagined the Cognizant Health Programme (CHP) to offer a more holistic and year-round experience. From weekly health communications to a user-friendly wellbeing app, our approach integrates digital convenience with human connection. We also run periodic health challenges, which inspire associates to prioritise their wellbeing through connection and camaraderie with colleagues.
Additionally, we issue regular, weekly communications to keep benefits and wellbeing information top of mind. This year, we are actually running a targeted benefits education campaign to help associates discover the lesser-known, valuable benefits they have access to.
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Employee-First Cultures: Lessons from the Frontlines
If there is one thing we have learned from our well-being initiatives, it is this: engagement is a two-way street. While employers must invest in better health experiences, employees must also be active participants.
Three tenets underpin this philosophy: continually improving care and plan designs, inspiring, rather than lecturing, through engaging activities and even gamification, and consistently delivering health messages to help employees develop lasting habits of health and wellbeing.
AI and the Human Edge: Driving Purpose at Work
Cognizant’s study with Oxford Economics found that 90% of jobs will experience AI-related disruption in the next decade. At Cognizant, we are focused on helping people to upskill and evolve how they work with agents versus getting replaced by them.
We believe the most important step in enabling this is learning and access to AI tools. To do this, we partner with leading organisations like Microsoft and Google to enable learning on their cutting-edge AI tools. We also provide labs and sandbox environments, and other hands-on experiences where associates can experiment with different techniques, observe and learn from varying outputs.
We also create opportunities for associates to make an impact outside of their day-to-day roles. In 2023, we launched Bluebolt, our grassroots innovation initiative to harness our teams’ drive for innovation. Cognizant Bluebolt empowers associates at every level to submit ideas, big and small, that will make an impact. So far, over 3,85,000 ideas have been submitted, with around 69,000 implemented, bringing real value to clients.
Leadership in the Age of Hybrid: The Rise of the Human-Centred Manager
Today’s workforce, particularly Gen Z and millennial talent, seeks out leaders who are both technologically savvy and emotionally intelligent. The most important thing for leaders is to upskill themselves and inspire confidence in this dynamic environment. Talent, especially fresher hires, want to work for leaders who understand emerging technologies like GenAI and are actively reshaping their portfolios with these advancements in mind.
Alongside technical knowledge, human-centric and inclusive leadership qualities are vital. As the world becomes increasingly automated and powered by digital assets, leaders have to continue to connect with their teams on a personal level. This means enabling their career growth, supporting their overall well-being, and fostering genuine human connections.
Resilient by Design: Guiding Transformation Through Clarity and Care
I joined Cognizant in 2005 during a period of rapid growth when new lines of business and delivery centres were being set up every few months. Then and now, there have been several things that have worked at Cognizant: communicating a clear vision of success, rallying the team to work as one, providing continuous learning opportunities and enabling career growth. During large-scale growth, it has been essential to set expectations, reduce uncertainties, and help our associates understand that we will help equip them with the latest skills and knowledge through any transformation.
When associates feel heard, valued, and supported, they develop resilience—not as a buzzword, but as a lived reality.
Leadership That Evolves With Time
Leaders are propelled by their teams’ successes. My own leadership journey has been shaped by the phenomenal teams I have had the privilege to work with. I have always been focused on identifying top talent, building strong and cohesive teams, setting them up for success and driving outcomes. I am a firm believer in nurturing a culture of innovation and inclusivity that aligns with the needs of a growing and dynamic organisation like Cognizant.
To sum it up: ‘People First, Always’
At Cognizant, our north star has always been our people. As technology continues to reshape the workplace, we remain committed to evolving our practices, not just to keep pace with change but to lead it humanely, purposefully, and inclusively.
Azhagiri Selvarajan is the Senior Vice President and Head of India Human Resources at Cognizant, overseeing the associate experience across India and serving as the global HR leader for its CTI, SPE, and EPS service lines. With over 20 years at Cognizant, he has held key leadership roles across performance, compensation, benefits, compliance, and business partnering. Azhagiri plays a pivotal role in shaping workforce strategies aligned with the company’s growth. Prior to Cognizant, he held senior HR roles in leading organisations, focusing on talent management and employee engagement. Known for championing vibrant workspaces, his in-office engagement initiatives have involved over 1,00,000 associates across India.
