What does it take to future-proof a workforce beyond the AI hype and upskilling checklists? At Virtusa, the answer is part tech, part trust, and a whole lot of human-first thinking.
In this wide-ranging conversation with All Things Talent, Rahul Sahay, Senior Vice President, HR Corporate at Virtusa Corporation, pulls back the curtain on how the company is navigating the AI revolution. From breaking generational myths to reimagining learning cultures, Rahul offers a grounded yet forward-looking view of what it means to prepare people, not just for new tools, but for new mindsets.
Q/ As AI continues to advance and organisations focus on preparing the workforce for the future, there is an increasing emphasis on younger talent. However, in this race to innovate, experienced professionals often seem overlooked. How should organisations approach workforce development while balancing the need for both fresh perspectives and seasoned expertise? What is your perspective on the value of experienced talent in this context?
There is a lot of buzz around Gen Z, digital natives, and preparing the next generation. At Virtusa, we believe it is not a binary choice. It is not Gen Z vs Gen X. It is about staying relevant, regardless of where you are in your career.
Whether you are just starting or you have decades of experience, the only question that matters is: Are you aligned with where the market is headed? Are you building the problem-solving skills needed for tomorrow?
Often, skilling is seen as something just for the early-career crowd. However, the truth is that everyone needs to be on a learning path. The workplace is evolving too fast for anyone to be static. If you stop learning, you will fall behind, regardless of your age.
That is why we are focused on fostering an inclusive, multigenerational workforce. Early talent brings fresh energy and new perspectives. Experienced professionals bring wisdom, context, and depth. When you put them together, magic happens. That is how we future-proof the organisation.
Q/ What are the policies and programs being undertaken for upskilling and learning at Virtusa? What benefits have you seen from these programs?
Over the past few years, we have completely reimagined our approach to learning. Earlier, learning was seen as a checklist item, something employees did to stay compliant or complete mandatory modules. But that model does not work anymore, especially with technologies evolving faster than ever.
So, we made a conscious shift from volume to relevance. Our learning strategy is now deeply integrated with our talent and performance frameworks. It starts by asking, ‘What does each individual bring to the table, and how can we help them build on that in a meaningful way?’
We tackled this on two key fronts:
- Cultural Transformation:
We needed to change the way people think about learning. We nudged our employees to move from “Why should I learn this?” to “What can this help me do better or differently?” It was about rewiring mindsets.
- Technology Enablement:
We also upgraded the backend, making learning platforms more intuitive, personalised, and agile. With our internal platform, Thrive, learning is not just accessible; it is contextual and outcome-based.
To keep things exciting and collaborative, we created guilds, communities of interest in areas like Gen AI, Cloud, and Engineering Excellence. These are self-driven spaces where engineers come together to explore emerging trends, share knowledge, and innovate together.
One of the most effective aspects is how we have linked learning with performance reviews. When employees upskill, they don’t just get a badge, they get recognition, growth opportunities, and even preference in project deployment.
And most importantly, we go beyond theory. For example, if someone learns about Generative AI, we don't wait for a client project to test that skill. We organise hackathons and problem-solving challenges so they can immediately apply what they have learned in a sandbox environment.
And here is the real differentiator: we tie learning directly to performance. Upskilling leads to real recognition: more visibility, better opportunities, faster growth.
Q/ While organisations promote AI learning, some surveys suggest that a stigma still exists concerning the use of AI in workplaces. What is your perspective, and how can leaders build confidence in these platforms?
AI is exciting, yes, but it is also intimidating for many. There is this underlying fear of AI taking over the job. At Virtusa, we are not just introducing AI, we are demystifying it. We don’t want people to see it as a black box. We want them to understand what it is, how it works, and, more importantly, how it can help them.
We have integrated AI into our business DNA, but we are also showing our employees how AI can enhance their roles, not replace them. That message needs to come from the top. Leaders need to be vocal about the opportunities AI brings and be transparent about its impact.
The way we see it, AI is not here to replace people; it is here to augment them. To take away the repetitive stuff and let people focus on higher-order problem-solving, creativity, and impact. Once employees see that, once they understand that AI can make their work more meaningful, that is when the fear goes away. And that is when real adoption starts.
Rahul highlights that Virtusa prioritises feedback from its people. "We take employee feedback very seriously. Through annual surveys and pulse checks, we ensure we are in tune with their thoughts."
A consistent theme that comes up, he shares, is the emphasis on learning and development. "Our people see it as one of Virtusa's strengths. They are empowered by the opportunities we provide, but they want more than just courses; they want to apply their learning to real-world problems."
Q/ How do you support employees feeling anxious about evolving work cultures and technologies?
At the heart of it, people want to feel seen, supported, and understood. That does not change, no matter how much technology advances.
We realised that as tech evolves, human connection becomes even more critical. So we invested in one of our most impactful initiatives- the Home Manager and Mentee Network.
Every engineer at Virtusa now has a mentor—someone more experienced, who acts not as a manager, but as a guide. Someone they can speak to about career growth, skills, opportunities, and yes, even fears.
To strengthen this, we have adopted a two-manager model:
A work manager who looks after your daily tasks and a home manager who tracks your career path and personal growth.
Earlier, when employees moved between projects, their engagement levels would drop because they lost that connection. With this model, they always have someone in their corner. We have built our internal tool to manage this program, and we are scaling it now. It even tracks mentor-mentee interactions and gives us insight into how supported our employees feel.
We believe that when people know someone has their back, they are far more likely to embrace change with confidence.
Q/ What kind of AI talent is Virtusa looking for, and what’s available in the market?
Virtusa has always had a strong engineering-first culture. As we embrace emerging tech like AI, our focus is to develop future-ready talent both internally and externally. Internally, Thrive, our learning engine, helps us upskill people at scale. We aim to fulfil at least two-thirds of new project demands through internal talent itself.
For niche and specialist roles like prompt engineering, AI design, and architecture, we do look outside, especially for individuals who bring depth in cutting-edge technologies.
At the junior level, we have built strong academic partnerships through our Centres of Excellence (COES) with over 100 colleges. We co-create curriculum, train faculty, send experts for live classes, and run Gen AI electives. The best students are then taken into our finishing schools, trained further, certified, and onboarded. That gives us a robust, future-ready pipeline and gives the students a real head start.
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Q/ What trends are you observing in the engineering world, and what do you predict for this year?
Earlier, there was scepticism about AI. People thought it might go the way of blockchain or other hyped-up trends. But now it’s clear- AI is not just a tech tool. It is becoming central to business strategy.
Across healthcare, insurance, and banking, we are seeing clients shift from pilot projects to full-scale transformations powered by AI. For instance, AI-assisted surgeries are now the norm, and in insurance, AI can directly influence customer retention based on how well claims are managed.
Two-thirds of the workforce now believes they need to upskill to stay relevant. That is a huge change in just a couple of years. The appetite for learning and the pace of transformation are both accelerating.
This year, we will continue to see demand for AI-literate talent, but more importantly, for professionals who can think critically, solve problems, and innovate at scale. AI is the engine, but human creativity is still the driver.
Looking ahead, Rahul highlights that Virtusa's focus is on growth, innovation, and customer success.
“We need a workforce that is not just skilled for today but ready for tomorrow,” he says, stressing the importance of preparing for the future. With the World Economic Forum predicting that 60% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025, Virtusa is already aligning its strategies to meet this shift.”
While the company is focused on AI and tech skills, Rahul is certain about investing in human capabilities such as innovation, design thinking, empathy, and collaboration. These traits, he believes, will define success in an AI-augmented world.
