Entry-level IT hiring dips as firms seek experience

Openings down by 3,000 in one month for pros with up to 2 years experience

Bengaluru: Entry-level hiring is becoming increasingly challenging for freshers as Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and IT services firms prioritise specialised skills and professionals who can be deployed immediately on digital transformation projects.

According to Bengaluru-based specialist staffing firm Xpheno, opportunities for technology professionals with up to two years of experience have fallen to 10,000 openings in June 2026, down from 13,000 in May and marking a steep 44 per cent decline compared to June 2025.

While entry-level openings are down, overall, GCCs are projected to account for 17,000 openings in June, representing 18 per cent of the total active demand for technology talent and is expected to see about 93,000 technology job openings this month.

“The overall demand volume from GCCs has recorded a significant 31 per cent year-on-year increase,” said Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno.

Industry experts say entry-level IT job market is shifting from a volume-driven hiring model to a skills-based one. “Fresher hiring has not disappeared, but companies are becoming more selective and increasingly prioritising candidates with practical exposure to AI, cloud, automation, cybersecurity, data engineering and full-stack technologies,” Kapil Joshi, CEO, IT Staffing, Quess Corp, told DH.

Employers are also moving away from large-scale hiring and placing emphasis on candidates with job-ready capabilities, said Peush Saproo, associate director and Head of Sales, Permanent Recruitment, Adecco India.

Currently, around 32 per cent of fresher job postings are concentrated in software and hardware roles, with strong demand for skills in cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, data engineering and software development, he added.

Compared to traditional IT services firms, GCCs continue to be the primary driver of technology hiring.

“GCCs have increased their share of overall IT demand from nearly 15 per cent in 2024 to 27 per cent in 2025, accounting for almost 73 per cent of new technology jobs. Demand is strong for deployment-ready professionals in areas like GenAI, MLOps, cloud automation, FinOps and cybersecurity,” Joshi said.

He added that mid-level professionals now account for nearly 65 per cent of overall technology hiring demand.

However, the supply of specialised talent remains limited. As a result, hiring cycles for niche roles have stretched from around 75 days to more than 90 days, while salaries for emerging technology positions command premiums of 20-40 per cent.

While average fresher salaries across sectors range between Rs 2.8 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh per annum, entry-level roles in IT and fintech typically offer Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.

Candidates with expertise in AI, data science and cloud technologies command a significant premium, with entry-level salaries in these domains ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per annum.

This has led to a more differentiated compensation structure, with high-demand digital skills driving stronger salary growth than conventional technology roles, Saproo said.