Author: HR Talk

Amazon is set to cut at least 100 jobs at Wondery, its podcast division, as part of a major restructuring aimed at streamlining operations. Around 110 employees have reportedly already been informed of the decision. According to Bloomberg, Steve Boom, Vice President of Audio, Twitch and Games, has outlined plans to merge Wondery’s podcast teams with those at Audible. The combined unit will form a new division called Creator Services, focusing on creator-led content. As part of the shake-up, Wondery CEO Jen Sargent will step down. The restructuring is intended to enhance experiences for customers, creators, and advertisers alike. Amazon…

Samsung is facing fresh scrutiny after reports surfaced of layoffs across its US operations, though the company has yet to confirm the development. The claims, made in a viral Reddit post by a former employee on 3 August, allege that multiple staff members— including long-serving team members—were abruptly let go. The post further claimed that some employees were left stranded during business trips when their company-issued cards were deactivated without warning. The scale and nature of the reported cuts remain unclear, as Samsung has not responded to requests for comment. The unconfirmed reports have fuelled speculation that the move may…

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has assured the Ministry of Labour that it will onboard over 600 lateral hires holding pending offer letters, even as it skipped a scheduled meeting with the ministry. The meeting, convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC), was expected to address delays in onboarding, which have impacted professionals across TCS offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. In a written response to the CLC, TCS attributed the delays to global market uncertainties and deferred client projects. The IT major emphasised that the onboarding process had only been postponed, not cancelled. The development comes amid…

The State Bank of India (SBI) has begun onboarding 13,455 newly recruited junior associates across its vast branch network, marking a significant step in bolstering its frontline workforce. These fresh recruits are expected to infuse renewed energy, a strong customer-first approach, and operational efficiency across every touchpoint in the bank’s service ecosystem. The initiative underscores SBI’s continued focus on strengthening its human resource capabilities through structured skill-development programmes, aligned with evolving technological and functional demands. With a workforce already exceeding 2.36 lakh employees, SBI remains committed to building a more inclusive and future-ready organization. This onboarding follows SBI’s earlier announcement…

Swiggy has unveiled “Mom’entum 2.0”, a comprehensive, multi-year maternity support policy designed to accompany women through all stages of motherhood. Building on its 2020 gender-neutral parental care policy, the initiative reflects Swiggy’s continued commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. Unlike conventional maternity benefits, Mom’entum 2.0 offers holistic support—including pre-parenthood planning, structured return-to-work pathways, extended postnatal care, and career continuity measures. The goal is to help women navigate motherhood while maintaining their professional aspirations with confidence and support. Girish Menon, Chief Human Resources Officer at Swiggy, emphasized that motherhood is an ongoing journey, not a singular event. “Over the…

The buzz surrounding Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) announcement to lay off 2% of its global workforce continues to stir concern across the IT industry. Adding to the anxiety, the Indian IT giant has now implemented a hiring freeze and paused annual salary increments for employees worldwide. These decisions come at a time when the sector is grappling with subdued demand and a growing emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI). According to an Economic Times report, several employees on the bench—particularly in locations such as Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad—are being phased out. This follows TCS’s internal policy requiring benched employees to…

Amid cautious hiring sentiment in the broader IT industry, Capgemini India has announced plans to recruit between 40,000 and 45,000 employees during 2025. Of this, approximately 35–40% will be lateral hires, aimed at bolstering the company’s capabilities with experienced professionals in key business domains. Capgemini, which currently employs around 1.75 lakh people in India, is witnessing increased demand from global clients seeking cost-effective and scalable digital solutions. This trend is expected to drive revenue growth in the upcoming quarters, with India continuing to serve as a strategic delivery hub for the company’s global operations. To fuel its hiring momentum, Capgemini…

NASA is preparing for a significant workforce reduction, with close to 4,000 employees applying for voluntary buyouts under a deferred resignation program. This exodus could result in the agency losing nearly 20% of its staff, raising serious concerns about the future of critical missions and the agency’s institutional continuity. The second round of applications, which closed on July 25, saw nearly 3,000 resignations—up sharply from the initial round, which drew 870 voluntary departures. The buyout initiative, introduced in January as part of a broader federal cost-cutting agenda, allows employees to resign while temporarily retaining select benefits. Originally launched during the…

India’s Public Sector Banks (PSBs) are set to recruit 48,570 employees during the financial year 2025–26, aiming to address staffing gaps and strengthen operational capacity across the sector. The update was shared by the Ministry of Finance in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on July 22, 2025. As per the ministry’s statement, PSBs currently maintain 96% of the required workforce based on existing business needs. The remaining shortfall is primarily due to natural attrition, including retirements and unplanned exits. To bridge this gap, a major recruitment drive is already underway. Over the past five financial years (FY 2020–2025),…

Krutrim, the artificial intelligence startup co-founded by Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola Electric, has laid off approximately 100 employees in its latest round of downsizing. The majority of those impacted were from the linguistics team, which was focused on building multilingual capabilities across Indian languages. This marks the company’s second round of layoffs, following a smaller workforce reduction in June 2025. The move is seen as part of an internal restructuring initiative aimed at streamlining operations and enhancing agility. It comes shortly after the debut of Kruti, Krutrim’s voice-first AI assistant tailored for the Indian market. Linguists working across ten regional…