In recent weeks, there has been a growing trend on LinkedIn of companies and startups deferring the offer letters of college recruits. Joining this pool of businesses is Amazon, which reportedly deferred offer letters of several campus hires from prestigious institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT).
An anonymous source disclosed to Inc42 that “Amazon has deferred the offer letters of some software developers.” This revelation aligns with a LinkedIn post in which a user mentioned the names of various startups, including Indeed, Insofe, Udaan, AiDash, and more, that have also deferred offer letters for college recruits. The post specifically highlighted the plight of students from the 2022-23 session across IITs.
Responding to the situation, an Amazon spokesperson stated, “In light of the challenging economic conditions, we’re delaying the start dates for some of our college hires by up to six months. We’re offering assistance to help address any financial impact. Amazon remains committed to university recruiting and developing the next generation of leaders and builders.”
Earlier this year, Inc42 reported that Amazon had layoff plans that could affect employees across various verticals, including HR, tech, and Prime. The company had also introduced the Voluntary Separation Programme (VSP), primarily targeting software development engineers.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Amazon’s management had consolidated several tech teams and eliminated multiple roles in its Gurugram and Bengaluru offices. As a result, the Maharashtra Labour Ministry issued a notice to Amazon India, raising concerns about potential layoffs affecting around 1,000 employees in the country.
The notice required representatives from the ecommerce giant to appear before CS Shinde, the assistant labour commissioner in Pune. The complaint against Amazon was initially filed in November 2022 by the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), alleging that the company was pressuring employees to resign voluntarily and violating labour laws.
In addition to Amazon, other tech giants such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft have also carried out layoffs in India. Data compiled by Inc42 from several HR tech platforms indicates that the layoffs in India account for 10%-15% of the total global layoffs. The situation has led to freshers, like the one interviewed by Inc42, experiencing delays in project assignments or facing uncertainty regarding their roles.
As economic challenges persist, companies are taking cautious measures, including deferring offer letters and implementing cost-cutting strategies. The impact on fresh graduates and employees across various sectors highlights the need for ongoing support and proactive measures to mitigate the effects of these uncertain times.
