Google and Microsoft are reworking their employee appraisal frameworks, reinforcing a stronger link between performance ratings and rewards. The changes signal a broader shift across large technology firms toward more differentiated outcomes in pay, bonuses and equity distribution. Both companies continue to run annual performance reviews, but the emphasis on relative performance has intensified. At Google, the revised evaluation system places clearer weight on identifying top contributors. Under the updated approach, only employees rated at the highest levels are expected to receive the most favourable appraisals. Those falling in middle or lower performance bands are likely to see limited financial…
Author: HRK News Bureau
SKF India (Automotive) has appointed Bhavna Panigrahi as its new chief human resources officer, effective 1 January, 2026, reinforcing the company’s focus on building strong people capabilities to support long-term growth in its automotive business. In her new role, Panigrahi will lead SKF India’s people and organisational strategy, spanning talent management, HR operations, industrial relations, leadership development and organisational effectiveness. She will work closely with the leadership team to ensure HR initiatives are closely aligned with business priorities, while strengthening a culture rooted in inclusion, performance and innovation. Panigrahi brings close to two decades of experience in human resources, with…
Artificial intelligence (AI) is steadily transforming how companies operate, but its expanding use is also creating uncertainty for employees across industries. Even as the global economy is expected to remain broadly stable, job security may continue to be under pressure in 2026 as businesses rely more on automation to manage costs and improve efficiency. As per media reports citing a recent Goldman Sachs analysis, AI-led restructuring is expected to continue next year, even though investors are becoming less enthusiastic about companies that announce large-scale layoffs. The bank’s outlook highlights a growing tension between economic stability and employment security. While global…
The Madhya Pradesh government is preparing to roll out a comprehensive cashless health insurance scheme for its employees and pensioners, a move that could significantly ease the burden of medical expenses for lakhs of families across the state. The initiative is expected to be implemented at the start of 2026 and is being positioned as a structured alternative to the existing reimbursement-based system. At present, government employees are required to pay medical expenses upfront and later seek reimbursement, a process often criticised for delays and paperwork. The proposed scheme aims to replace this with a card-based, cashless treatment model, allowing…
OpenAI has set an unprecedented compensation benchmark in the startup ecosystem, with its workforce expected to receive exceptionally high stock-based payouts in 2025. With a headcount of roughly 4,000 employees, average equity compensation is projected to touch around $1.5 million per person, making it the highest ever recorded for a private technology company at this stage. This extraordinary pay structure reflects the intense competition unfolding across the artificial intelligence sector. As generative AI reshapes industries, leading labs are locked in a fierce struggle to attract and retain a limited pool of elite researchers, engineers and product leaders. Equity, rather than…
A woman who was appointed by the Rajasthan government in 2000, was removed from her job two years later, in 2002, when she was arrested in a cheating case (under Section 420 of the IPC). Later, in 2011, the criminal court cleared her of all charges. The said employee had challenged her dismissal in the Labour Court, which in 2005 ruled that her termination was unfair and ordered that she be reinstated in her job on the same terms as before. However, the State government had appealed against this decision, but in 2024 a single judge of the High Court…
The Government of Punjab has managed to provide government jobs to 61,000 youth from the State over a period of four years. At a recent event, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann handed over appointment letters to 606 newly-hired candidates from across the State who will be joining the Education Department. Of these, 385 are special education teachers, 157 are primary teachers, eight are principals and 56 candidates have received employment on compassionate grounds. In total, about 61,000 jobs have been provided in the past four years, and as per the Chief Minister, these appointments have been made transparently, on the basis…
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has begun the new year with a significant push towards digital governance by launching Version 2.0 of its Sarige Mitra Human Resource Management System mobile application. The upgraded app reflects the corporation’s efforts to modernise internal processes and place employee convenience at the centre of administrative reforms. Unveiled as a New Year initiative, the revamped Sarige Mitra app is designed to simplify access to human resource services for KSRTC’s large workforce. By moving several HR functions to a mobile platform, the corporation aims to improve transparency, reduce paperwork and enhance operational efficiency across…
State government employees opting for Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will now be allowed to travel by air in economy class, marking a significant change in long-standing travel rules. The decision comes in response to growing logistical challenges associated with sea travel to the islands, particularly due to irregular and unreliable shipping services. Traditionally, employees were permitted to avail LTC to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands once in a block of ten years, with the journey mandated to be undertaken by ships or vessels operated by the Shipping Corporation of India. Reimbursement was limited to…
Samsung’s latest announcement on employee bonuses for 2025 has brought welcome news for thousands across its global workforce, reflecting not just a business rebound but a renewed focus on rewarding employee contribution. After a challenging phase for several core businesses, the company’s performance-linked incentives are set to deliver meaningful financial recognition to employees across key divisions. Employees in the Device Solutions (DS) division, which includes Samsung’s semiconductor operations, are expected to receive Over Performance Incentives in the range of 43 to 48 per cent of their annual salary. For many employees in this division, the payout represents a significant turnaround…
Kirloskar Industries has appointed Rohan Sapkal as its new head–human resources, effective 1 January, 2026. The appointment comes at a time when listed industrial companies are sharpening their focus on strong HR leadership to support business continuity, governance, compliance and long-term talent strategies. Sapkal moves into the role after serving as group head-HR at Kirloskar Limitless, where he spent over four years overseeing group-wide people initiatives. In this capacity, he played a key role in driving talent management, human capital strategy and employee relations across the Kirloskar ecosystem, aligned with the group’s legacy of innovation and collaboration. In addition to…
Vivek Tripathi has announced his exit from Newgen Software, bringing to a close a 4.5-year tenure as vice president – human resources at the Indian product software company. The transition marks the beginning of a new phase in his professional journey, with a renewed focus on strategic HR consulting and academic engagement. Tripathi is backed by over 25 years of experience in mainstream HR leadership roles, spanning manufacturing, telecom product software and retail organisations. Across these sectors, his work has consistently centred on attracting and developing talent, building strong leadership pipelines and putting in place scalable HR systems to support…
A recent viral video has reignited conversations around workplace pressure and the blurred boundaries between professional commitment and personal well-being in India. The clip, widely circulated on social media, shows a woman working on her laptop while lying on a hospital bed, visibly connected to medical equipment and bandaged. The visual alone was enough to shock viewers and trigger intense online discussion. The video spread rapidly, drawing attention not because of dramatic narration, but due to the unsettling normalcy with which the woman appeared to continue her work despite being hospitalised. Many viewers interpreted the scene as a stark reflection…
A popular grocery store employee in San Antonio recently found herself at the centre of a social-media storm after being asked to stop filming TikTok videos at work, briefly silencing a digital presence that had brought her widespread attention. The moment quickly escalated into a public conversation about workplace rules, online creativity and corporate boundaries. Zarita Robinson, known to her followers as @zrob360, had built a loyal audience by sharing light-hearted videos filmed during her shifts at an H-E-B store. Her content focused on everyday store life, blending customer interactions, product promotions and spontaneous singing into short, upbeat clips. Over…
The Union government is moving towards a more structured and cohesive approach to artificial intelligence talent development with the introduction of an integrated national skilling framework. The initiative signals a shift from isolated training efforts to a connected system designed to prepare learners and professionals for AI-driven roles across industries. The proposed framework seeks to align learning pathways across schools, higher education institutions, vocational centres and industry needs. Rather than treating skilling as a one-time intervention, the model focuses on continuous capability building. Learners will be able to acquire AI exposure early, deepen their skills through modular courses and upgrade…
After heading talent acquisition at Freecharge for over three years, Rajat Bansal has taken up the role of senior director and head of talent acquisition at Mobikwik, the Indian fintech platform. Bansal brings over two decades of experience, having started off as director-ResourceChip Consulting, in July of 2003. After well over nine years, he moved on to head talent acquisition at Quovantis Technologies in February of 2013. For over seven years he successfully developed hiring strategics, and looked after workforce planning among other things before joining Damco Solutions as associate vice president-human resources (HR). Bansal’s next stop was Tata 1…
Post its recent acquisition by Advent, the American private equity major, Sapiens is witnessing a complete rehaul. The restructuring exercise will see the global headcount of Sapiens, the provider of intelligence insurance software solutions company, being reduced by 15 per cent. That means at least 700 roles will be eliminated as part of the endeavour to “transform” and “consolidate” the operations post the acquisition with focus on profitability. Further layoffs are not being ruled out and it is reported that more senior engineers and mid-level managers may be impacted in the future. The employees have been informed of the changes…
By 2026, the centre of gravity in human resources will shift decisively. Artificial intelligence (AI) will no longer sit at the edge of HR strategy. It will sit at its core—sometimes as a tool, sometimes as a co-worker, and increasingly as a substitute for human effort. That shift is already visible in the data. Gartner’s 2026 HR Priorities Survey, based on responses from 426 CHROs across 23 industries and four regions, identifies four forces reshaping the function: AI’s growing role as an alternative to human talent, mounting pressure to balance growth with efficiency, rising uncertainty that demands faster change, and…
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is accelerating its shift towards an AI-led operating model with the rollout of a structured, organisation-wide programme aimed at building practical artificial intelligence (AI) skills across its workforce. The initiative is designed to ensure that AI capabilities are not limited to specialised teams but become a core competency across roles, functions and business units. The programme focuses on moving employees beyond introductory understanding to real-world application. Learning is centred on business scenarios where AI tools and models can be applied to solve client and operational challenges. This approach reflects a clear shift in how large IT…
Luminar Technologies has announced a major cost-cutting initiative that includes reducing its global workforce by around 30 per cent. The decision forms part of a broader effort to rein in operating expenses as the lidar technology company works to stabilise its financial position amid mounting pressures. The workforce-reduction process has already begun and is expected to be largely completed by the first quarter of 2026. The move follows a period of sustained cash outflows and continued pressure on margins, reflecting the challenging environment faced by hardware-focused technology firms operating in capital-intensive segments such as autonomous driving systems. As part of…
National Buildings Construction Corporation NBCC (India) has taken another step forward in its digital-transformation journey with the launch of a new Travel Allowance (TA) Bill Module for its regular employees. The initiative is aimed at modernising internal administrative processes while improving efficiency, transparency and ease of access for employees. The newly-introduced module enables employees to submit their travel allowance claims entirely through a digital platform. With this shift, the need for physical paperwork has been eliminated, reducing dependency on manual documentation and helping speed up claim submission and approvals. The system is built around a centralised and automated workflow, which…
Google is increasingly turning to its former employees to meet rising demand for advanced artificial intelligence (AI)skills, with returning professionals making up a notable share of its AI hires in 2025. Nearly one-fifth of new recruits for critical AI roles this year are alumni who previously worked at the company, reflecting a deliberate shift in hiring strategy. The move comes as competition for AI talent intensifies globally and companies look for faster, more reliable ways to build high-impact teams. After multiple rounds of workforce restructuring in recent years, Google has recalibrated its approach, prioritising professionals who already understand its internal…
In a significant relief for staff at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), the Telangana government has approved the encashment of earned leave, ending years of uncertainty around the benefit. The decision was formalised on Monday, 29 December, 2025, with the issuance of a government order, marking a long-awaited policy shift for employees of the premier healthcare institution. For a considerable period, regular NIMS employees were excluded from the provision to encash earned leave, despite being placed on pay scales aligned with those followed at AIIMS. This gap had been a persistent concern among employees, who felt that their…
The Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary, has underlined the need for closer collaboration between government, industry, academia and training institutions to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence (AI) talent pipeline. He highlighted that India’s skilling ecosystem must evolve rapidly to keep pace with technological change while remaining inclusive and future-ready. Chairing a high-level meeting on Skilling for AI in New Delhi, Chaudhary said that embedding AI skills across education, vocational training, and the workforce is critical to laying the foundation for a Viksit Bharat in an increasingly AI-enabled global economy. During the meeting, the minister reviewed progress under…
As technology companies continue to reassess workforce strategies amid rising investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, questions around the realistic limits of automation are becoming more pronounced. Salesforce, which recently found itself at the centre of a debate on AI-driven job cuts, has now issued a clarification to address reports suggesting it replaced thousands of employees with AI agents. Following the publication of a report titled “Salesforce regrets firing 4,000 experienced staff and replacing them with AI agents”, the company clarified via email that it did not lay off 4,000 employees. Salesforce attributed the confusion to remarks made during a video…
An American entrepreneur has drawn global attention after sharing a significant portion of his company’s sale proceeds with employees, turning a corporate exit into a life-changing moment for hundreds of workers. Graham Walker, former chief executive of electrical equipment enclosure maker Fibrebond, distributed bonuses worth nearly Rs 2,155 crore ($240 million) among around 540 employees after selling the company to Eaton Corporation earlier this year. The deal valued Fibrebond at approximately Rs 15,265 crore ($1.7 billion). What makes the move unusual is that Fibrebond employees did not hold equity in the company. Despite this, Walker reportedly made employee participation in…