HCLTech headcount slips by 261 in Q3FY26 despite fresher hiring

The sequential decline follows a strong hiring quarter in Q2FY26, when HCLTech had added 3,489 employees.

• HCLTech's headcount fell by 261 in Q3FY26, totaling 2,26,379 employees.
• Company added 2,852 freshers, but attrition and rationalisation offset gains.
• Voluntary attrition fell to 12.4%, indicating better employee retention.

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HCL Technologies saw its headcount decline marginally in the December quarter of FY26 (Q3FY26), even as the IT services firm continued to hire fresh graduates amid steady demand conditions.

The Noida-headquartered company reported a net reduction of 261 employees during the quarter, taking its total employee base to 2,26,379 at the end of Q3FY26, according to a release on January 12.

The sequential dip came despite the company adding 2,852 freshers during the quarter, indicating that overall workforce movement was shaped by attrition and selective rationalisation rather than a broad-based hiring pullback.

The sequential decline follows a strong hiring quarter in Q2FY26, when HCLTech had added 3,489 employees on a net basis, after reporting a net decline of 269 employees in Q1FY26. In the September quarter, the company had also onboarded 5,196 freshers, taking total fresher additions in the first half of FY26 to 7,180.

Voluntary attrition eased further to 12.4 percent on a last-twelve-month basis, down from 13.2 percent a year ago, suggesting improving employee retention even as net headcount stayed in the red.

HCLTech’s headcount movement contrasts with the sharper workforce reductions seen at some peers, with the company maintaining a relatively stable employee base while continuing to invest in talent aligned to growth areas such as artificial intelligence and digital services.

The headcount trend unfolded in a quarter when HCLTech reported strong revenue growth and margin recovery, though restructuring costs and the one-time impact of new labour codes partly weighed down profitability.

The headcount movement comes at a time when peers are also recalibrating their workforce. In Q2FY26, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported a net decline of 19,755 employees after announcing plans to reduce around 2 percent of its workforce.

In the December quarter, HCLTech reported a year-on-year decline in net profit due to one-time items, even as revenue grew in double digits and the company announced an interim dividend of Rs 12 per share.