TCS, the country’s largest IT exporter, made a net addition of 4,962 employees in the first quarter ended June 2012.

Net addition is the difference between total employees hired and total attrition.

The IT major made a gross addition of 13,831 employees in the April-June quarter. The net addition for the fourth quarter ended March, 2012 was 11,832. This brings the total strength in the IT firm to 2,43,545 people.

According to Mr N. Chandrasekaran, CEO and Managing Director, TCS, there were three headwinds that the company had to face – which included average wage hike, higher cost of recruiting and high visa fees. He said: “The average wage hike for India was eight per cent. For other markets, it was two-four per cent.”

The CEO said the company has applied for a “significant number of H1B visas”. TCS also has reported an attrition of 12 per cent in the first quarter against an attrition of 12.2 per cent in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2012.

The software firm expects to add 50,000 employees in the current financial year.

The utilisation rate, a metric used to measure the rate at which employees’ potential output rates are being met or used, was slightly higher than last quarter.

The utilisation rate at the firm (excluding trainees) was at 81.6 per cent. Last quarter, it was 80.6 per cent. The utilisation rate including trainees was 72.3 per cent.

> satyanarayan.iyer@thehindu.co.in

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