Avoid like the plague - Human Resources Cognizant Employee Review

1.0
Dec 14, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are no pros working for Cognizant - all you have to do is look at all of the other reviews to know my review is genuine.

Cons

Cognizant culture is awful, everyone says so, even those at Associate Director level. They go through employees and even Executive Leaders like they're going out of fashion. If you're not in the 'boys' club then they don't care what you have to say. It lives up to its reputation for being an "Indian Consultancy" - even our clients say that teams are not diverse enough for them. If you're a woman looking to join then don't ask to see the Maternity Policy whatever you do - they won't make you an offer as you'll be seen as a risk. Walk through the office and the men gawk at you like they haven't seen a woman before. Don't get me started on the state of the 'gender neutral' toilets. Gross. They treat junior talent like they are just cheap resources and the training is diabolical. It is delivered by someone sat in India reading from a screen. Once you're in the business they just have you sat on the bench for 18 months. Benefits allowance is so behind with the times. 20 days holiday that they keep promising to increase. No option to buy or sell. The higher the grade you are the more they seem to give you. Its the same with the pension. It is so hierarchical. If this isn't enough to put you off joining then more fool you.

Explore other reviews about Cognizant

5.0
May 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good projects, challenging work, lots to learn

Cons

The way the bench status is structured

1
1.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A potential inroad into large client companies (Leave Cognizant ASAP) You aren't unemployed.

Cons

It's a body shop. Clients will view you accordingly. Contractors cannot be trusted with most tasks. You must be siloed (No room for growth) so you don't break anything. Your actual job is to fulfill gaps in the client's grunt work even if out of scope. If you don't, the hammer falls from client and Cognizant. Wages well below industry standards. 1% annual raises only exist because legally they must exist. Takes full advantage of H-1B slave system, where employees' families and homes will be thrown into a furnace if you aren't keeping Cognizant happy no matter what. Employees are complacent in their slavery. Management is just happy to get their extra crumbs and will reinforce the bad culture. C-suite is opaque. If you are familiar with India's caste system you will understand how "lessers" are treated. This also happens in a literal sense, you aren't totally safe just because you are the favored skin tone. Takes full advantage of modern white collar culture. "Your racist actions aren't actually racist if you aren't Caucasian." Expect the uphill battle to be even more steep if you're not Southeast Asian. You will hunt for your own work most of the time. Cognizant is not helpful in any regard. They exist to skim off the top and nothing else.

3
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