HCL Technologies has announced a dividend distribution of ₹12 per equity share for the current fiscal year, alongside the release of its quarterly results for the October-December 2025 period (Q3 FY26). The announcement was made on Monday as part of the ongoing earnings season.

Dividend Details

The IT major has declared the dividend for equity shares with a face value of ₹2 each. The record date for the dividend payment has been set for January 16, which will determine the eligibility of shareholders for the payout.

Quarterly Results Release

The dividend announcement coincides with HCL Technologies' quarterly results for Q3 FY26, covering the October-December 2025 period. This timing aligns with the company's practice of announcing shareholder returns alongside its financial performance updates during the earnings season.

The dividend declaration reflects the company's commitment to providing returns to shareholders while maintaining its financial performance in the competitive IT services sector.

HCL Technologies reported a marginal decline in its workforce during the December quarter of FY26, with total headcount falling by 261 employees to 2,26,379 despite continued hiring of fresh graduates. The Noida-headquartered IT services firm announced these figures on January 12, highlighting the complex dynamics shaping workforce management in the current demand environment.

Workforce Movement Details

The sequential decline occurred even as the company added 2,852 freshers during Q3FY26, indicating that overall workforce movement was influenced by natural attrition and selective rationalisation rather than a comprehensive hiring freeze.

Quarterly Hiring Trends

The Q3FY26 decline follows a strong hiring quarter in Q2FY26, when HCLTech had added 3,489 employees on a net basis. This came after the company reported a net decline of 269 employees in Q1FY26. During the September quarter, the company had onboarded 5,196 freshers, bringing total fresher additions in the first half of FY26 to 7,180.

Improved Employee Retention

Voluntary attrition showed continued improvement, falling to 12.4% on a last-twelve-month basis compared to 13.2% a year ago. This suggests the company is successfully retaining employees even as net headcount remained in negative territory during the quarter.

Industry Context and Strategic Focus

HCLTech's headcount movement contrasts with sharper workforce reductions seen at industry peers. The company has maintained a relatively stable employee base while continuing to invest in talent aligned to growth areas such as artificial intelligence and digital services. In Q2FY26, Tata Consultancy Services reported a net decline of 19,755 employees after announcing plans to reduce around 2% of its workforce.

Financial Performance Context

The headcount trend unfolded during a quarter when HCLTech reported strong revenue growth and margin recovery, though restructuring costs and one-time impact of new labour codes partly affected profitability. In the December quarter, the company reported year-on-year decline in net profit due to one-time items, even as revenue grew in double digits. The company also announced an interim dividend of ₹12.00 per share.