Cognizant is closing 2025 on a strong note, and employees are seeing the impact directly. Following better-than-expected financial results, the company has approved a 100 percent payout under its discretionary bonus program, the highest bonus level in seven years.
The decision comes after Cognizant exceeded its own growth guidance for the year. Revenue rose 6.4 percent in constant currency, ahead of the company’s forecast of 6 to 6.3 percent. More importantly, leadership believes the company has reached what it calls the “winner’s circle” earlier than planned.
CEO Ravi Kumar has used the phrase frequently over the past year to describe a clear internal benchmark. It includes top-tier revenue growth, market share gains, continued momentum in large deals, margin improvement, deep investment in skills, and earnings per share growth that outpaces revenue.
In an internal note to employees, Kumar directly tied the bonus decision to execution and effort. He said the company’s 2025 performance reflected discipline, client focus, and consistent delivery, and that leadership wanted to recognize that contribution in a meaningful way.
What makes the milestone notable is timing. At its last investor day, Cognizant had set 2027 as the target for reaching this performance tier. Achieving it two years earlier signals a faster-than-expected turnaround for a company that struggled with high attrition and stalled growth just a few years ago.
Under previous leadership, employee exits reached record levels, at times limiting Cognizant’s ability to take on new work. Since Kumar, a former Infosys executive, took over more than three years ago, stabilizing the workforce and rebuilding credibility have been top priorities.
While salary increases were delayed this year and implemented only from November, the full bonus payout is expected to boost morale. It also reinforces Cognizant’s broader push to strengthen its employee value proposition through learning programs, expanded upskilling initiatives, and long-term career development.
Speaking to analysts, Kumar said reaching the winner’s circle ahead of schedule reflects consistency in execution and steady progress on both growth and margins.
Cognizant’s relative position among peers also supports that claim. The company has steadily improved its revenue growth ranking, moving from tenth place in 2022 to eighth in 2023, sixth in 2024, and now firmly within the top tier in 2025.
For employees, the message is simple. Strong performance is being noticed and rewarded. For clients and investors, the signal is broader. Cognizant is no longer talking about recovery. It is positioning itself as a growth-focused competitor again.
IPO-Bound PhonePe Focuses on Payments Growth and Platform Expansion
February 8, 2026
