GCCs will follow a hiring pattern similar to that of IT services: Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are shifting from volume hiring to a more selective, quality-driven approach that mirrors patterns seen in large technology firms, says Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital. After a year in which GCCs absorbed large numbers of fresh graduates during an AI-driven restructuring in IT services, many centres are now "slowing down the employee intake for a quality-check," Sharma said, signalling a move toward higher-paid, specialist talent over bulk recruitment.

“One person who can do the work of a thousand”

“The larger trend has moved to hiring one person who can do the work of a thousand rather than hiring a thousand individuals at a time,” Sharma said, summarising the sector’s changing talent calculus. She cautioned that while downsizing will not replicate the severity of last year’s layoffs, the composition and cost of talent are under rapid revision.

Context and details

• Premiums and specialised skills: Sharma noted that GCCs are paying a significant salary premium to secure the right talent, "anywhere between 25-30 per cent salary premium." This premium is uneven: well-known brands may no longer need to pay it for standard skillsets, while smaller retailers and firms building deep-tech capabilities will continue to face higher costs.
• Agentic AI and FDE demand: The rise of agentic AI is reshaping roles. Sharma contrasted the existing base of 7,000–8,000 full‑stack developer equivalents (FDEs) globally with an anticipated requirement of "30,000-40,000 FDEs," warning that employers will be prepared to pay "3-4 times" to retain scarce deep‑tech talent.
• Effect on freshers and mid-level developers: Fresh graduates remain in demand but must "step up and learn new skills." Many middle-level software developers who were largely coding have been affected by automation and layoffs; yet Sharma believes that "every STEM graduate is an AI-first candidate" and that freshers will continue to find opportunities if they adapt.
• Nano and mid-sized GCCs: Nano GCCs currently make up about 3–4% of centres, and Sharma does not expect that to exceed 8–10% by 2030. These smaller units are focused on high-volume work and will selectively pay premiums for core tech skills but cannot afford full-time C-suite hires.
• Fractional leadership: To manage costs, fractionalisation of senior roles is rising. “One CHRO will probably work with 2-3 companies,” Sharma said, predicting a consolidation of high-level designations and an uptick in fractional CXOs as startups and nano GCCs avoid multi-crore executive payrolls.

Outlook

Sharma expects GCCs to remain a growth engine for at least the coming decades, forecasting around 5,000 GCCs in India by 2030 and describing GCC-led tech hiring as "the next big IT trend." She also called for policy alignment, noting that while "5-10 top states have GCC policies," a unified national framework is needed; the CII GCC task force is reportedly working on a national GCC policy to accelerate setup.

Overall, the sector appears set to prioritise domain-plus-technology talent, higher pay for scarce skills, and flexible leadership models — a hiring pattern increasingly resembling that of big tech rather than traditional IT services.