Diversity & Inclusion in GCCs: Creating an Equitable Workplace

Global capability centers today have prioritized employee engagement, fresh perspectives,and bias-free hiring which is a tectonic shift from traditional structure and are key factors that drive innovation and global competitiveness. Here’s a few things businesses must understand that helps GCCs unlock their full potential.

GCCs leverage inclusive work culture which helps them remain agile and resilient but most importantly, exceptionally innovative. With diverse employees, these offshore centers bring something new to the table in terms of intelligence and sensitivity.

Employees come up with new thoughts, solutions, approaches, and open discussions which can help drive the wheels of progress ahead. Overall, hiring the right talent from different backgrounds directly impacts the operations of GCCs and thus they leave no stones unturned to hire all types of people to boost innovation breakthrough, growth and transformation.

GCCs in India are all set to witness a 18-20% hiring surge in 2025 and are predicted to hire 1.9 million people by 2030 across different industries. This is from STEM and similar backgrounds to be able to provide a class-apart service line to organizations in the USA, UK, UAE, and African markets. However, a fat paycheck is not the top motivator for today’s youth.

Respect, inclusivity, and acceptance, and being valued in their unique identities are major factors that employees typically consider before dropping an application. Productivity and innovative approaches are natural by-products and are a powerful way to ensure job satisfaction and retention. Altogether, it does create a ripple impact on revenue and profits of the GCCs and the parent organization.

Diversity and inclusivity significantly enhance a company’s brand image among customers, stakeholders, and most importantly employees. These initiatives reflect a commitment towards social responsibility and an ethical and forward thinking mindset. Therefore, Indian GCCs indirectly help MNCs and mid-sector companies across the world maintain a respectable reputation in the industry which is a strategic advantage to gain long-term success.

Studies have revealed 10% of all Fortune 500 companies in the world are led by women. In fact, women today have a significant presence in all senior leadership roles. This is a core part of the gender diversity initiative which has been greatly promoted by GCCs. These captive centers offer flexible work policies, fair wages, a safe environment with world-class infrastructure,  and more women-centric roles in Tier-2 cities which helps females stay close to their homes.

Further, there are several training and upskilling programs along with mentorship sessions to help support and uplift women in the GCC landscape. All of these are often in line with parent companies in France and Norway, countries that have mandated gender diversity in their headquarters and extended organizations.

Here’s a quick glance into how Indian GCCs  are implementing inclusion and workplace diversity strategies in their operations. 

1. Inclusive Hiring: GCCs focus more on skills, natural talent, and experience rather than blindly on qualifications. This builds a breeding ground for innovative ideas and solutions that have the potential to change the world.
   
2. Hybrid Work Model: GCCs are highly inclined towards a comfortable hybrid work model structure where employees can split between working remotely and working on site. This is likely to continue in the coming decades as well which is a catalyst to onboard more employees and successfully retain them.
   
3. Collaboration: GCCs try to find common grounds between India and their parent companies in the Western country which is often the base for alignment. This is one way that helps them work with a mirror-like structure or as a digital twin of parent HQs.

As GCCs continue to evolve, embedding D&I in GCCs operations will be even more essential. This philosophy would be the cornerstone of success in securing global partnerships and work in line with legal frameworks of different countries.

Further, GCCs are more likely to respond to market disruptions better, gain a competitive advantage, and adhere to ESG standards. With groundbreaking concepts and techniques, GCCs are likely to foster long-term innovation and continuous advancements and scalability.

Therefore, MNCs must consider collaborating with trusted GCC enablers like Inductus GCC who have the calibre and experience to plan and set up a global capability center with strategically designed solutions and deliver maximum value.