With over 1,700 GCCs operating across India and employing nearly 1.9 million people, the country has firmly established itself as a global hub for these centres. Projected to reach $100 billion in revenue by 2030, with headcount surpassing 2.5 million, the sector is on a strong growth trajectory. To stay ahead, GCCs are addressing key challenges in talent acquisition, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. We sat down with Rency Mathew from Sabre, to gain valuable insights into the talent strategies Sabre is implementing to contribute to the success of GCCs and drive continued growth in this dynamic sector.
Rency is the People Leader APAC and MD, Sabre Bengaluru and has two decades of extensive experience collaborating with executive teams to analyse, determine and implement HR solutions focused on achieving business results. In the past, she has collaborated with notable companies such as IBM, Delphi, and Scientific Games of India.
India is rapidly emerging as a global hub for GCCs. With over 1,700 centres and millions employed, what do you see as the key factors driving this growth?
Rency: India’s GCC journey has been remarkable. Things truly accelerated around 20 years ago. Sabre itself is completing 20 years next year. Initially, companies viewed India as a source of cost-effective talent, but they quickly realised the immense potential here. Indian professionals consistently deliver above and beyond expectations.
Data from Zinnov and NASSCOM reveals that around 80-100 GCCs have established themselves in India, offering skills that are often unmatched globally. Today, GCCs have evolved into Centers of Excellence (CoEs), handling advanced functions. For example, at IBM over a decade ago, we created a CoE for marketing in India that was even larger than their domestic team. Similarly, Sabre has seen more senior and strategic roles emerge in its Indian CoE.
As the GCC sector expands, what talent challenges are Sabre encountering, and how are you addressing them?
Rency: At Sabre, we’ve introduced several forward-thinking initiatives. One of our standout programs is Sabre Hyper Jump. It’s a robust internship program where students spend six months working closely with us during their final semester. This isn’t just about on-the-job training; we combine hands-on projects with classroom sessions to groom future leaders.
We’ve seen remarkable results. Many of these interns have taken on roles two levels above entry positions due to the comprehensive training. They bring energy and confidence, often directly interacting with our CEOs and driving initiatives that boost office culture.
We’ve also focused on increasing diversity. Our 2024 internship batch, for instance, had a 50-50 gender split. However, we never compromise on merit. While we ensure a healthy pipeline of women candidates, the selection process is uniform for everyone. Additionally, we recruit across India—from Chandigarh to Bihar—bringing in diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Diversity seems to play a significant role in your strategies. Can you share more about how Sabre supports inclusivity?
Flexibility has been key to fostering inclusivity. Remote and hybrid working options have allowed us to retain talent, especially women who may have left due to family commitments. Return-to-work programs have also been pivotal in welcoming women back into the workforce.
We’re also mindful of supporting the LGBTQ+ community. For instance, our insurance policies allow employees to add non-spousal partners, ensuring inclusivity. Beyond that, we’re seeing newer trends, like employees including pets in insurance plans, reflecting how workplace policies need to adapt to evolving lifestyles.
Millennials and Gen Z employees are transforming workplaces. What has Sabre learned from them?
Rency: This new generation has brought fresh energy and a questioning mindset. Unlike older generations who often accepted the status quo, Gen Z asks, “Why can’t we do this differently?” Their curiosity and drive have pushed us to rethink long-standing processes.
For example, we now assign interns to customer-facing roles right away, helping them understand client needs from the outset. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship—these young professionals challenge us with new ideas, and we guide them in navigating the corporate world.
What does it take to build high-performance teams at Sabre?
Rency: Collaboration between HR and engineering teams has been critical to our success. When hiring, we don’t limit ourselves to Tier-1 colleges. We actively recruit from Tier-2 institutions, focusing on candidates who show a passion for learning and growth rather than entitlement.
We also prepare interns for the transition from campus to corporate life. Through our Campus to Corporate program, we teach them how to adapt to a professional environment, ensuring they hit the ground running. Alumni from these colleges often help identify candidates who align with Sabre’s values, further strengthening our hiring process.
Q: Can you share some insights into Sabre's work policies and how they’re evolving?
At Sabre, we prioritise flexibility and trust in how our teams work. We’ve adopted a hybrid work policy, where 25% of our employees are fully remote, even based in cities like Bangalore. The decision to work remotely is based on individual roles, locations, and manager approval.
In addition, 45% of our teams work with remote managers, meaning they aren’t co-located with their direct reports. We also offer flexibility in scheduling—employees can decide which days to come to the office within their scheduled work week. For cross-functional collaboration, we’ve encouraged teams to establish core days or hours where everyone can be in the office at the same time.
To streamline coordination, we recently held a vote to define a specific day for all-hands events, ensuring that key gatherings are easy for everyone to attend.
We also offer comprehensive family leave policies—while women are entitled to six months of maternity leave, we’ve extended 12 weeks of paternity leave for our male employees to promote a more balanced approach to caregiving.
One unique policy we’ve introduced is the Core Commute Time—from 4 to 6 PM, we avoid scheduling meetings to prevent employees from taking calls while driving. And finally, our year-end break, from December 25th to January 1st, ensures everyone gets time off to recharge.
At Sabre, we believe in creating a work environment that supports flexibility, well-being, and productivity.
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How do you ensure employees find a sense of purpose in their work?
The purpose is critical, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. In their early career years, they want challenging and meaningful projects that add value to their professional growth. At Sabre, we assign interns and new hires to high-impact roles, including customer-facing projects.
We also focus on fostering community and friendships at work, which enhances engagement and satisfaction. Beyond this, employees care about their company’s larger purpose. Programs like Give Together align their contributions with societal impact, reinforcing their sense of purpose.
