Signed contracts with over 50 GCCs, says TeamLease Digital's new CEO Neeti Sharma

Partnerships with GCCs have seen an uptick over the past few years with the increased number of these captive units setting up base in India

IT staffing company TeamLease Digital’s new chief executive officer (CEO) Neeti Sharma said the company has signed contracts with over 50 Global Capability Centre’s (GCCs). The increasing number of contracts to supply specialised staffing to GCCs comes at a time when job opportunities within the IT services industries have dried up.

GCCs, which are dedicated offshore centres set up by a company to in-source IT and other related business functions, have come into the spotlight of late due to their hiring spree.

“Out of 1,700-1,800-odd GCCs, we've partnered with about 50 of them, we would want to continue to grow on that path as well,” Sharma told Moneycontrol, who assumes charge from March 26. Sharma’s predecessor Sunil Chemmankotil resigned from his post on February 27 to pursue "new challenges" and "opportunities".

Currently, over 1,500 GCCs employ approximately 16 lakh people in India, and could generate revenues of up to $60-85 billion by 2026, according to reports.

Sharma is confident that the hiring momentum by GCCs will continue.

The all-pervasive nature of technology has led every company to embrace it, making tech talent indispensable across sectors, said Sharma, who has been with TeamLease for over 20 years. This shift has resulted in staffing firms to place candidates not only in traditional tech firms but also in non-tech industries such as banking, retail, delivery services, and e-commerce, etc.

The trajectory of partnerships with GCCs have seen an uptick over the past few years with the increased number of these captive units setting up base in the country, she said.

“Earlier it was limited to let’s say… with the likes of GE who had a health back office. But the influx of more and more GCCs in India has only happened in the last 2-3 years,” said Sharma.

Also read: GCCs gain traction among foreign SMBs seeking Indian tech talent

When asked on shift in hiring trends, Sharma said composite skill sets in today's job market has become important than ever before. Employers increasingly seek candidates with a blend of technical expertise and domain knowledge and the ability to adapt and learn on-the-go.

She called out that employees will become stagnant and redundant in case they do not upskill and reskill themselves in the tech industry. Further, they will not be able to move from project to project.

“So that's become a necessity, composite skills are required because you don't need just a developer, you also need someone who can speak (about) front-end with customers and understand the user expectations,” Sharma explained.

Also read: Psychometric tests, higher score, hand-written codes: Tech companies make freshers sweat for an offer

Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have become an integral part of the domain when talking about the tech industry. Candidates who possess an understanding of these tools are highly sought after by employers, reflecting a broader trend towards technological integration in the workplace, Sharma further said.

While hiring, companies are looking for employees who understand and have the capability to use these newer tools, she said.

Another change seen, as highlighted by Sharma, is that coding jobs now constitute about 30 percent of the overall market, which comprised about 60 percent about three-four years back. Rest is made up of tech infrastructure, cloud security, and newer technologies such AI, Sharma said.