There’s a new ARR that business leaders need to track. No, it’s not Average Run Rate or Average Retention Rate. It’s an Authentic, Relevant, and Resonant (ARR) employer brand!
Why, you ask?
Well, read on…
The GCC Employer Brand
More and more Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are (or aspiring to) moving up the value chain to become the innovation engines driving digital transformation for multinational corporations. And this movement is being fuelled by some really exceptional talent, especially in fields like digital transformation, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and product management. At the same time, you have Indian enterprises driving rapid digitization, and we also have a sophisticated start-up ecosystem—all vying for these high-value skill sets.
One must also consider that with the global nature of work, talent is now no longer evaluating employers only based on local benchmarks; the best talent out there (the one you want!) is measuring you on a global stage, seeking not only competitive compensation but also meaningful work, diverse growth pathways, an engaging organizational culture, and if they see alignment with your organization’s values and purpose.
It means you need to adopt a more nuanced and differentiated approach to employer branding. Build on your parent brand but be more relevant and resonant to the local talent market.
Glocalize your EVP
Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) needs to articulate what you uniquely offer and expect in return from talent. This will form the foundation of your employer brand. However, the moat you build will be in how well you can fine-tune and build alignment between your global and local EVP, to meet the local talent market’s aspirations and cultural expectations.
Today’s talent demands visible evidence of impactful work, investments in professional development, and a clear commitment to purpose-driven leadership. To build relevance and resonance, you must co-create and periodically refresh the EVP based on employee feedback, market benchmarking, and engagement analytics. For instance, highlighting opportunities for global mobility, cross-functional rotations, and involvement in high-impact projects can help you attract the talent you seek.
In an Indian context, localization also requires an understanding of the country’s diverse workforce’s aspirations for career growth, recognition, and flexible work arrangements. Additionally, social responsibility and inclusive practices are now core considerations for talent. Robust DEI initiatives coupled with wellness and community outreach programs can add authentic layers to the EVP, making it more relatable and motivating for talent to add you to their consideration set or stay back with you.
Inside-Out Employer Branding: Using Feedback as a Mirror
What is important is to ensure you are continuously refining your EVP through feedback, to build an authentic inside-out employer brand. In the rush to share the great stories, it’s easy to be blindsided and operate in an echo chamber. Use some of the platforms like Glassdoor, GPTW feedback, etc., as a listening mechanism to identify these blind spots and address any areas that are evolving as strong feedback that needs to be addressed.
Marry Credibility and Amplification
In today’s transparent and crowded talent marketplace, consistent and authentic storytelling is essential. Choose real over polished corporate speak. Share real-life accounts of project wins, breakthrough innovations, upskilling journeys, and individual impact stories. Get your employees to be your advocates—both internally and externally.
To reach and engage your multi-faceted audience, you need a multi-channel mix:
- Owned media: To celebrate achievements, share ongoing initiatives, and build internal pride and camaraderie, you can leverage company social handles, careers pages, internal newsletters, townhalls, demo days, family days, volunteering efforts, etc.
- Earned media: To build stronger brand credibility and reputation, as well as validate the strength of your message on its merit, incorporate earned media coverage in leading industry publications, participation in business school events, and accolades in credible employer rankings.
- Leadership visibility: As an employer brand, you are positioning your culture—and that is always driven top-down. Company leaders should actively share insights at industry conferences, in thought leadership articles, and via platforms such as LinkedIn, personalizing the organization’s tone and showcasing genuine leadership commitment.
And while you drive all of these, put mechanisms in place to track if this time, effort, and dollar investment is giving you the results you need. Identify metrics to regularly track employer reputation scores, engagement levels, and feedback from both candidates and employees to refine your communications and branding approach.
Leader as a Channel
A visible and approachable leadership is important for your talent. When leaders champion key topics—like digital transformation, DEI, or sustainability openly, their credibility rubs off on the entire brand. Engaging with employees through virtual town halls, AMAs, mentorship programs, informal coffee connects, and participating in volunteering activities further closes the gap between C-suite vision and everyday experience, reinforcing authenticity.
Leaders who openly support upskilling, celebrate success stories, and acknowledge challenges help build a psychologically safe culture, which is critical for attracting resilient, innovative talent. Leveraging the leader as a channel of communication in employer branding helps translate the EVP from aspiration to experience.
So, in a Nutshell…
India is likely to clock 2,500 GCCs by 2030, from the current 1700+ count.
The race to attract and retain the best talent is on (has been for a while)!
The winners will be those who build strong and authentic inside-out employer brands that are relevant and resonate with the talent by ensuring they:
- Actively listen to employee sentiment and local expectations and adapt the EVP accordingly
- Invest in upskilling and innovation, making learning and experimentation everyday realities, especially in high-demand areas
- Bring purpose, inclusivity, and wellbeing at the core of the work culture, not just as tick-box initiatives
- Tell real stories: Amplify the voice of employees and leaders through diverse, transparent touchpoints
- Leverage data to measure brand health and fine-tune efforts and messaging for maximum impact
In today’s dynamic talent landscape, GCCs must move beyond generic branding and build employer narratives rooted in authenticity, relevance, and resonance. The real differentiator lies in listening deeply, acting consistently, and telling stories that truly reflect who you are.
