We’re evolving from an engineering and support centre to a multifunctional capability centre: Phani Kiran, iCIMS

In the fast-paced world of HR technology, iCIMS has established itself as a global player, powering recruitment and talent solutions for organisations across continents. As Managing Director, Phani Kiran leads the company’s India operations, shaping its evolution from an engineering outpost to a multifunctional innovation hub. In this conversation, he discusses the scaling of AI and ML within their platform, strategic expansion, the unique advantages of Hyderabad as a GCC location, and iCIMS’s approach to talent and leadership.

iCIMS is powering talent platforms globally, from sourcing to analytics. As hiring demand spikes, how are you scaling AI/ML in your platform delivery without compromising data privacy, compliance or speed?

AI is the buzzword for all tech companies right now, but we’ve been working with AI for quite some time. We acquired Opening.io, based in Ireland, which has become the backbone of what we call TCAI, our Talent Cloud AI platform. TCAI is at the heart of our product ecosystem, serving a variety of use cases for our customers.

For example, TCAI can score resumes against job descriptions, saving recruiters countless hours scanning hundreds or thousands of profiles. The AI matches candidates based on skills and job requirements, while intentionally excluding demographic information to support diversity goals. We’ve also built dashboards allowing customers to track and take corrective action on D&I metrics.

Recently, we announced the launch of AI agents integrated into the iCIMS platform. These agents, equipped with conversational AI, are designed to make recruiters’ jobs easier, handling tasks such as interview scheduling or moving candidates through the hiring stages.

Are these AI agents focused only on recruiters, or do they support onboarding and other employee processes?

Our primary focus is on the recruiter persona. While many people use our products, recruiters are the main users we design for. The agents we’re developing are intended to make recruiters’ workflows more efficient, not specifically for onboarding, but to streamline and enhance core recruiting tasks for all our clients using iCIMS.

India’s GCCs are expected to drive 100 bn USD by 2030. In what ways are you leveraging this momentum?

Our business is currently over 90% focused on the North American market, with 5–8% from EMEA. Although we don’t actively sell to Indian customers, our footprint in India is growing because many of our clients set up operations here. Our entry into EMEA began around four to five years ago, and we’ve added customers in the Middle East as well.

Regarding AI agent development, the core work happens in Dublin right now, though we’re beginning to involve our India centre in feature work. Our flagship product, the applicant tracking system (ATS), requires integration with a vast ecosystem of tools for job posting, screening, onboarding, and digital offers (such as DocuSign), and our Indian engineering team plays a vital role in developing these integrations.

What functions are handled out of the India centre? How significant is your presence here?

We currently have about 17 products, with several built entirely out of India. Our integration ecosystem, what we call our ecosystem product, is developed completely here. iCIMS has operated in India for over three and a half years, with around 1,300 employees globally and more than 320 based in India. Our engineering team here is nearly as large as our headquarters.

Workspace innovation like GCC-as-a-service is gaining popularity. Is iCIMS evaluating flexible GCC models to support rapid client onboarding, localised support or embedded customer success?

We’re evolving from being just an engineering and support centre to a multifunctional Business Capability Office (BCO). Over the past year, we added seven new teams here, including customer success, professional services, finance, operations (including accounts payable), legal and procurement, revenue operations, and our product organisation. This multi-functional footprint allows us to operate independently and build new teams quickly as needed, ensuring we’re equipped to deliver business value end-to-end from this location.

With mid-market entrants and global customers demanding more than just seat licenses, how do you ensure you’re delivering tailored solutions such as domain-specific modules or analytic accelerators that differentiate the GCC’s value?

Achieving multifunctionality is key for innovation. Many software engineers, especially in B2B SaaS, don’t get to use the products they develop the way customers do, which can be a disadvantage. To address this, we foster cross-functional communication by co-locating teams such as product, engineering, support, and customer success.

This approach enables real-time collaboration, allowing teams to better understand customer pain points and translate them into product enhancements. Over the last 12–18 months, we’ve built out our product function in India so that these leaders are close to the business and empowered to make impactful decisions.

The future of GCCs lies in decentralisation and leadership from India. So, what investments are you making in leadership capabilities, product ownership, and tech governance at the India GCC to shape this strategic shift?

We’re actively investing in leadership to ensure teams in India have the autonomy to deliver value independently. Initially, knowledge transfer comes from the US, but our goal is for teams here to become proactive, presenting solutions, not just problems. We’re also hiring for senior leadership roles, such as VP of Engineering, to further empower the India organisation. As our strategy evolves, we expect to expand these leadership roles, especially as we consider tapping into the APAC and India markets more directly.

What makes Hyderabad a standout destination for GCCs, especially compared to other Indian cities?

The biggest driver is talent availability, supported by the many universities and colleges in this region. There’s a strong tradition in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana of families encouraging engineering education, building a robust talent pool.

Hyderabad has seen excellent infrastructure development over the past 10–15 years, and it’s a welcoming place for people from all backgrounds, language and accessibility are not barriers. Major technology companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon built campuses here over two decades ago, which has greatly contributed to the local talent ecosystem. While Bengaluru is renowned for its startup culture, Hyderabad is especially attractive to enterprise software firms looking to scale.

With more than 1,700 GCCs and around 2 million employees in India, how do you attract and retain the best talent amid such competition?

Talent strategy evolves with growth. In the early stages, we primarily hired experienced talent from the market. Now that we’ve reached critical mass, we’re also hiring entry-level talent directly from top local institutes, including BITS Hyderabad and IIT Hyderabad, through our engineering associate program.

We emphasise not just compensation but also benefits, culture, and a rewarding recruitment experience. Continued learning is encouraged, with ongoing development programs for employees. Internally, we prioritise promoting talent and providing exciting growth opportunities.

Has the growth of GCCs brought a change in workplace culture in India?

Absolutely. I’ve conducted 3,000–4,000 interviews over the last six years and often ask candidates why they want to join. There’s a clear perception, and expectation, that working for an international company or MNC offers a better workplace culture. This perception is widely accepted and sought after by candidates.