Citi to step up hiring at India in-house centres, says head HR Sara Wechter

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Citi from a business standpoint and we will continue to grow our employee base at our solution centres in India,” Sara Wechter, Citi’s head of human resources, told ET’s Rica Bhattacharyya in an exclusive interview. Wechter, who is currently visiting India, said Citi’s ‘Solution Centres’ (CSC) in the country will hire at least 5,000 people in the next two years taking its total strength to more than 32,000. The US banking major, which recently exited its consumer banking business in India, will focus on areas of technology, engineering, analytics, AI, and risk, among others, as it expands its talent base at its captive units here.

“India will have the second biggest employee footprint outside of the US (post Mexico Banamex exit) and the largest CSC outside of the US,” she said. Wechter also spoke about the impact of global macroeconomic uncertainty and AI on jobs and how flexible work options can help attract and retain top talent. Edited excerpts: Q 1 What is Citigroup's strategy in India post exit from consumer banking business here and how important is India as a talent pool for Citi? India both from a business standpoint and from an employee standpoint is at the forefront of what we have been doing in the last few years and it’s been growing astronomically.

India will be our second biggest employee footprint outside of the US (post Mexico Banamex exit) and the largest CSC (Citi Solution Centre) outside of the US. The country is extremely important to us from our business standpoint and we will continue to be here for a long time to come. The model is focussed on our institutional business now.