Global companies are increasingly building global talent sourcing hubs to serve worldwide markets.
This report analyses how leading organizations have structured their talent sourcing functions.
We identify where these companies base their recruiting hubs and why. The report also examines the benefits (cost savings, efficiency) and considerations when locating global sourcing centres.
Key terms include:
Talent Sourcing Function: The process and team dedicated to identifying and attracting job candidates.
Sourcing Organisation: The overall structure and strategy for talent acquisition in a company.
Talent Sourcing Hubs: A centralized location (or centre of excellence) from which sourcing/recruiting activities for multiple regions are conducted.
Cost Savings & Efficiency: Primary drivers for centralization – reducing expenses and improving hiring speed/quality through standardization.
Talent Sourcing Hubs for Top Tech Companies
Global tech firms have vast recruiting needs and have experimented with centralizing parts of their talent acquisition:
Amazon
Amazon centralizes global talent sourcing through hubs like AWS’s Central Sourcing Team (CST) in the Philippines. This Manila-based team partners with hiring managers worldwide, handling candidate sourcing and screening. The model reduces costs and scales sourcing capacity while maintaining quality. In EMEA, Amazon expanded into Eastern Europe by launching targeted recruiting campaigns in Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Amazon blends local recruiters for on-site roles with centralized hubs in talent-rich, cost-effective regions.
Google initially relied on regional recruiting teams in hubs like Mountain View, Dublin, and Singapore. It later added centralized support via the Google Operations Centre (GOC) in India and other countries. While GOC focuses on user support, it also centralizes some HR functions. Google builds recruiting hubs in Ireland and Singapore to stay close to talent markets.
Dublin, with over 6,000 employees, and India’s Bengaluru and Hyderabad offices provide access to multilingual and scalable sourcing. Google aligns recruiters with regional markets and uses data-driven tools to balance cost, speed, and quality.
Meta
Meta streamlined its global recruiting by centralizing sourcing for specific talent segments and partnering for contingent hiring. Its direct sourcing program, run virtually across many countries, enabled rapid hiring in over 10 countries within a year.
Meta operates recruiting hubs in London, Dublin, and Singapore, supporting multiple countries and ensuring consistent branding and candidate experience. The strategy combines regional hubs with centralized programs like direct sourcing and analytics to boost efficiency.
Microsoft
Microsoft organizes talent acquisition through global centres of excellence. It runs regional Talent Acquisition Centres in Prague and India to support hiring across geographies. The Prague Development Centre sources tech talent across Europe, while Hyderabad and Bengaluru serve as recruiting and HR hubs.
These centres handle scalable tasks like sourcing and scheduling at lower costs. Microsoft standardizes processes via its Global Talent Acquisition function while allowing local customization. Domain-specific hubs (e.g., Engineering, Sales) ensure deep expertise and avoid duplication.
Apple
Apple favors localized recruiting but operates centralized functions in key locations. Its Cork, Ireland campus, with over 6,000 employees, supports EMEA operations, including recruiting. In India, Apple hires to support manufacturing and operations growth. These hubs help manage volume hiring efficiently.
Apple keeps strategic recruiting decentralized, with engineering hires managed from Cupertino or design centres. Apple’s hubs in Ireland and India reflect a shift toward global sourcing for high-volume roles while preserving control over strategic talent.
In summary, tech companies have broadly embraced a hub-and-spoke model for talent sourcing.
Most of them established regional recruiting hubs (often in locations with rich recruiter talent or cost advantages) while coordinating globally.
These hubs integrate the companies’ culture and processes, ensuring that even as hiring spans continents, the approach remains unified.
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