Preparing first-time managers across borders — a global GCC’s approach

That’s why one of the world’s leading real estate and investment management companies recently partnered with Jombay to build a solid internal pipeline of First Line Managers (FLMs) across their Global Capability Center (GCC), spread across India, Philippines, and Costa Rica.

As the organization rapidly scaled in both headcount and scope, the challenge wasn’t just identifying future managers - it was identifying exactly WHAT made a great one in their unique shared services environment.

Here’s how we helped:

> Coded the DNA of a successful FLM – We ran focus group discussions with internal leaders to pinpoint what makes an effective people manager within their global support structure. This allowed us to align our evaluation to their language, values, and real on-ground expectations - ultimately anchoring the process to five key leadership competencies: Inspire, Win Together, Simplify, Be Intentional, and Be Future Ready.

> Built a fair, cross-border assessment experience – The final assessment mix included 27 Echo Personality, Abstract Thinking, a custom Case Study, and a Recorded Interview, carefully chosen to ensure fairness across language and cultural contexts.

> Delivered on speed and scale – The program was successfully rolled out in three global hubs. We completed assessments and delivered location-wise stack-ranked reports and analytics within the defined timelines.

> Enabled confident selection into the flagship FLM program – The insights formed the basis for choosing the next batch of people managers and helped talent teams map future readiness across their regions.

The result?

A data-backed, culturally sensitive, and globally consistent way to identify and support new people managers—without compromising speed or fairness.

If you too are looking for partners in running a Development Centre for your team, feel free to reach out for a quick chat:)