Strategic HR and a Culture of Inclusivity

Over the past three years, Ubisoft India has undergone two pivotal shifts in how we approach people and culture. First, we redefined the HR Business Partner (HRBP) function to act as a strategic lever in talent and business planning. Second, we embedded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring that inclusion is not an add-on but a core part of how we operate.

Both transformations were designed as long-term investments in the culture and capability required to sustain creative, people-first workplaces in the gaming industry. Together, they have allowed us to stabilize production, improve engagement, and build a workplace where fairness and representation drive business performance.

Reimagining HR as a Strategic Partner 

Ubisoft India operates in a niche segment of the AVGC industry, where specialized skills are scarce and production cycles demand continuity and agility. In this environment, HR had to evolve beyond operational support and become an enabler of business resilience. We rebuilt our HRBP model around four key shifts, aligning it with the realities of game production and employee expectations. 

From Generalist to Strategic Business Partner 

 • HRBPs were upskilled to become analytical, data-driven advisors who work side by side with project leads. They now contribute directly to workforce forecasting, succession planning, and organizational design. Their presence on project floors and in production rooms is deliberate, ensuring that talent decisions are made in sync with delivery needs.

 • Through this shift, workforce planning became more proactive rather than reactive. By integrating live project data into quarterly business reviews, we reduced last-minute hiring surges by 25 percent, stabilized bench management, and positioned HR as a trusted business voice. 

From Ad Hoc Mobility to Structured Growth 

• To address talent shortages and build internal resilience, we introduced SkillUP, an internal learning and mobility program co-led by HRBPs and subject matter experts. SkillUP provides structured pathways for lateral and vertical movement, with onboarding plans, clear upskilling timelines, and dedicated mentoring. 

• The results have been significant. Internal hiring has grown by 40 percent year-on-year. Roles supported through SkillUP now close 30 percent faster than external hires. Employees who transition internally are 1.5 times more likely to stay beyond two years, improving both retention and project continuity. 

From Ambiguous Performance to Clarity and Consistency 

• We rolled out a studio-wide SMART OKR framework, with HRBPs leading manager training, goal-setting workshops, and calibration audits. Today, over 85 percent of our product and QA teams work with measurable, roadmap-linked goals. 

 • The impact is clear: post-calibration range changes dropped from nearly 20 percent to under 2 percent. Performance conversations have become more transparent, with managers reporting improved confidence in feedback and employees experiencing greater clarity in career expectations. 

From Periodic Surveys to Active Listening

• Employee listening is now a central HRBP responsibility. Each HRBP conducts skip-level conversations with every employee in their scope at least twice a year. These discussions act as proactive stay interviews, identifying risks before they escalate. 

 • We also introduced “Hour with HR” sessions as open forums where employees can raise questions related to growth, policies, or team dynamics. These forums, combined with structured task forces created for survey cycles, have strengthened the culture of accountability. In areas where task forces were active, engagement scores rose steadily, and attrition dropped by 12 percent. 

Spotlight: Embedding DEI into Talent and Culture

 • While the HRBP model ensured strategic alignment, our DEI framework brought cultural consistency. Launched in 2021, Ubisoft India's DEI strategy is anchored on four pillars—Colleagues, Culture, Content, and Community—and is tracked annually through our DEI Maturity Index. 

 • Rather than treating DEI as symbolic programming, we embedded it into every stage of the talent lifecycle

• Policy Transformation: All HR policies and job descriptions were reviewed for inclusive language. Benefits expanded to cover nontraditional families, parental leave was made gender inclusive, and hybrid flexibility was formalized. Domestic partner coverage and childcare platforms were introduced.

 • Leadership Accountability: Inclusion, safety, and respect scores from employee surveys are now part of manager KPIs. DEI councils and ERGs work with HRBPs to co-own action plans. 

• Representation: Diversity-focused hiring campaigns and inclusive panel practices increased female applicants from 10 percent to 33 percent and women in technical roles from 0 percent to 20 percent over two years. 

• Capability Building: More than 2,000 hours of DEI learning were logged in FY24, covering unconscious bias, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership. Localized modules ensured contextual relevance for Indian workplaces.

 • Culture Reinforcement: Globe Smart, a cultural intelligence tool, was rolled out to support cross-regional collaboration. Local ERGs were connected to global networks for women, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and neurodiversity. 

This integration has yielded measurable outcomes: gender representation rose from 18 to 26 percent between FY21 and FY24; half of key business unit leadership roles are now held by women; and gender pay equity has been maintained within a 1–2 percent variance. 

Extending Inclusion Beyond the Workplace

Our DEI journey extends outward into the communities we engage with. Through a three-year partnership with the TWEET Foundation, we have co-designed skilling and mentorship programs for transgender youth. To date, over 150 placements have been facilitated, supported by 650 volunteer hours from Ubisoft employees.

 In parallel, our collaboration with Green Yatra has combined climate action with rural women's livelihoods, employing women in afforestation and water restoration efforts. These initiatives have been Perhaps more importantly, the perception of HR within the studio has shifted. HRBPs are no longer seen as transactional support but as strategic advisors. Managers approach performance reviews with greater clarity, employees feel more aware of growth opportunities, and DEI is understood as a business priority, not an HR initiative. 

Conclusion

 At Ubisoft India, the evolution of HR has shown that culture and capability are inseparable from delivery. The HRBP model has allowed us to anticipate workforce needs, embed data-driven talent strategies, and stabilize production in a volatile industry. The DEI framework has ensured that these systems are not only efficient but also equitable, building a workplace where people feel seen, safe, and valued.

 Our sights are now set on expanding intersectional inclusion across neurodiversity, disability, and regional diversity; strengthening supplier accountability; and refining our DEI Maturity Index with deeper experience-based metrics. These priorities are not short-term projects; they are long-term commitments designed to build a resilient, representative, and future-ready workforce.

 Strategic HR is not about adding new layers. It is about reworking core systems to reflect the culture we want to build. At Ubisoft India, that means putting empathy, fairness, and clarity at the center of how we grow people and teams, while continuing to deliver on the create ambition and operational pace of our industry