Why Accenture's People Strategy Drives Workplace Success

Global professional services firm Accenture has climbed to fourth place in Fortune and Great Place to Work's World's Best Workplaces ranking, moving up two positions from 2024.

The achievement could signal the success of Accenture's people-centric approach, with employee satisfaction rising to 79% from 66% reported in July.

With 779,000 employees worldwide, the firm's advancement in the rankings comes as organisations globally grapple with retention challenges and the need to build workplace cultures that can adapt to technological transformation.

Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Accenture, shared her thoughts on the latest ranking in a post on LinkedIn, writing: "Accenture's strategy is to be the most AI-enabled, client-focused, great place to work for inventors in the world.

"Thank you to our reinventors around the world for sharing your feedback and for the work you do for our clients, partners and communities every day," she added.

Employee-centric values drive engagement

Accenture's core values centre on client value creation, leading as one global network, respecting individuals, attracting, developing and retaining the best people, and integrity and stewardship. These principles appear to translate into tangible employee experiences from day one.

According to the ranking data, 87% of employees agree that when joining the company, they were made to feel welcome. Once in role, 85% of people say they were given the resources and equipment to do their job, whilst 84% feel they are given significant responsibility.

Candida Mottershead, Chief Human Resources Officer of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Accenture, discussed the news on LinkedIn, saying: "This is a reflection of the incredible people I have the privilege to work alongside every day - their dedication, creativity and commitment to collaboration makes all the difference.

"Proud to be part of a team that continues to raise the bar and shape the kind of workplace we all want to be part of."

Leadership reinvention in the AI era

Throughout her tenure, Julie has led the company through its biggest changes and continues to reshape how Accenture leads in the AI era, according to Great Place to Work. The approach could offer insights for HR leaders navigating similar transformations.

In an interview with Great Place to Work, published on 13 November, she said: "Every leader needs to think of themselves as a reinventor.

"Reinvention only can happen with leaders, and leaders have to make a choice: Am I a reinventor?"

Michael C. Bush, Chief Executive Officer of Great Place to Work, said: "AI can't replace human connection. It can't listen, care or inspire people.

"That's what leaders do. Technology can help us work smarter, but only people can build trust."

Investment in skills development

The firm reportedly uses approximately $1bn annually in upskilling employees, which Julie describes as its primary strategy for reskilling. This investment could prove crucial as organisations face skills gaps in emerging technologies.

"Every one of our people has access to training," she said. "We've just opened our entire learning platform, which includes degrees, to any person at Accenture."

The company helped build Noli, a platform for L'Oréal in the UK that provides hyper-personalised skincare advice for customers, demonstrating how upskilled employees can drive innovation.

Research from Great Place to Work suggests that the number one driver of agility is letting employees try things and celebrating their efforts. When that happens, research shows that they are 253% more likely to adapt to change without fear, according to 1.3 million employees.

Julie shares: "We have a culture of progress over perfection. When you have that culture, you provide safety to move quickly, to be able to make mistakes and that is a deep part of our DNA."