Why is Accenture One of the Greatest Places to Work?

The solutions and global professional services firm Accenture has once again ranked as one of the World’s Best Workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work.

Sitting in fourth place, the company has jumped up two places compared to the 2024 results, overtaking the likes of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals company AbbVie.

Over three quarters (79%) of employees say that Accenture is a great place to work, an increase from 66% reported in July.

Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Accenture, shared her thoughts on the latest ranking on a post in 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.

Sulabh Agarwal, Managing Director at Accenture, said: “Absolutely chuffed to see Accenture recognised again as one of the best places to work.”

Employee experience at Accenture

With 779,000 employees, Accenture says its core values are: client value creation, leading as one global network, respecting individuals, attracting, developing and retaining the best people, and integrity and stewardship.

Its ranking as one of the World’s Best Workplaces is down to employee-centric commitments that are central from the outset, with 87% of employees agreeing that when you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.

When retaining a role, 85% of people say they are given the resources and equipment to do their job and 84% feel they are given a lot of responsibility.

On a workplace environment level, 84% also say management is honest and ethical in its business practices and that facilities contribute to a good working environment.

Discussing the news on LinkedIn, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Accenture Candida Mottershead, says: “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.”

Steering leadership with AI

Throughout her tenure, Julie has led the company through its biggest changes and continues to reshape how the company leads in the AI era, according to Great Place to Work.

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?”

CEO of Great Place to Work Michael C. Bush 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.”

Progression over perfection

In the interview, Julie shared that leaders need to embrace certain shifts to aid company progression.

She said that people need to pivot from efficiency to growth: “Most CEOs I talk to feel like their organisations have over-tilted toward productivity… and they’re missing the growth opportunities from AI.”

Whereas, Accenture helped build Noli, a platform for L’Oréal in the UK that provides hyper-personalised skincare advice for customers.

According to the firm, it uses approximately US$1bn a year in upskilling employees, which Julie says is its primary strategy for reskilling.

“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.”

Research from Great Place to Work shows 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.”