This document contains ink, shapes and i... CASE Accenture-Retaining for Itself Accenture is a firm that provides a wide range of What Accenture does for its own employees consulting and services to organizations world- illustrates one reason why it is widely used by wide. With more than 170,000 employees, the clients. At the heart of Accenture's approach for firm has clients in 120 countries that receive itself is to consider its employees as a virtual many HR and other consulting services. Among workforce. This means that numerous employ- others, these services include organizational, stra- ees work in many different places at different tegic, and change management analyses; leader- times, often using work-life balancing, technology ship training and development; and technology resources, and work-related job flexibility. With assistance and supply chain assistance. Large and offices in more than 150 cities worldwide, the small client organizations also outsource various work locations and schedules vary so much that operational functions to Accenture instead of numerous Accenture consultants have to reserve performing them internally with employees. Thus, a desk at an office when they need to be there. Accenture has many individuals who serve as con- Otherwise, many employees are encouraged to sultants and support experts on specialized areas work outside offices. and industries. The out-of-office environment presents an Because of its many professional consult- extensive HR challenge for Accenture in terms of ing and support staff members, Accenture has engaging its employees. Many consultant employ- to manage its own human resources effectively ees work intermittently with a variety of managers in order to serve both itself and its clients. The and coworkers, in teams as large as 1,000 consul- rapid growth of this widespread firm has caused tants, throughout multiple countries. Accenture to hire up to 60,000 employees in To practice retention in its own firm, Accenture just one year due to the expansion of clients and does extensive training and development of employ- the need to replace employees who have left to ees. All new Accenture workers participate in "New become employees at other firms, to become inde- Joiner Orientation" where they learn what is expected pendent consultants, or to work as employees at of them, do sample client projects with coworkers, client firms. and become linked to personal career counselors. itself. Career training and development efforts include QUESTIONS a wide range of activities, access to Accentures 1. Identify how some Accenture-type efforts "Career Marketplace" website, and training in how have and have not occurred in your current to work effectively on different types of projects and in global locations. The value of these activities is and previous workplaces. Also, discuss why shown in the fact that almost 39% of Accenture's focusing on employee retention pays off for Accenture clients, and not just for Accenture open U.S. jobs are filled by current employees who change and/or increase their job levels. What Accenture's employee retention program 2. Go to the Accenture website, www.accenture emphasizes is that the firm does not just consult .com, to research and gather job- and career- about HR and other services for clients, but also related information that might need to be does for itself what many current and potential adapted by other employers. As part of this clients need to do, which is to view HR planning research, examine how Accenture markets and retention as crucial for organizational success itself to current and potential employees. and growth