Accenture is committed to an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities  as an integral part of their global inclusion and diversity strategy. “Inclusion Starts with I”, an Accenture video which was shown at the 2019 EARN conference, demonstrates this commitment. (The link to “Inclusion Starts with I” is provided at the end of this article).
Joe Mead, Business and Technology Delivery Senior Manager, tells us more about Accenture.

Interview Questions:
1. Tell us about your organization. What’s the one thing you are known for? (Think: brevity, quick overview)

• Accenture solves our clients’ toughest challenges by providing unmatched services in 5 areas: strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations.
• We operate globally in more than 120 countries with a workforce of over 450,000 employees.
• We partner with more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500, driving innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. With expertise across more than 40 industries and all business functions, we deliver transformational outcomes for a demanding new digital world.
• Accenture has several locations in Canada; its Ottawa office has a workforce of 400+ employees.
• Specific to the Ottawa market: one of the largest group of clients Accenture works with is the Health and Public Service group, and this group includes many government clients.

2. What types of positions do you recruit for on a regular basis?

• As we get to know you, we’ll help you find the right path for your career through our wide range of opportunities.
• You’ll have the chance to work across a range of industries with some of the most influential organizations in the world and make a difference by identifying business issues and collaborating with other to craft innovative solutions.
• Two examples of common entry level positions are Technology Analyst and Consulting Analyst.

3. How do job seekers apply for positions within your organization?

• Apply online at https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/careers/
• Accenture does campus recruiting to attract new/recent graduates.
• We have a strong commitment to Inclusion and Diversity so we find tools and areas to reach out to job seekers with disabilities and other designated groups.
• As an EARN member, Accenture takes part in events such as career fairs and speed interview practice sessions; in fact we hired someone outstanding who took part in one of these sessions.
• Accenture recently completed a pilot in Toronto with Specialisterne Canada that led to hiring candidates on the autism spectrum. Currently we are looking at what we’ve learned in order to apply it across Canada and around the world.

4. Who is your ideal candidate? (Specifically: what skills/competencies are important to your organization; do you build some of these on the job?)

• We hire for smart. Plain and simple.
• From free spirits, risk takers and excitement seekers. To idea generators, IT innovators and digital disruptors. We look for passionate, curious, creative and solution-driven team players who thrive under pressure and are inspired to push boundaries.
• There are constant changes in areas like technology which require ongoing skills building. We have adopted a new focus “pivoting to the new”, which speaks especially to training in new technologies.
• Accenture offers its employees many training opportunities, online and in class, to make available skills relevant to the workforce, and to build and scale up skills that deliver value.

5. What’s your best advice for someone who wants to build a career in your organization?

• Apply!  We want to hire the best people and cannot do so unless you apply.
• Do a fantastic job at whatever projects you undertake and deliver.
• We look for employees who go above and beyond and we need high performers on our teams.

6. How are you committed to providing employment that includes professional development and progression for persons with disabilities?

• We are committed to accelerating equality for all and to creating a work environment where every one of our people feels like they belong.
• Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to our culture and core values at Accenture. We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion or sexual orientation.
• Accenture also believes government laws, regulations and business practices should uphold the principles of diversity, inclusion and equality. While laws may vary in the countries where Accenture operates, we remain committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace – where people can feel comfortable, be themselves and, as a result, be productive.
• Accenture provides an inclusive and equitable work environment for people with disabilities and drives awareness through training programs.

7. More broadly, what policies and practices has your organization developed to create and champion an accessible and inclusive workplace for persons with disabilities?

• We strive to ensure an inclusive, accessible, barrier-free work environment that supports Accenture people with disabilities across the globe.
• We believe each person has unique skills, talent and strengths to contribute. Our ambition is to provide our clients with the best talent in the world and there should be no barrier to uncovering talent due to a disability – whether hidden or visible.
• The adjustment or modification can be delivered in the form of assistive technology provisions, workplace adjustments, or other adjustments.
• We see accessibility as an opportunity to innovate and improve technology usability for everyone.
• Ensuring an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities across our company is an integral part of Accenture’s global inclusion and diversity strategy. We are committed to raising awareness and educating our Accenture people and relevant stakeholders about persons with disabilities, while simultaneously supporting our persons with disabilities employees worldwide.
• Accenture’s global Persons with Disabilities Champions Network was created to bring employees, supporters and friends together for networking, collaboration, and mentoring. Today, our network groups are active at the local level across many of the geographies in which Accenture operates.
• Local Persons with Disabilities Champions Networks are formed by employees and they organize programs and events that engage, celebrate, and raise awareness about persons with disabilities.
• At the national level, Canada has a Canadian Diversity Council led by Accenture’s Canadian CEO, with members of the senior leadership team and employees from Ottawa represented on it. The Council meets regularly to set, approve, monitor and meet targets for diversity.
• There are opportunities for employees with disabilities, based in Ottawa and across the country, to become involved in activities and events that promote diversity and inclusion.
• Accenture always strives to do better across all dimensions of diversity, including targets for people with disabilities. Accenture wants to be the most diverse company in Canada and across the globe.
• New research from Accenture, in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), reveals that companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting more persons with disabilities in their workforce have outperformed their peers.
• See: Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage.

To watch “Inclusion Starts with I”:  http://earn-paire.mydev.ca/employers/tools-and-resources/2019-conf-resources/

To find out more about Accenture: https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/careers/

We would like to thank Joe Mead, Business and Technology Delivery Senior Manager, for giving of his time, and that of his colleagues, to inform our readership about Accenture.