Accenture: An insider guide - Gymkhana

The Company
Consultant teams do most of the work at the client site. These range from the small,
paratroop-like squads of the strategy unit, consisting of two to five members, to
massive mobilization units involving dozens to 100 or more folks from other service
areas. Because of the nature of the work, Accenture project teams tend to be
larger and more bottom-heavy than those of rival consulting firms that do less
systems work. Many projects have an organizational structure worthy of a small
firm: a senior manager or partner responsible for the most high-level client
interaction, followed several managers who are each responsible for a part of the
project and supervise two or three teams each of analysts and consultants.
Many analysts and consultants will have their own cubicle and workstation at
the client site. If they’re locally based, they may report every day to that station,
just like in an industry job. Strategy consultants and senior managers, who tend
to be more mobile, often work out of a laptop and “totes,” or moveable storage
containers.
Moving from job to job, compounded by the size of Accenture, can be a strain.
One insider describes the downside of working in consulting this way: “It’s so
big, you’re always changing clients, you never get a sense of belonging.”
Perhaps mindful of losing touch with its far-flung staff, Accenture has instituted
activities that connect consultants outside of work. Some are as informal as
dinners out. Others might be as time-consuming as teaching other consultants
about a new programming language.
In 1998, Accenture created market unit–based “communities” of 150 or so
employees grouped by their location and industry practice. These communities
meet quarterly in most cities to discuss everything from business to personnel
issues. The ostensible purpose might be to hear a presentation by a resources
consultant in Dallas. But they are really all about networking. “It’s to feel like
you belong to the company, to not get overwhelmed by the fact that it’s a big,
international firm,” says one insider.
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