Careers at Accenture
Accenture has over 500,000 employees, the majority in India, the US and the UK. The company continuously recruits across multiple areas of expertise such as consulting, corporate, operations and cybersecurity.
There is a strong focus on training and retaining staff, so Accenture looks for talented and ambitious people who are planning for long-term careers in the industry. Accenture is also striving for a more diverse and equal workforce, so is keen to hear from applicants from less traditional pathways.
Accenture Application Process
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1
Online Application
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2
Psychometric Assessments
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3
Digital Interview
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4
Virtual Assessment Centre
The competition for positions at Accenture is high, especially for its graduate and training schemes. This is reflected in the hiring process, which includes multiple assessments to ensure the strongest candidates are brought on board.
Typically the process looks like this:
- Online application
- Online assessments
- Digital interview
- Virtual assessment centre
It should take 4–6 weeks to get through all these stages, but it can take longer if you apply during a busy period. There is also feedback available for those who make it past the initial application stage.
Online application form
Before you apply, check that you meet the academic requirements for the role. These will differ for each position: for example, the graduate schemes require a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study. This is important because you can only apply to one programme at a time, and if you are unsuccessful, you must wait six months before applying again.
This stage is where you input details on your background, education and qualifications, and try to make a strong initial impression on the hiring team. Accenture even encourages using graphics, unusual formatting and hyperlinks to make you stand out from the crowd, so don’t be afraid to get creative.
You also need to show that you are the right fit for the company culture, so become familiar with its code of business ethics and show how you embody these values:
- Conduct counts: You are all about fostering fairness, respect, and ethical values.
- Work responsibly: Your working practices always comply with laws, champion environmental responsibility, and uphold human rights.
- High performance: You’re committed to delivering consistently high quality work for all clients, focusing on their best interests and how to move into a strong, more successful future.
Accenture Immersive Online Assessment
This is a series of psychometric tests given to candidates who pass the initial application stage. They are bespoke to Accenture and used to test your proficiency with technology, plus your logic and cognitive skills.
In particular, they assess you in these areas:
If you are a motivated learner and keen to gain new knowledge and skills
How well you collaborate with others, both online and in person
Your level of professionalism when helping clients
Whether you’re interested in new technologies and finding ways to apply them to your work
Accenture estimates you’ll need 60–90 minutes to complete all of the online assessments, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Accenture situational judgement test
A situational judgement test is a type of psychometric test that assesses how you respond to hypothetical workplace scenarios. Accenture also calls these ‘job simulation tests’ and they are tailor-made for each sector, so it is vital that you know the job specification and expectations in detail before taking this test.
This test can tell employers about your personality type and problem-solving skills, so it’s important to be honest but also mindful of what they’re looking for. Accenture values ambitious and innovative staff, but also has a strong international and collaborative network. Therefore, showing you work well in a team is important.
There is no prior knowledge needed, but it is still a good idea to practice for situational judgement tests. This will help you to get used to how the questions are structured and how to answer to show you suit the company culture. Have a look at some tips on how to take situational judgement tests to help your technique.
Accenture numerical reasoning test
One of the most popular aptitude tests given by employers is numerical reasoning, since data interpretation and dealing with numerical information is a key workplace skill for many jobs.
Typically, you will be presented information in the form of graphs and tables, which you will have to analyse and identify key data from to choose the correct answer. As well as testing your numerical dexterity, numerical reasoning tests show employers your problem-solving skills and how well you work under pressure.
The time restriction for numerical reasoning tests is usually the most difficult part of the assessment, which is why it’s important to practice them as much as possible.
Accenture logical reasoning test
Logical reasoning is an umbrella term for different kinds of problem-solving tests. The ones that Accenture use are also known as diagrammatic reasoning tests, which use abstract, image-based logic questions. Often you will be faced with a series of shapes that differ in size, shape, colour or spatial orientation, and asked to identify the pattern in the sequence.
There is no prior knowledge needed for these, as they are an assessment of your general intelligence and how well you cope with abstract problem-solving. As they are not dependent on language skills or educational background, they are a popular aptitude test for employers who are trying to make their hiring process more inclusive.
However, this does not mean you cannot prepare for them or work to improve your performance beforehand. Logical reasoning tests can be stressful if you’re not used to this type of problem-solving, especially under a time pressure, so it’s important to practice logical questions as much as possible.
