The Top Employers Institute has recognised Accenture South Africa as the country’s top employer in professional services for 2018, as well second overall.

Sandy Mohonathan, human resources director for Accenture Africa, Middle East and Turkey, explains some of the factors that have contributed to the company’s success.

Among them are initiatives focused on putting Accenture people at the centre of all the company does, ensuring that design practices are used to continuously improve the employee experience through promoting work/life integration, empowering woman to get to equal, focusing on healthy living, and providing leadership development initiatives to mention a few.

One such initiative, Workforce of the Future, focuses on leveraging technology for improved staff outcomes.

Mohonathan explains: “We’ve digitised our HR systems and processes to a large extent and are also currently working on creating an HR policy bots to respond to employee queries. We do this through collaboration across HR, rapidly adjusting our work and our talent practices to respond to change while helping our people to do the same.”

The Global Challenge, a second key initiative, focuses on promoting healthy living, good sleep, mindfulness, eating well and improving the number of active steps employees take every day.

“It’s about changing how employees work and live,” Mohonathan emphasises.

Employees have also been given pulse devices to monitor steps and focus on being active to keep healthy. This aims to address the key challenges humans face today – staying healthy and productive in a constantly connected world.

A third major focus area has been Accenture’s overall employee value proposition. Accent on You, the firm’s lifestyle rewards program, means discounts for employees and access to convenient services, such as access a driver to collect dry cleaning, or someone to assist with and supervise children’s homework.

“We re-looked at the ‘truly human’ concept, which is about engaging the mind, heart, body and soul. It’s about balancing personal and professional life.”

Beyond this, Accenture has also established active Women’s and LGBT forums, and focused on investing in and elevating diversity and inclusion. Accenture also recognises the need for aspirational and inspirational leaders and focuses on investing in its leaders and building the right leadership DNA.

“Our new purpose is all about unlocking the abundance of Africa for all, both for our employees as well as the communities in which we live and work,” Mohonathan says.

With 2 300+ employees in South Africa, and offices in Johannesburg, Centurion, Cape Town and Durban, Accenture South Africa was also the recipient of Consulting Firm of the Year (SAPSA) 2016, recipient of the 2016 Diversity in the Workplace Award, received gold at the Loeries both in 2017 and 2018. Most recently, the firm was recognised as a LGBT+ Silver Employer in the South Africa Workplace Equality Index (SAWEI).