Accenture gives its workers flexibility

When Jennifer Lange thinks about what differentiates Accenture from other employers, the first word that comes to her mind is “people-centric.”

The consulting company provides training for employees to expand their knowledge and improve their technology skills. And supervisors and “people leads” help guide them in advancing their careers, said Lange, managing director and San Antonio advanced technology center lead.

“We have to invest in our people,” she said. “We are only successful if our people are successful.”

Diversity and inclusion is also a top priority at the Fortune 500 company, which has committed to reaching a gender-balanced workforce by 2025 and increasing the number of people of color in executive roles, Lange said. Accenture set a goal in 2015 to hire 5,000 military veterans and spouses by the end of 2020, which the firm said it surpassed.

“Creating opportunities for individuals is not just a matter of ethnic or gender diversity, but really understanding the diversity that each individual person brings and that their lived experiences are different,” Lange said. “For each different experience we can bring in, it makes our company a better place.”

The company earned the Top Workplaces honor for large employers in the San Antonio area with at least 500 workers, placing first among 12 participants. It was followed by Security Service Federal Credit Union in second and Broadway Bank in third.

Employees were asked to nominate their company for the San Antonio Express-News Top Workplaces competition. The newspaper partnered with Philadelphia-based Energage, which surveyed workers and ranked the area’s Top Workplaces based on their feedback.

In survey responses, workers said Accenture “strongly encourages work

Billy Calzada / Staff photographer Accenture’s local operations serve several federal organizations. Many employees are working remotely.