Accenture and Cognizant named top consultancy employers in Europe

For the third consecutive year technology consultancies Accenture and Cognizant have been named one of Europe’s top employers. For 2018, Accenture was certified as a top employer in seven European countries, while Cognizant managed to scoop a recognition for human capital excellence in eight countries. 

Every year The Top Employers Institute conducts research into the working conditions that employers create for their people, including to what extent they provide an outstanding work environment, develop and nurture talent, and continuously optimise employment practices. The research house believes that optimal employee conditions facilitate both a higher productivity as well as employee satisfaction, which in turn enables companies to grow and to develop. 

The Top Employers Institute, headquartered in the Netherlands, carries out the research in countries in all corners of the globe, with Europe the firm’s sweet spot. The newly released 2018 list of top employers in Europe spans around 50 organisations, including several big names such as FMCG giant PepsiCo, supermarket Lidl, high tech firm Merck, US coffee company Starbucks, and logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel. 

Accenture and Cognizant

Two business and technology consulting names are among the list of applauded companies. Cognizant was recognised as a top employer in eight European countries: Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom, while rival Accenture received the same status in seven countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. 

“From our research, we have seen how the organisations certified as one of the Top Employers put the development of their people first and are continuously working to optimise their HR and people development practices. Accenture and Cognizant in Europe form part of this select group of employers, an achievement of which they can be proud,” said David Plink, CEO of Top Employers Institute. 

Accenture was recognised by the jury for its excellent compensation & benefits, the large efforts it puts into talent retention and the career development opportunities the firm offers to its employees. Meanwhile, Cognizant was particularly acknowledged for its workforce planning and talent strategy, including the proactive role and engagement of executive management in its development and execution. The US-headquartered company was also rated highly for its career and succession planning strategy, driven in part by the recent launch of a global career architecture programme that introduces specific key performance indicators (KPIs) across its footprint to provide a clear career path to its associates.

Commenting on the recognition, José FGonçalves, President of Accenture Portugal, said; “We are proud to receive this important distinction. At Accenture, investing in people is a constant and genuine concern, and one of our main goals is to attract, develop and retain the best talent. We want to consolidate our position as one of the most attractive companies for the development of talent, ensuring that we provide the best possible experience to our employees.”

Santosh Thomas, President Global Growth Markets at Cognizant remarked on behalf of his firm; “We recognise our employees are Cognizant's greatest asset, and we are committed to providing a workplace that empowers our associates to grow both professionally and personally. We believe in fostering a culture for lifelong learning.” 

Other IT consultancy firms that made The Top Employers Institute’s 2018 list for Europe are Avanade, CGI, Infosys and TCS. 

In similar employer rankings released in recent months, Wavestone was named the best consulting firm to work for in France, while Bain & Company came on top of a best employers list in both Germany and the Netherlands.