Accenture unveils digital and cyber security hiring spree

Accenture has significantly strengthened its UK workforce, with the consultancy recruiting approximately 1,700 new staff over the last year.

 

The organisation is in the midst of a large-scale digital overhaul, as almost one-third of the new employees were hired into robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), data science, DevOps and virtual reality roles.

 

London and Newcastle were the key focus of the recruitment drive, which saw staff added at every level of the business – from graduates and apprentices to senior executives.

Investment needed as digital disruption reigns

Commenting on the news, UK chancellor Philip Hammond said the hiring spree indicated a “vote of confidence” for the country’s economy.

 

Olly Benzecry, chairman and senior managing director for Accenture in the UK and Ireland, commented that investing in digital skills was crucial at a time of unprecedented disruption.

 

“As new technologies rapidly impact every aspect of our lives, from progress in AI to the increasing threat of cyber crime, we are taking on people who possess the skills required to help our clients to succeed in the digital economy,” he explained.

 

“In return, we offer them the opportunity to work with those technologies that are transforming the way we live and work, in an organisation that puts our employees’ learning and professional development first.”

 

Earlier this year, we highlighted how consultancies are keen to build market share by embarking on digital and cloud-based transformation projects. The trend has helped drive interest in security and resilience spending, with cyber security expertise highly sought after.

 

A chronic shortage of candidates for the sector has resulted in many consultancies offering higher starting salaries in order to attract talented applicants.

Accenture aims for global digital growth

Accenture’s UK investment is just part of a wider effort to optimise its digital offerings. The company also recently announced a new digital innovation hub in New York, bringing together more than 3,000 employees to help foster collaboration.

 

By 2020, nine more hubs will be built across other major cities, including Washington DC, Chicago, Houston and San Jose. The company is investing $1.4 billion in training over the next three years and expects to create more than 15,000 highly skilled jobs in that time.

 

While Accenture hasn’t yet confirmed the types of roles that will become available, cyber security expertise could prove invaluable as the business works towards digital innovation.

 

“Our clients, who are leaders in virtually every industry, are under tremendous pressure to innovate continuously and harness the power of disruption for competitive advantage,” said Kathleen O’Reilly, senior managing director of US Northeast at Accenture.

 

Our 2017 Market Report combines our review of the prevailing conditions in the security & resilience recruitment market together with the results of our latest employer survey.

 

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