In an insightful conversation hosted by Romesh Srivastava, Editor-in-Chief of SightsInPlus, Milind Mutalik, Former Chief People Officer, Accolite Digital, shared detailed perspectives on Accenture Q3 performance and its implications for talent strategy.
The Q3 Results analysis explores Accenture’s revenue momentum, hiring outlook, and skilling approach, with a particular focus on its cautious stance toward campus hiring in India for 2025.
The insights offer a compelling view into how the company is balancing growth ambitions with efficiency and specialization in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Opening Comment on Accenture Q3 Results
Accenture’s Q3 results indicate strong operational consistency, with revenue performance mirroring Q1 levels.
A closer look reveals that of the $1 billion sequential increase in revenue, approximately 70% came from the Americas and 30% from EMEA, while APAC remained flat.
Vertical-wise, financial services contributed $300 million, while communications, healthcare, and resources added $200 million, $200 million, and $100 million, respectively.
Cumulative revenue for the first three quarters stands at $52.1 billion, positioning Accenture to exceed last year’s total of $64.9 billion with revised full-year growth guidance now at 6–7%, translating to a potential top line of $69.5 billion.
With 51% of the current revenue contribution from the Americas, continued growth there bodes well for Indian IT export prospects.
On the workforce side, despite a net reduction of 10,000 employees, an increase in utilization from 91% to 92% reflects improved efficiency, equivalent to the output of 7,370 full-time employees.
Planned promotions for 50,000 employees globally—including 15,000 in India—also point to proactive talent management.
Even with attrition rising from 13% to 16%, top-line and productivity remain unaffected. This suggests a resilient model focused on internal optimization and delivery excellence.
Anticipation of Campus Hiring by Accenture in the Coming Quarters in India?
Based on recent trends and acquisitions in emerging technologies, Accenture is likely to adopt a highly selective approach toward campus hiring in India.
The company appears focused on acquiring niche firms in high-tech areas, which require pre-trained, specialized talent rather than large-scale fresher onboarding.
Given that nearly 30% of its global workforce is based in India, expected campus hiring could be around 2,000–3,000, far below peers like TCS or Infosys.
Unlike Indian IT giants, Accenture does not emphasize high-volume campus intake, particularly in the Western geographies where bulk hiring models are uncommon.
Lateral Hiring in 2025: Based on their GenAI OrderBooking
Given Accenture’s momentum in AI-led transformation and recent high-tech acquisitions—especially in GenAI and cybersecurity—the company is expected to adopt a strategic lateral hiring approach in 2025.
With consulting demand rising and managed services anticipated to follow, Accenture will likely focus on experienced professionals skilled in emerging technologies.
A projected revenue increase of $5 billion implies significant resource needs, translating into 30,000–40,000 lateral hires globally, assuming even a 3% replacement benchmark.
Of these, 30–50% may be sourced from India, given its talent depth.
Unlike linear hiring of the past, this talent strategy reflects a selective, tech-driven model aligned with business value delivery across AI, cloud, and next-gen platforms.
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How is Accenture Likely to Shape Its Skilling and Upskilling Initiatives Going Forward?
Accenture is expected to double down on skilling and upskilling initiatives centered around AI, GenAI, big data, analytics, and cybersecurity, recognizing these as core levers for future growth.
With organizations moving beyond AI experimentation to adoption and implementation, demand for specialized talent is surging.
However, technical proficiency alone won’t suffice—Accenture is likely to prioritize domain-contextual expertise as well.
For instance, delivering AI-driven solutions for logistics clients will require professionals who understand both the industry’s operational challenges and transformational use cases.
Going forward, Accenture’s talent strategy will likely blend emerging tech capability with domain knowledge, reflecting the shift from generic reskilling to purposeful, solution-driven learning that drives measurable business outcomes for clients.
What are the broader implications of Accenture’s Q3 Results for the Indian IT services industry?
Accenture’s Q3 performance signals cautious optimism for Indian IT companies.
With 55% of its revenue coming from the US and another 25–27% from Europe, the growth in both regions—along with a marginal uptick in BFSI, which contributes around 30–33%—is encouraging.
Indian players like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, and LTIMindtree, which have significant BFSI exposure, could benefit from this trend.
Despite a hiring freeze, cautious campus hiring continues, with a clear focus on productivity acceleration.
Both academia and the industry are working to make entry-level talent project-ready faster.
While growth expectations remain modest, the Indian industry could still clock 2–3% revenue expansion, translating to a collective uplift of $2–3 billion on a $77 billion base.
Accenture’s model—achieving revenue growth despite a 10,000 headcount reduction and better utilization—offers Indian IT firms a compelling playbook for driving efficiency-led growth.
Overall, barring any major global shocks, the outlook is positively measured and supported by learnings from Accenture’s disciplined execution.
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