MOLLY WOOD: Lately I’m speaking to Julie Candy, chair and CEO of Accenture, an international skilled products and services corporate that is helping companies, governments, and different organizations construct their virtual core, optimize their operations, boost up earnings enlargement, fortify citizen products and services, and far, a lot more. Julie joined Accenture as common suggest after an extended profession in legislation, and in 2019, she become the company’s first feminine CEO in its 35-year historical past. Remaining yr, Accenture introduced it used to be making an investment $3 billion into AI over the following 3 years, and stated it could build up the selection of team of workers in its knowledge and AI apply to 80,000 other people. I spoke with Julie about why AI is taking the primary level at Accenture, the corporate’s personal AI adventure, and the way the group is positioning itself and its purchasers to make use of tech, knowledge, and AI to reinvent each and every a part of its endeavor. Right here’s my dialog with Julie.
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MOLLY WOOD: Julie, thanks such a lot for becoming a member of us on WorkLab.
JULIE SWEET: I’m truly excited to be right here, so thank you for having me, Molly.
MOLLY WOOD: Let’s leap proper into the dialog in regards to the funding in AI. Simply final yr, Accenture introduced its dedication to speculate $3 billion into synthetic intelligence and double its AI-focused team of workers to 80,000 other people, which is considerably greater than maximum corporations even make use of. The ones are patently truly giant numbers, and so let’s get started off with, why this giant guess?
JULIE SWEET: That’s an excellent query, and I’d resolution it in two techniques. So there’s having a look at it from the person and why is it a large guess, after which having a look at it from an organization. So I’m sufficiently old to have in reality taken a typing magnificence on a typewriter. And once we take into consideration the affect on our staff’ and the workers of our purchasers’ person productiveness, this to us is sort of a PC second. Now, I’m no longer announcing it’s like a smartphone second, as a result of that’s extra about being on this planet. However relating to truly how a lot it is going to exchange the best way our staff do their jobs, it’s like once we moved from typewriters to computer systems. And we’re tremendous fascinated about that. It truly is rewiring the best way people paintings, and that calls for an funding, each for us as a company, however extra importantly, we’re making an investment so as to lend a hand our purchasers cross alongside that adventure the usage of our revel in, and the way we’re going so as to lend a hand them with exchange. In order that’s at the person facet. As a trade, within the final 30 years, there is not any unmarried era that I’ve been in a position to get up in entrance of the CEO of any trade and credibly and authentically say that actually each and every a part of their trade, each and every a part of their endeavor, could have a subject material certain affect at the best line and the base line, on account of gen AI.
MOLLY WOOD: Wow.
JULIE SWEET: That may be a beautiful tough commentary. And that’s why we discuss reinvention. However what that calls for isn’t merely the era. It’s making an investment in, What does ability appear to be? What does exchange appear to be? How do you rewire it according to processes? And numerous that may be executed with Accenture. Making an investment upfront so as to lend a hand corporations do this sooner. We love to name that compressed transformation.
MOLLY WOOD: I desire a grasp’s thesis on compressed transformation. Are you able to communicate just a little bit extra about that idea, as a result of I feel that kind of completely articulates what we’re all feeling nowadays.
JULIE SWEET: It’s humorous, the time period first used to be coined via us throughout the pandemic as a result of, as we’ll all have in mind, once we all needed to in reality face the place we have been in virtual and go browsing, velocity truly mattered. And firms began truly taking in this concept that they didn’t must do the entirety sequentially and that they may transfer techniques of operating and cultures a lot sooner than they ever idea imaginable earlier than the pandemic, as a result of they needed to be. And from that point, we as an organization truly began making an investment in, What does it take to transport sooner? As we sit down right here nowadays and have a look at the affect of gen AI and the alternatives to modify, we’re in reality dealing with a identical second in that the facility of gen AI simplest comes about whilst you in reality exchange the best way you’re operating. And such a lot of purchasers nowadays, they don’t take the step of claiming, right here’s the as is, having a look at it around the endeavor and no longer in silos. That is what the to be is. That is how shall we in reality function otherwise. After which construct in a view of what that suggests for duties and talents. And the best way you get to compressed transformation is that you simply don’t merely say, right here’s the era and, oh, wait, that’s the result I need. However you recognize the stairs that you wish to have to take to in reality rewire your corporate to get to these results, and we imagine that that may be executed on a compressed period of time whilst you perceive every of the parts, along with the era.
MOLLY WOOD: I need to return to the hiring and the folks funding that you’ve made, this 80,000 AI-focused team of workers. What does AI-focused imply at Accenture?
JULIE SWEET: So AI-focused, the 80,000, are the people who find themselves getting up day in and time out and serving to our purchasers create the appropriate knowledge basis and use AI truly extra on a technical facet. So create the appropriate AI spine or figuring out AI in a technical manner, after which paired with our trade, our practical consultants, so as to in reality redefine, like, k, that’s the as is, what’s in reality imaginable? We make that difference, to start with, as a result of, you realize, no person has that scale that we also have nowadays, we imagine, the place we began with 40,000 a yr in the past, now we’re at 53,000. We will be able to—I feel, I am hoping—overshoot our 80,000 via the tip of 2026. However that may be a sure more or less coaching and figuring out that’s wanted. Now on best of that, we need to teach everybody at Accenture—now we have over 700,000 other people—in gen AI. And we begin with an excessively robust foundation, as a result of going all of the as far back as 2019, once we stated the following decade could be about the usage of tech knowledge and AI, we began developing Accenture’s future-ready group of workers throughout Accenture. We presented one thing referred to as TQ, the place it doesn’t topic when you paintings in place of job—so running our places of work, otherwise you’re a strategist, otherwise you’re a technologist—it’s important to cross a definite selection of checks on core applied sciences. So we had already skilled 600,000 other people on fundamental, regular AI—it wasn’t regular once we have been doing it—when gen AI truly more or less hit the sector. Now we’re after all coaching all of our other people on gen AI.
MOLLY WOOD: And for individuals who don’t know, you simply discussed TQ, which stands for era quotient. I in reality need to ask you just a little extra about coaching, particularly, as a result of one of the crucial first issues Accenture did relating to AI coaching used to be create this trade case for the usage of Microsoft Copilot, in reality as an early adopter. After which I learn that you simply insisted that almost all senior leaders, the most-senior leaders, be skilled first, together with your self, since you stated, you realize, it’s important to have leaders who perceive the facility of AI, and they may be able to’t depend on others. Are you able to communicate just a little bit extra about that coaching manner and what it used to be like for you?
JULIE SWEET: So, possibly just a little background, as a result of I feel on occasion other people will say, like, What’s the trade case? And the place can we get the worth? And we’re one of the crucial best possible finding out organizations on this planet. We spend over one thousand million greenbacks yearly, we use finding out science and how you can teach other people. And one of the vital essential issues we’ve realized as we’ve pivoted during the last a number of years to virtual cloud and safety is that it’s essential to have a piece and study, in order that you’re no longer simply more or less finding out on a computer-based path and even in a lecture room, however that you simply in reality use it. So it’s a work-and-learn fusion that’s tremendous essential. And so at Accenture we’ll have rolled out to twenty,000 of our other people, together with our maximum senior leaders, Microsoft Copilot, and my primary level in my trade case is that we’re going to run Accenture and we’re going to ship our products and services to our purchasers the usage of gen AI. And I want so as to teach our other people, and it could actually’t simply be lecture room and let me inform you in regards to the energy. It’s a must to use it. And so I in reality began with my maximum senior leaders, as a result of what we’re telling all of our purchasers—and we, you realize, we are living what we are saying—is that with a purpose to make the appropriate selections as a CEO or within the C-suite, it’s important to perceive the era at a miles deeper point than you probably did different components of the revolution of era, like cloud. And we all know that it’s no longer sufficient to easily inform other people and take a look at to coach them, however they wish to in reality use it. So I truly emphasize that as a result of each and every unmarried CEO says that they’re going to turn into the usage of gen AI. And so they’re no longer specializing in the way you in reality make exchange and the way you teach other people. And so Microsoft Copilot is actually crucial to modify and transformation. Then on best of that, what we’ve observed in our rollout to this point is that our individuals are seeing productiveness will increase, they’re seeing higher engagements as a result of they’re no longer as drained doing repetitive duties. And as we’re in a position to make use of it in additional puts, we’re then making the adjustments to in reality cross from the as is into the to be. If all you do is roll out Microsoft Copilot and you assert, k, we’ll simply use it in that a part of your task—now you’ll be able to summarize notes higher—and also you don’t say, what’s the chance to now exchange the best way we paintings, to reorganize into other ways to profit from that productiveness, you then received’t have a trade case rather than every person might be extra productive. We used to have numerous other people making slides and doing reviews, and we had complete teams round that, which we’re now converting as a result of we don’t want those self same varieties of teams. We will embed it in numerous teams. In order that goes from the as is to the to be as part of the transformation. And via the best way, I take advantage of it each day. My favourite serve as is the power to summarize notes on the finish of a choice. I don’t must look ahead to anyone else to do it. I have a look at them in an instant and it’s very transparent. I will simply shoot off the following electronic mail. And that’s superior.
MOLLY WOOD: You may have been quoted as announcing that integrating and the usage of AI isn’t about, you realize, to the purpose you simply made, it’s no longer about reinventing person productiveness, it’s about reinventing processes. And as you begin to see that occur, because the productiveness beneficial properties create the distance to believe a brand new form of procedure, how does that then begin to feed your purchasers’ wishes? You realize, it kind of feels find it irresistible’s educating the expansion mindset along the adoption.
JULIE SWEET: That’s proper. Smartly, let me simply take a concrete instance. Should you take into consideration a client items corporate that has numerous box salespeople, proper? As a result of they cross out and promote to, let’s say it’s a meals corporate. They promote to everyone from mom-and-pop stores to important field retail or grocery retail outlets. However they’ve box gross sales, which nowadays, previous to the usage of AI and gen AI at scale, about 50 % in their task is very administrative. That suggests, via the best way, that once they’re hiring other people, they rent other people that experience truly just right administrative abilities. They would possibly not have as nice buyer abilities as a result of, on the finish of the day, they’re no longer getting product out to the client except they’re truly in a position to try this administrative paintings. And maximum corporations have the carrier, the real supply, as opposed to the gross sales as opposed to the promoting all elsewhere, and we all know that businesses combat with running in silos. We’re operating with some client items corporations now to wreck down all of the ones obstacles and be capable of put within the palms of a box salesclerk, each and every unmarried day, the information of such things as, you realize, Who hasn’t purchased from me from the final 3 months who I will have to cross after? What will be the proper pitch according to their carrier and their wishes? So anyone telling them, wager what, you guys ignored a supply final month and so they have been truly mad according to their emails. So now when he’s strolling or she’s strolling into that retailer, there’s a personalised pitch that takes into consideration the historical past, which prior to those gear and the usage of gen AI so as to have a look at knowledge that’s no longer popping out of the methods and that’s coming in emails, that may have taken numerous paintings, so it didn’t get executed. Whilst you take into consideration, then, the facility of this, you all of sudden now equipped this shopper with the approach to take their box salespeople and both quilt extra territory or get extra environment friendly and take out the base line. You’ve enabled them to, if they’ve the appropriate abilities, construct deeper relationships and possibly introduce other products and services. And also you’ve modified what you wish to have to rent for, since you have been hiring for other people with loads of administrative abilities. Now you’ll be able to rent for people who find themselves extra strategic, who’ve higher buyer abilities and subsequently deepen the relationships. That’s what the facility of this era lets in. We needed to perceive the era to take it from this extremely tough era to turning in price to these shoppers who are actually higher served and feature extra customized carrier to the base line as a result of they’ve were given efficiencies, and to the highest line as a result of they’ve now unfolded each new products and services and possibly a larger footprint.
MOLLY WOOD: And also you deliver up, in reality, I feel some other massive matter, since you discussed hiring, protecting ability, and having the ability to do all of the ones issues extra successfully. I’m going to center of attention first on Accenture, which has over 730,000 staff. I imply, this can be a arduous quantity for other people to take hold of, and 200,000 of that quantity has been employed within the final couple of years. How have you ever and the way are you leveraging AI relating to making that procedure higher and increasing the kinds of abilities you may be able to search for?
JULIE SWEET: We get kind of 6 million or extra resumes a yr and we rent about 100,000 other people, no longer internet however general, as a result of you could have attrition in that. So, with a purpose to do this, now we have used AI for now a number of years so as to cross in the course of the resumes and truly establish who we need to communicate to. Then now we have recruiting pods which might be tuned to the type—as a result of we rent everyone, from medical doctors to programmers to, you realize, cyber mavens. So we rent numerous other varieties of other people. And so AI permits us to sift in the course of the resumes after which get the resumes to the appropriate extremely skilled people to make the ones possible choices. So there’s no hiring determination that’s made via AI nowadays at Accenture, however AI is used to truly lend a hand us. And the evidence of ways efficient it’s, is throughout the pandemic, when maximum corporations have been truly suffering to rent. We went from 500,000 other people in 2019 to over 700,000 other people two years into the pandemic. So within the toughest hard work marketplace in historical past, and we have been in a position to take action on account of this high-tech, high-touch hiring.
MOLLY WOOD: What are the, no longer that we’re seeking to give other people a cheat code to transform one of the crucial 100,000, however what are the talents that you simply search for? You talked in regards to the era quotient, however I ponder, what are one of the abilities you search for and the way is that evolving, together with the figuring out that the paintings panorama is evolving with the appearance of gen AI.
JULIE SWEET: I feel there’s two truly essential abilities. So, one is the query we ask everybody, whether or not you’re an analyst out of college or a senior skilled rent. And we merely say, What have you ever realized within the final six months? It’s a perfect tough query, as a result of what we all know for sure is that the talent necessities and the competencies are converting and that we’d like individuals who like to be informed and include finding out. So simply take into consideration what we’ve been speaking about nowadays. The truth that AI goes to rewire and you have got to move from an as is to a to be. Smartly, beneath all of which might be people who find themselves doing the as is, proper? And so they’ve to be informed the to be. Consider the place I began, the place I sought after my maximum senior leaders to make use of Copilot to begin to truly study, you realize, what’s gen AI and the way can it lend a hand us? And so we need to have an organization of rookies. So we search for that as a competency. The second one is that we search for nice communique abilities. Now, after all, we paintings with numerous purchasers and also you’d say, neatly, possibly that’s obtrusive. However, you realize, I don’t suppose it’s as obtrusive to many, many corporations, is if your corporate is converting, then we frequently will say in regards to the want to be able to exchange, the power to deliver other people alongside. And that begins with nice communique abilities. And so that is one thing that we’re each in search of and more and more making an investment in construction, as a result of when you’re in a relentless, we imagine a relentless state of reinvention because of era, it’s important to be truly nice at exchange. And to be truly nice at exchange, it’s important to be nice communicators.
MOLLY WOOD: It looks like an actual alternative, the best way you’re speaking about drawing near other people’s abilities from, as a mindset, as an example. I think like consulting is a kind of companies the place it’s identified for having other people from more or less regular trade backgrounds, but in addition individuals who get there in unconventional techniques. How do you, and can you proceed, do you suppose, to take extra non-traditional approaches to discovering new ability? And the way does that give a contribution to one among your giant passions, fairness and variety?
JULIE SWEET: Smartly, Molly, to start with, I outline myself as an unconventional ability as a result of I began as a attorney, and I used to be a attorney for 17 years earlier than I joined Accenture as the overall suggest. So, I completely am captivated with each finding out and the truth that it’s essential to appear widely at ability and not to put other people into buckets. In conjunction with that, as you’re alluding to, we at Accenture are very dedicated to making new pathways for many who would possibly not have the background however completely have the possible, together with the training competencies. So in america, roughly 20 % of our entry-level hiring are apprentices. And our apprentices come from non-traditional backgrounds however have wonderful doable. And we imagine that, as we transfer ahead, there’s an excellent higher alternative as a result of, as an example, we’ll more and more use gen AI to enhance our finding out gear and to lend a hand other people study. We predict that gen AI will proceed to open up alternatives to raised reskill and upskill other people, and so we proceed to have that dedication to offering the ones pathways in our markets across the international.
MOLLY WOOD: In order that’s nice to listen to, particularly as a result of there are numerous questions on knowledge units and inequalities because it pertains to the recruiting procedure.
JULIE SWEET: Smartly, I’d truly take us to this idea of accountable AI, and that may be a new competency for firms. The excellent news is that Accenture, Microsoft are very taken with construction it into our products and services and to the era. However, you realize, we didn’t must have a accountable PC or a accountable cloud. AI is an important era, and subsequently, as corporations, we wish to deal with it similar to different doable demanding situations. All of us have anti-corruption systems. All of us have knowledge privateness systems. We have now place of job compliance systems. Accountable AI is a compliance program, and at Accenture, it’s overseen via the audit committee of our board. And what we are saying to CEOs within the C-suite is that each and every time you’re looking at a use case for gen AI, you will have to be asking the query, What are the hazards and demanding situations doable on this use case, and the way is our accountable AI program going to mitigate the ones dangers and track them? Tremendous essential.
MOLLY WOOD: And in spite of everything, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you for some recommendation for trade leaders. Management is one of these key element of compressed transformation. What recommendation are you able to be offering trade leaders in 2024?
JULIE SWEET: I may get started with, take a deep breath, proper? [Laughter] As a result of I feel, you realize, I chortle that I become a CEO six months earlier than the pandemic. And on the time, we stated, there’s no playbook. Smartly, I haven’t encountered anything else since then for which there’s a playbook, together with now gen AI. So all of us have to provide every different just a little grace, as that is indubitably an excellent journey and person who I think privileged to have. I do need to emphasize that AI is a era the place the CEO and senior trade leaders truly wish to perceive the era so as so as to truly get the worth out of it. As it truly is the wedding of industrial and era that will get the worth.
MOLLY WOOD: Thanks once more. Julie Candy is Leader Government Officer at Accenture. We truly, truly respect the time nowadays.
JULIE SWEET: Molly, thank you such a lot for having me. It used to be truly nice to peer you.
MOLLY WOOD: Thanks once more to Julie Candy, Leader Government Officer at Accenture. And that’s it for this episode of WorkLab, the podcast from Microsoft. Please subscribe and take a look at again for the following episode of this season, the place I’ll be chatting with Michael Platt, Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, about what mind science can educate us about determination making, crew construction, and trade management. Should you’ve were given a query or a remark, please drop us an electronic mail at worklab@microsoft.com. And take a look at Microsoft’s Paintings Development Indexes and the WorkLab virtual e-newsletter, the place you’ll in finding all of our episodes, together with considerate tales that discover how trade leaders are thriving in nowadays’s new international of labor. You’ll in finding it all at microsoft.com/worklab. As for this podcast, please price us, evaluate us, and observe us anywhere you pay attention. It is helping us out a ton. The WorkLab podcast is a spot for mavens to percentage their insights and critiques. As scholars of the way forward for paintings, Microsoft values inputs from a various set of voices. That stated, the critiques and findings of our visitors are their very own, and so they would possibly not essentially replicate Microsoft’s personal analysis or positions. WorkLab is produced via Microsoft with Godfrey Dadich Companions and Cheap Quantity. I’m your host, Molly Wooden. Sharon Kallander and Matthew Duncan produced this podcast. Jessica Voelker is the WorkLab editor.