Accenture To Promote 50,000 Employees After Six-Month Delay; Roll Out First Salary Hike in 2.5 Years: Report

Global IT and consulting giant Accenture is set to promote nearly 50,000 employees worldwide next month, according to a report by Bloomberg. This move comes after the company postponed its usual December promotion cycle, citing sluggish demand for consulting services at the time.

Salary Hike in Accenture: Promotion of 50 Thousand Employees

The company has also reportedly initiated salary increases ranging from 3% to 13% for employees at the Associate Manager (Level 8) position and above. This marks the first round of pay hikes in over two years, signalling a measured sense of optimism amid continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

In an internal communication to its staff, Accenture explained that the promotion wave is intended to boost employee morale, following a challenging period for the consulting industry as per the Bloomberg report. The company, which is headquartered in Dublin, currently has a global workforce of approximately 801,000 people. The upcoming promotions will affect around 6% of its total staff.

Bloomberg further reports that the regional breakdown of promotions includes about 15,000 employees in India, 11,000 across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and 10,000 in the Americas.

The internal memo also noted that operating margins have declined year-on-year and acknowledged ongoing global economic and political uncertainty. Despite this, select employees working in high-growth segments of the business will receive salary increases. However, the company clarified that bonus decisions and performance-based equity awards will be finalised in December

While some employees have received double-digit raises, the overall reaction has been muted, largely due to the long wait for these revisions. The salary adjustments come shortly after Accenture's Q2FY25 earnings release on March 20, in which the company raised the lower end of its annual revenue forecast, bolstered by growing demand for AI-enabled solutions in client operations.

These pay hikes are part of Accenture's June performance review cycle, which also includes the promotion of nearly 50,000 employees globally, with around 15,000 promotions expected in India. In an internal message, Ajay Vij, Senior Country Managing Director for Accenture in India, revealed that more than 43,000 Indian employees are expected to be promoted during FY25.

MD Vij added that many employees who were not part of the previous December cycle, as well as those working in strategic growth areas, would now receive base salary increases. By the end of FY25, a significant portion of Accenture's Indian workforce is expected to benefit from either a promotion-linked hike or a stay-at-level pay revision.

Salary Hike in Indian Tech Companies

Meanwhile, Indian IT majors such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Wipro have opted to delay their wage revisions. TCS cited the need to align with the prevailing business environment, while Wipro stated that its salary decisions will be made closer to the implementation date.