Work life balance. What is that? You sign up in your work contract for 40h/week and anything beyond has to be accepted.
That means, if you get an incompetent or sadistic engagement partner, you are virtually property to the firm, a slave in golden handcuffs. I had many projects where we usually ended up at midnight at the clients side, had a day team review at McDonalds until 1AM and had to be at the team pre-meeting at 8AM. Sometimes, when work was more than budgeted in the plan, we worked until sunrise. Even on short notice, partners might call you on Friday afternoon or on the weekend to do some "urgent" work. Weekends, public holidays... what is that? Complaining means you are not willing to go the extra mile.
If you complain, or dare to leave office in summer just somtimes before sunset, you might get into trouble.
Recruiting at universities was a pain in the ass, because you were expected to promise those poor suckers the blue sky, well knowing that nothing you promise is true, except miserable life. HR at Accenture is mostly incompetent and disconnected from real business.,they just follow their orders to recruit a given number of consultants.
There is no feedback on projects or yearly project discussion. Just the presentation of facts what others (who are they?) think of you and that's it. There was a 360° degree feedback proposed, but in reality your supervisors can grade you as they wish, just top down. No chance to object.
Accenture is an umbrella of diverent firms. Management consulting, strategy consulting (business winding down now) and technology consulting are different firms and people and cultures don't mix at all.
