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Anonymous A

on Oct 08, 2021

Global

Application questions

Does anyone have any insight into the application question such as the following (question would be on the application for Consulting Company, in this case, ACN): “At your current employer, are you currently working on a project with ACN or have you worked on a project with ACN in the past 24 months?”

What exactly is it asking? Would you ever be excluded from being hired because of it? What kind of projects qualify and does it count projects where no papers were signed, etc.

Any insights into what it actually means and types of projects that would qualify would be great!

TIA!

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Top answer

Pedro

Coach

on Oct 08, 2021

Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

It means that their contracts probably prevent them from “poaching” workers from their clients.

Therefore if you were involved in any project being delivered by ACN they want to know in order to avoid breaching the contract. Any project they were delivering (an in which you were involved) counts.

It doesn't mean that you will be excluded from the recruitment process, but it means that if they decide to hire you they will probably need to ask permission to your current employer.

2 comments

Anonymous A

on Oct 08, 2021

If I never met any of them and I just built something for my employer and enhanced it so that the team we are outsourcing to do certain tasks (outsourcing team being part of an offshore arm of the same consulting company, ACN), would something like that count?

Pedro

Coach

on Oct 10, 2021

Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

As far as I understand you performed work that was used by them.

So that means you have to inform them. Better to be clear. If necessary reach out to HR.

Cristian

Coach

on Oct 09, 2021

#1 rated McKinsey Coach | top MBB coach

Hi there,

Most likely it means that ACN signed an agreement with your employer to not recruit / poach their employees. I would be honest about whether or not you've worked with them. It doesn't mean that they won't accept your application, but they need to have visibility from the start so they can go through a clearance process.

Best of luck!

1 comment

Anonymous A

on Oct 09, 2021

I never worked with them directly, and I never met any of them. I just built something for my employer and enhanced it so that the team we are outsourcing to do certain tasks (outsourcing team being part of an offshore arm of the same consulting company, ACN). Would something like that count? I didn't think it counted but now I'm having second thoughts...

Ian

Coach

on Oct 09, 2021

Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Reading your comments on the other answers, I think your experience does not count. You can probably say no here and be just fine.

If you're really in doubt, just explain your situation to HR and ask them what you should do!

When doing so, please be more articulate than you've been on your comments - your explanation of the ACN project was really unclear and hard to digest!

1 comment

Anonymous A

on Oct 10, 2021

Yes, I agree with you there. It's just a very complex example and hard to explain without all the details. Basically, my company outsourced some tasks to this offshore team. They are based in India. But they are part of the Consulting company I'm applying to, ACN. I enhanced a tool we already had so this offshore team could use it to do the tasks. I never met them or had any direct contact with them.

Agrim

Coach

on Oct 17, 2021

Top Awarded Coach | BCG Dubai Project Leader | Master Casing in only 3 Hours | 10y in Consulting | Free Intro Call

This is a legality related question.

It is meant to check if there is a conflict of interest, potential leak of confidential information, insider trading risk, or even a poaching scenario.

Be honest and over-communicative. Best from all angles.