Accenture was prevented from bidding to work on a TfL marketing campaign, according to a report in The Telegraph published on 10 April, due to the company no longer meeting the transport body's diversity criteria.
Companies should ensure that the values of their partners align with their own, said Frank Douglas, CEO of HR consultancy Caerus Executive.
Speaking to HR magazine, Douglas said: “When an organisation is associated with partners who act irresponsibly or violate ethical and social norms, the organisation’s brand and reputation are at risk.
“People increasingly want to work for companies that walk the talk. To ensure alignment, companies must build their values into the procurement process. Trust, but verify. Regularly monitor your partners’ compliance. I applaud TfL, because leadership takes courage. Sometimes, that means having the strength to walk away.”
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Grace Mansah-Owusu, an organisational psychologist for consultancy firm Oxford HR, echoed Douglas' view, emphasising the importance of monitoring the values and policies of partner companies at the procurement stage.
She told HR magazine: “HR leaders and employers should monitor the values and policies of their partners and suppliers to ensure they align with their own values. This is a very important step to ensure there is integrity in an organisation's overall values. They can continue to do that by auditing their suppliers and partners regularly, to understand if there is still alignment.”
Accenture announced in February that it would be “sunsetting” its DEI policies after US president Donald Trump's order in January, that all DEI staff should be put on permanent leave.
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According to Aggie Yemurai Mutuma, CEO of inclusion consultancy Mahogany Inclusion Partners, companies wanting to be impactful must uphold their DEI policies.
Mutuma told HR magazine: “Upholding DEI values across your ecosystem sends a clear message: we care about people, and we mean what we say. It’s a powerful opportunity to lead by example and drive wider change. By having open, values-based conversations with partners, we create space to educate, challenge outdated thinking and support others on their inclusion journey. It’s how we move from being performative to being impactful.
“Monitoring this alignment doesn’t need to be invasive or bureaucratic; it can be as simple as building values-based questions into tender processes, or regularly reviewing supplier practices through open dialogue. The key is to be transparent.”
A TfL spokesperson told the Telegraph: “We were unable to continue with Accenture’s bid for our creative tender contract as it no longer met the criteria for diversity that we expect from all suppliers.
“We are proud to hold our suppliers to account, making sure they are aligned with our commitments on diversity and inclusivity to help expand opportunities across our supply chain and create equal opportunities for all.”
