The 5 Things Accenture’s Wes Wu Can’t Do His Job Without
“My Top 5” is a recurring feature in our newsletter that explores what’s working for the people actually doing the work. In each edition, we tap an HR leader to share their essentials: the mantra they repeat to their team, the habit that protects their week, the voices they follow, the practice they won’t give up, and (of course) what they’re reading.
Wes Wu has spent more than twenty years helping large organizations figure out what their HR technology should actually be doing for them. At Accenture, he works with global enterprises that want to move past one-off automations and run AI agents across whole HR workflows. HR Executive has named him one of its Top 100 Influencers in HR, and he’s a regular on the HR Tech conference circuit, so we wanted to know what someone that close to the machinery relies on day to day. Below, he shares his professional essentials, from his mantra to his favorite “best practice.”
1. His Mantra
Challenge the conventional. Simplify the complex. Make it happen.
Transformation requires us to question how things have always been done and imagine what’s possible. But big ideas alone aren’t enough. The real skill is taking something complex, making it understandable, and turning it into action. I believe the best ideas are often the simplest ones, and execution is ultimately what creates impact.
2. His Go-To Productivity Tip
Start with the answer, then work backward.
Before diving into the details, I try to get clear on what we’re trying to accomplish. What’s the decision we need to make? What’s the story we’re trying to tell? What’s the outcome we’re driving toward? Once you have that clarity, it’s much easier to prioritize what matters and eliminate what doesn’t.
3. The Thought Leaders He Follows
I’m particularly drawn to thinkers who challenge conventional approaches to how organizations operate, especially as we approach this new world of AI. Ethan Mollick brings a practical perspective on how it’s changing the way we work. Amy Kates and Greg Kesler have shaped how I think about organization design and the connection between strategy, structure, and execution. Adam Grant consistently challenges conventional wisdom about leadership, organizational behavior, and how people think.
4. His Tried and True Best Practice
Get the right people in a room, challenge the assumptions, and don’t leave without clarity on what happens next.
It’s a diversity story. Some of the best solutions emerge when people with different perspectives come together and are willing to challenge one another. I believe in creating space for healthy debate, but in a way where listening and allowing room to be influenced is the path to a better solution.
5. The Best Book He’s Read Recently
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. It’s a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the complexities of the Asian American experience. What resonated with me was how the book challenges expectations we place on ourselves and others, and how this shapes how we lead, collaborate, and connect with others.
Employee EngagementRecruiting has its own ghost stories, and when we asked about the most ghostly thing a candidate did to you this year, the most common answer was a confession. Of you who voted, 32% said you ghosted the candidate first. Another 27% had a candidate accept an offer and never show up on day one, 27% had one disappear after the final round, and 14% interviewed someone who turned out not to be a real person.
HR ProfessionWes Wu has spent more than twenty years helping large organizations figure out what their HR technology should actually be doing for them. At Accenture, he works with global enterprises that want to move past one-off automations and run AI agents across whole HR workflows. Here are the things he can't do his job without.
HR Profession"Dear HRinsidr" is a new column where HR experts answer questions from HR professionals, because nobody gets your job like someone who’s done it.
