People. 2008-09 annual review – PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland

People. Professional services is a people business. People, and the interactions between them, are the key to the success of an advisory or audit engagement. Particularly in times of crisis, it is crucial for PricewaterhouseCoopers to be able to count on highly qualified people who can deliver quick and lasting benefits to clients.

On 30 June 2009, PwC employed 2,709 people at its 15 offices in Switzerland. There are representatives of 58 nationalities, although the majority of employees (74 per cent) are Swiss citizens. The average age of the PwC workforce is 34; 40 per cent of employees are women. Read more...

The qualifications of its employees – their technical expertise and social skills – are key to PwC. Its human capital policy is designed to foster a range of competencies that are crucial for the firm to enable its clients to succeed. This makes it all the more important, particularly in the current environment, to address the right talent on the employment market and at the universities.

PwC does everything it can to offer its staff a great place to work that supports them in achieving their professional and personal ambitions. Leadership in its industry gives PwC the edge in terms of attractiveness as an employer. Surveys of business and economics graduates have ranked PwC the best place to work in the industry eleven years running.

This year's Global People Survey of PwC staff points to a high level of satisfaction among employees of PwC Switzerland. At 87 per cent, the response rate for staff of the Swiss firm was much higher than the global average of 71 per cent. PwC Switzerland gets very good scores for the commitment of its employees, particularly in terms of personal appreciation, teamwork, and employee development. The survey also underscores the progress that has been made in putting into practice the PwC Experience, a set of desired behaviours governing the way people collaborate within PwC.

Good people have to be retained and encouraged. PwC does this via training on the one hand, and by offering a wide variety of career opportunities on the other. Even in times of crisis, PwC does not cut spending on learning and education, which came to 11 per cent of total fee revenues in the 2008-09 financial year. Flexible structures expand the range of opportunities on offer within PwC Switzerland, for example by enabling people to switch to another line of service. As a globally networked organisation, PwC gives staff the chance to work in mixed international teams and abroad.

Some of the priority issues for PwC last financial year were as follows:

Investing 11 per cent of revenues in staff learning and education.

Employee development: To also safeguard leadership in terms of technical expertise, methodologies and the social skills of its staff, PwC overhauled a number of different training programmes last financial year. It also introduced a new staff performance coaching and development process based on the behavioural principles laid down in the PwC Experience. The process is designed to foster a culture of coaching and feedback. It also includes a process for assessing superiors and co-workers at the same grade, thus enabling a 360° appraisal.
Diversity: The aim of efforts to promote diversity is to create an organisation with a mix of people of different ages, genders, national and cultural origins, educational backgrounds, experiences and career paths. Empirical research shows that organisations with people from a rich diversity of backgrounds are more innovative and successful. The international nature of the workforce does not just enrich daily work. It is also a key advantage when it comes to collaborating within the global PwC network and providing support to clients who operate on an international basis.
PwC has received a number of awards for its ability to put diversity into practice. For example, PwC Switzerland's human capital team came first in the Swiss HR Award 2009. Reasons given by the jury included "integrated diversity management". In April 2009, the PwC global organisation received an award in London for its cross-border diversity programmes.
Health management: PwC wants to increase health awareness. To this end it offers its people incentives to take part in sporting activities, and joined forces with the Swiss Cancer League to hold a health week.
Alumni network: PwC has undertaken efforts to connect its alumni network more closely. Contact and dialogue with former employees give PwC valuable insights and experience, make alumni feel more connected with the organisation, and in some cases have led to people rejoining the company.
Advice to employees: The Employee Assistance Programme was a great success again in the 2008-09 financial year. Requests for advice and assistance on legal and insurance matters dominated, along with practical tips on matters like childcare. However, people can also discuss personal and professional issues with the team's external staff.

In the 2009-10 financial year, human capital policy will focus on consolidating the numerous improvements that PwC has initiated in recent years. The tough economic environment also places great demands on staff. PwC has measures in place to be able to offer them good support in the present climate. Because ultimately it is the people in the organisation who deliver the greatest possible benefit to clients in these turbulent times.