At PwC, our Inclusion First strategy is for our people, our clients and our world.
We’re an organisation that leads with the heart and we prioritise our people. This is why we’re focused on fostering a culture of belonging and equity where a diverse community of solvers can thrive and feel like they truly belong. We do this by acting as a voice and an accelerator for Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) change in each of our member firms, across the PwC network, for our clients and in the wider societies in which we operate.
We are at our best when we bring together diverse experiences and perspectives. To leverage the benefits of our diverse community of solvers, we embrace and encourage differences and help our people actively develop the skills to work and lead inclusively. The breadth of our skills and abilities enable us to deliver unexpected insights and solve the most complex challenges facing business and society, all while building trust with our people, our clients, our stakeholders and our world.
Our global Inclusion First strategy is centred on:
- Action. We build a culture of change.
- Accountability. We hold our leaders, ourselves and our member firms responsible for change.
- Advocacy. We act as a voice for change, within PwC and beyond.
Through our strategy, we are focused on 5 key drivers for change: Inclusion First, Gender Equity, Disability Inclusion, LGBT+ Inclusion and Social Inclusion.
Enabling The New Equation
The mission of our Inclusion First I&D strategy is to be a critical enabler of PwC's The New Equation business strategy.
To build a community of solvers who deliver human-led, tech-powered solutions, we draw from a multidisciplinary talent pool with a diverse set of skills, experiences and perspectives. Helping our people develop the skills needed to value diversity and think, act and lead inclusively allows us to realise the full potential of this incredible community, while fostering a stronger culture of belonging for our people.
"The launch of our global Inclusion First strategy signals our commitment to affect more I&D change both within and beyond PwC. We know that the success of The New Equation hinges upon our ability to bring together diverse talent, skillsets and perspectives so that we can continue to build trust and deliver sustained outcomes for our clients."
Our drivers for change
We are advancing progress across five global drivers for change. In each of these areas, we are defining and implementing a strategy to guide our journey. We are also identifying key initiatives and programmes, collaborations and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that help us to measure and report on our development. On a territory level, these drivers for change are both reinforced and expanded upon through our member firms’ efforts.
Inclusion First: Systems and Behaviours
Our purpose-driven I&D strategy is built upon the foundation of inclusion first systems and behaviours.
- Systems: We are expanding our development of inclusive processes, policies, interventions and systems that support equity of opportunity at all levels and help all of our people to fulfil their career potential.
- Behaviours: We are fostering a community of inclusive solvers equipped with the human skills and behaviours that enable us to value differences, harness the power of diversity and be more effective in building trust and delivering sustained outcomes.
Gender Equity
Our focused strategy is to help support balanced gender representation across all levels of our organisation and areas of our business.
- We are laser focused on supporting the representation of women in leadership positions. We combine this focus with substantive action that helps us to cultivate a sustainable pipeline of female talent across our network.
- We are holding ourselves accountable to progress through several leadership KPI’s which focus on gender.
Disability Inclusion
Our vision is to foster an inclusive environment where people with disabilities feel empowered to be themselves and have access to the support and adjustments they need to thrive.
We are working to drive action both internally and externally to enhance the lives of people living with disabilities and those who care for them.
We are bringing our commitment to life across six focus areas.
LGBT+ Inclusion
Our aim is to foster an environment where our LGBT+ talent can bring their best, authentic selves to work and are fully supported by the PwC community of solvers.
- We are developing a culturally sensitive approach based on building advocacy in territories around the world in a consistent, respectful manner.
- We are working across five pillars of action to drive meaningful change within PwC and in wider society.
Social Inclusion
At PwC, Social Inclusion encapsulates our goal to support, champion and foster societal equity for all. By supporting equitable opportunities for every person in society regardless of their identity, we believe we can play a role in reducing systemic societal inequalities. We are widening our I&D lens to promote Social Inclusion in the external contexts in which we operate. This purpose-driven approach supports our vision to be an I&D change accelerator both within PwC and beyond.
Learn moreFrom global to local:
Our Purpose driven 2 plus approach
To scale our global commitment to I&D in a locally sensitive way, we have created a flexible framework that allows each member firm to align with our global Inclusion First strategy in a way that makes sense for the dynamics of their country or region and respects where each territory is on its I&D journey.
Our fluid network-to-territory approach recognises this, putting inclusion not just at the heart of our global I&D strategy, but also in the veins of how we execute on this strategy across the PwC network. This nuanced approach means we can shape the change that is most needed at both a global and local level.
The principles of approach:
- Member firms commit to adopting an I&D strategy centred on inclusion first systems and behaviours.
- Each member firm combines that with a focus on gender and at least one further dimension of diversity that is of local importance.
- Member firms also apply a purpose-driven approach to their local I&D strategies, focusing on social inclusion to elevate their change efforts both within and beyond PwC.
Discover more about the people and programmes bringing our Inclusion First strategy to life here.
Solution and Solver Profiles
Boosting LGBTIQ+ leadership
PwC Australia’s LGBTIQ+ Authentic Leaders Programme is empowering LGBTIQ+ talent to unleash their full potential and put themselves forward for new opportunities.
Making history, supercharging the future
Dion Shango, CEO of PwC Africa Central and Southern Africa, shares his insight into building a lasting legacy -- one that turns the opportunities afforded to him into opportunities for others.
Flipping the script: reimagining mentoring to build an inclusive workforce
PwC China’s Deals Reverse Mentoring programme is overcoming generational differences by pairing senior and junior staff to open their minds, build new skills and foster greater inclusion.
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