Leaked PwC Email Reveals Desperate Attempt to Stem Flow of Workers

In what is developing into a pattern amongst Big4 Accounting firms, PwC has become the latest firm to institute measures to stem the flow of talented staff.

Yesterday, we heard that Deloitte Chief Executive Partner Giam Sweigers recently sent a voicemail to his partners to take action to prevent the continued loss of senior tax employees. Today, we report the following leaked email, apparently written originally by PwC Chief Executive Partner Mark Johnson, and allegedly sent to all PwC staff yesterday:

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Firm Executive, I am very excited to launch our new, firm wide PwC Experience Recognition Program. Through this program you can recognise people and teams who are embedding the PwC Experience behaviours, and the values in our Market Growth Strategy.

Based on what clients and the market are telling us about the service they are seeking, the initial focus will be on agility and collaboration – to support us working this way in the firm. Despite the tougher market there are many fantastic examples of how people are collaborating across the firm and with our clients in new ways, and also examples of how people are being agile to meet our clients’ evolving needs or proactive about acquiring new skills, experiences and networks.

giving experience the recognition it deserves
giving experience the recognition it deserves

Now is your opportunity to share these stories and have your efforts and those of your colleagues’ acknowledged firm wide. The program is open to all partners and staff, and nominations can be submitted all year round. Successful nominees will be able to choose from over 150 high quality gift options and experiences, and are automatically considered for the annual PwC Experience Awards, where four major awards will be given to the most outstanding nominations over the year.

Congratulations to our first group of successful nominees, who will all be considered for the annual awards – read about their inspiring stories. Remembering to recognise and appreciate each other is one way we can bring our brand to life and keep building the culture we want to create.

I look forward to hearing more about the great work you do every day in our firm through the recognition stories you share.

Regards Mark G. Johnson

150 high quality gift options and experiences, for “embedding the PwC Experience behaviours”? Hmmm… a jar of jam for morphing into a corporate wanker certainly sounds like a sweet deal to us, but do PwC staff agree?

Apparently not. The anonymous PwC who leaked us the above email (excellent work, by the way) had the following comments to make about it:

Well just the trick to keep the unhappy staff at PwC! Not sure if this will work, after all the staff morale could not be lower and the management have stooped to a new low with some middle management promoting themselves outside of the promotion period WITHOUT even notifying their groups! Word is from HC that even though the firm cannot afford it, all staff will be given pay rises to try and slow the flow of good staff out the door! now a recognition program for all the relationships, a great way to reward your mates!

Is the war for talent officially back on? Are corporate firms who acted with impunity during the GFC finally starting to receive their comeuppance?

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