31 August 2018 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal
Multinational professional services firm PwC is giving people the opportunity to work for the firm without being tied into a full-time contract and standard working hours.
The move has taken place owing to the increasing demand from people to work flexibly and forgo traditional working patterns.
PwC has said that people can choose a working pattern that works for them - whether that's shorter hours or only working for a few months a year.
Employees will apply to PwC's Flexible Talent Network based on the skills they have and the working pattern that best works for them, rather than for specific roles. PwC will then match people in the network with relevant projects.
More than 2,000 people have registered for PwC's Flexible Talent Network in the first two weeks, showing the demand for more flexible work options.
By offering different routes into the firm and recruiting based on skills, PwC is hoping to attract more diverse talented people who might previously have dismissed the firm as an option.
Research carried out with 2,000 people in the UK by PwC shows that nearly half (46 per cent) of people say flexible working and a culture of good work-life balance is the most important factor when choosing a job.
Laura Hinton, chief people officer at PwC, said: "People assume that to work at a big firm they need to follow traditional working patterns - we want to make it clear that this isn't the case. In order to recruit the best people, we recognise that we need to offer greater flexibility, different working options and a route back in for those looking to restart their careers.
"We already encourage everyday flexibility for our people in how and where they work, but our Flexible Talent Network takes flexible working to a new level - allowing people to choose exactly how they want to work throughout the year. People in the network will get to spend their year their way, whether it's because of caring commitments, entrepreneurs supplementing their income, people who want to travel or simply not work all of the year.
"Offering flexibility in how people work throughout the year is not only good for workers, but also for business, the economy and ultimately society. We're likely to see a rise in people transitioning in and out of work throughout their careers and those organisations who responsibly support their people to do this will ultimately gain a competitive advantage."