Diversity & Inclusion at PwC

At PwC Switzerland, diversity and inclusion are seen as business imperatives not just nice-to-haves. We create value through diversity.

43%

female employees at PwC
91

nationalities
34.5

years – the average age of our employees
51

apprentices

Diversity and inclusion is far more than a talking point

Our diversity initiatives and strategies are designed to attract, develop, and advance the most talented individuals regardless of their race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, disability status or any other dimension of diversity. Our distinctive approach to diversity is based on a belief that we each have a personal accountability for success in this area. We provide our people with training and tools to help increase their awareness and understanding of differences and why they matter, so their actions can contribute to our inclusive and high-performing workplace culture.

Inclusion – the key to successful diversity

We want to have a true team, a team in which all employees at PwC feel welcome and appreciated. Inclusion in this context means a working environment that encourages different points of view and welcomes the contributions of all employees, regardless of their gender, origin or sexual orientation. In such an environment, they will be able to grow both on a professional and a personal level. The basis for this is our Ethics Code; it creates the necessary trust. Moreover, it encourages a corporate culture that favours and embraces integrity, objectivity, work ethics and competence.

Inclusion index

The Inclusion Index is a global tool for evaluating our diversity and inclusion key figures every year. The inclusion score measures how effective our firm-wide measures to reach our strategic goals are.

The gender score measures our employee structure and our assessment and promotion system, and identifies potentially differing perceptions of women and of men, amongst others.

Inclusive recruiting

We fully consider every candidate’s uniqueness already during the recruitment process. In our report, read how we ensure that everyone is measured by the same yardstick.

Global Report on Inclusive Recruiting

Diversity – the success factor in our digital world

We want the talents working for us to be just as diverse as our clients. At PwC, we believe that talent is independent of age, gender, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or other individual characteristics. We encourage and realise diversity with a number of measures implemented by both male and female employees and Partners.

Diversity benchmarking study

We participate in the St.Gallen Diversity Benchmarking Study to demonstrate our continuous commitment to building trust in society and to creating a workplace that fosters an inclusive culture and enables each of us to be at our best.

Know more about the study

We work towards a diverse workforce

Our strategic goals are simple: We want you to be able to bring your whole self to work, act inclusive towards colleagues and clients and take ownership for a diverse workforce and our distinctive culture. We want to leverage the diversity we have at PwC in terms of cultural background, age, skills, perspectives, life experiences and preferences to create value for our clients, our people and society.

Read our people’s stories about inclusion and diversity here:

Take me to the blogpost

Leadership's view

My vision as CEO of PwC Switzerland is to be an equal opportunity and equal salary employer. I am proud that we have achieved an official certification of equal compensation between women and men by the Equal-Salary Foundation.

Andreas Staubli, CEO PwC Switzerland

Key figures

87%

of CEOs across the globe are focused on talent diversity and inclusion
78%

of large organisations are actively trying to recruit more women
80%

of organisations said they’ve aligned their diversity and recruitment strategies
76%

of organisations have incorporated diversity and inclusion into their employer brands

Our initiatives

Communities
Networks
Flexibility
Wellbeing

Communities

Every business line has its own diversity network of colleagues from different departments and levels. These networks tackle relevant topics in conjunction with Diversity & Inclusion.

Assurance: Women at Work

Woman at work is a team of women who are committed to promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the PwC Switzerland Assurance practice. They represent a variety of businesses in the Assurance practice ranging from banking, insurance, trade and industry and human resources, predominantly representing the Eastern part of Switzerland.

The Future Council

Through the Future Council, we are able to promote young talents and include their points of view and ways of thinking on subjects that help to shape our future. This is enabling us to strengthen collaboration within the company, in order to move forward together and with a clear focus.

STEM WoMen Network

A team of Women and Men, from different Lines of Service, who believe in the importance of an inclusive work environment.

This initiative raises based on the belief of an agile work organization and in the importance of learning from each other, in sharing experiences across Lines of Service and in the importance of Digital Transformation. All of it with that interlocked cultural change.

The initiative works torwards the execution of the Swiss I&D Strategy, supporting the Digital Transformation and the cultural change within PwC.

SHINE @ PwC Switzerland

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves, including our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) people.

Supporting LGBT+ inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do. An inclusive workplace enables us to embrace the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all our people to create better outcomes for clients and society.

Networks

Advance

Advance is an initiative that was launched in order to actively and continuously increase the proportion of women in leading positions in Swiss companies with a number of specific measures. PwC Switzerland is one of the founding members of Advance and supports the personal and professional development of highly qualified female staff who aspire to more influence, visibility and impact.

Watch our video to learn more.

Young people with physical or mental disabilities in their education

We actively support the foundations bvz Berufslehr-Verbund in Zurich and Rossfeld in Berne as well as the Swiss Disability Insurance as a training company in which the apprentices can learn and work for at least one and up to full three years.

People with migration background in Switzerland

We are a partner of Netzwärk in Berne, a foundation that supports refugees in Switzerland. Since 2019, we have been offering refugees the opportunity to make a successful career start with an "Inclusion Programme", which consists of a 12-week training course, followed by a six-month internship starting every autumn at PwC in Berne. Last year we welcomed the first refugee who did not only absolve the training but was also hired for an internship at PwC Switzerland. In September 2020, we will have three refugees starting their 12-weeks training in our company.

Flexibility

Working full-time is the common model at PwC. We are aware, though, that balancing a life between personal goals and business objectives is important, and we all have our individual perceptions about what it takes to feel comfortable balancing those demands and wishes; each of us decides differently on the priority a job, a career or even spare time has in one’s life. PwC as a firm offers a fruitful environment to different approaches to a work-life balance, ensuring at the same time that we operate efficiently and that we can meet our clients’ needs:

Annual working time model

Our annual working time model allows for working conditions that can be adapted to the various personal needs of our employees. This includes part-time work, flexible part-time work, home office, teleworking and other models for parents, employees pursuing an additional education or requiring more flexibility for other reasons.

Leave absence rule

For employees who stop working for a longer period of time (maternity leave, paternity leave, illness, accident or military service), we offer a pragmatic solution to facilitate re-entering their career.

Wellbeing

Be well, work well

PwC has launched a firm-wide effort -- Be well, work well - to empower our people to prioritize their well-being through the four dimensions of energy.

Learn more about it

Join the discussion

PwC Talks: Being colour brave

We are equal-salary certified!

Equal Salary Certification

Our vision is to be an equal opportunity and equal salary employer. To show our commitment for our vision, we strived for Equal-Salary certification, an external audit of equal pay between men and women.

We are proud to announce that as of 29 October 2018, we are entitled to carry the “equal-salary certified” label. This means, for the same job in your team and considering your age, years of experience and other factors, we pay the same total compensation irrespective of your gender.

Know more

Creating value through diversity and inclusion

At PwC, we respect and value differences. We know that when people from different backgrounds and with different points of view work together, we create the most value – for our clients, our people and society. We employ people from diverse cultures and backgrounds and with a wide range of experiences. And we’re committed to making sure everyone who works at PwC feels comfortable bringing their true selves to work.

Advancing and supporting inclusion and diversity isn’t just the right thing to do. An inclusive workplace enables us to embrace the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all our people to create better outcomes for stakeholders and society.

Stay informed and ask questions about the future of the world we live in
Create impact with our colleagues, clients and society through our actions
Respond with agility to the ever-changing environment in which we operate

Make the effort to understand every individual and what matters to them
Recognise the value that each person contributes
Support others to grow and work in the ways that bring out their best

Share relationships, idea and knowledge beyond boundaries
Seek and integrate a diverse range of perspectives, people and ideas
Give and ask for feedback to improve ourselves and others

Dare to challenge the status quo and try new things
Innovate, test and learn from failure
Keep an open mind to the possibilities in every idea

Speak up for what is right, especially when it feels difficult
Expect and deliver the highest quality outcomes
Make decisions and act as if our personal reputations were at stake

Learn more about PwC as an employer

PwC’ Switzerland’s new parental leave policy

An important part of our ongoing efforts at PwC Switzerland to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion is to give our people the flexibility to grow and develop their own way – which naturally includes finding a balance that enables them to best meet their professional and personal responsibilities. Getting the work-life balance right can be a challenge in the ambitious environment of the professional services industry, especially since the arrival of COVID-19, and no more so than when a new child is on the way.

Click here to read all about our parental leave policy.

Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion

At PwC, Diversity & Inclusion is a 24/7 concept. However, on certain days, we give Inclusion & Diversity special attention. See below what days we celebrate it throughout Switzerland. These are events during which colleagues from different departments will be able to discuss diversity aspects in a relaxed atmosphere and meet new people and connections.

February - Equal Pay Day
March - International Women’s Day
May - International Day of Cultural Diversity

June - Global Parents Day
June - PwC Empower Day
June - Pride Day

October - World Mental Health Day
October - GirlsTakeover initiative
November - International Men’s Day

Our people tell their stories!

Be yourself. Be unique. is our series broadcasting unique role models, sharing innovative ways of working and celebrating diversity within PwC Switzerland.