Building a culture of belonging for Black and Hispanic/Latinx associates
The PwC US Thrive programme cultivates a sense of belonging that inspires Black and Hispanic/Latinx employees to not only stay with PwC, but also to thrive in their careers.
Thrive
To become more diverse, an organisation must do more than simply hire diverse talent. They must also foster a culture that supports development, retention and belonging.
Insights from the PwC US Purpose and Inclusion report identify that the first 24 months at the firm are typically predictive of success, especially for Black and Hispanic/Latinx employees. Cultivating a sense of belonging is at the core of inspiring employees to not only stay at the company, but to also thrive in their career.
“As a new joiner to the firm, Thrive has been a great experience that has positively impacted my growth and bolstered my sentiments of community within the firm. I've met great people though the programme, learned from multiple perspectives, and have had opportunities for genuine conversations, all of which have made me appreciate my time at the firm more.”
To help set new hires up for success and increase retention, PwC US launched Thrive, an innovative two-year signature leadership development experience for Black and Hispanic/Latinx entry level and experienced associates. Thrive helps advance the culture of belonging and support by providing tools to help career success through customisable and interactive workshops, networking, mentoring and leadership engagement. It also fosters a unique two-way learning experience between the Thrivers and their Relationship Leaders. The role of Thrive Relationship Leaders is to foster a trusting relationship with the Thrive participant and help build the foundation that will promote growth and development. They help strengthen the participant’s experience and career journey by providing insights on navigating PwC and creating meaningful plans to address opportunity areas.
As part of its overall onboarding experience, Thrive aims to support equitable opportunities and a feeling of connectedness for Black and Hispanic/Latinx employees from the very start of their time at PwC that will help them throughout their career journey. Participants learn how to magnify their strengths, map their own unique career path, build an enduring network and differentiate their impact. Thrive Relationship Leaders also receive special training to prepare new joiners for the programme.
The results
PwC’s Thrive programme plays a crucial role in recruiting, retaining and elevating Black and Hispanic/Latinx employees, supporting career advancement and encouraging leaders to actively participate in mentoring. As a result, participants feel more connected to the firm and more supported in their work and career.
Since its inception in 2020, 2,455 people have participated in the Thrive programme. Of the more than 500 Thrivers who took part in the inaugural programme class, 80% improved their utilisation throughout their first six months of participation. According to participant surveys, 95% felt Thrive contributed to their sense of belonging at PwC and 98% said they are confident they can apply the new knowledge and skills gained through the programme to their jobs.1
By offering a chance to drive early career success and providing a safe space to learn and practise key skills that align with high performance at PwC, Thrive is jump starting careers and instituting the foundations to support meaningful progress and greater representation of Black and Hispanic/Latinx talent at more senior levels within the firm.
Participant testimonials
“This past week I had the pleasure to be a part of the Thrive Together conference! It was so inspiring listening to my fellow panellists and hearing their stories. It's important to lift black and brown voices and have the chance to tell our stories and experiences at the firm. There were many instances where I felt emotional listening to our fellow Thrivers and it reminded me why it's so important to have spaces like this to be ourselves and have raw and open dialogues.”
“PwC invited me to be one of 5 featured panellists of my Thrive class in the United States to share my story with more than 1,200 people. As I reflect on the event and see how hundreds of people have reached out to me because they have been touched by my story, I know that this has been the greatest blessing I have received, knowing that there are so many people I was able to connect with and that I now consider an extended family.”
1. Source: PwC US Purpose and Inclusion Office Thrive data insights
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