‘Let generations have the conversation together'

Well-considered choice for PwC

Marie-Christine de Loë and Raymond Welmers concluded their conversation with some questions for Juno Wilbrink and Marc Borggreven. For example, De Loë wondered 'why did you decide to choose PwC?'

Borggreven: 'A number of fellow students were already working as one of the legal predecessors of PwC at the time. Their stories about the culture and the work really appealed to me. After having had a number of conversations with recruiters and employees myself, I only became more enthusiastic and I applied. This summer, it will be my 25th year in PwC.’

Wilbrink: 'I was looking for an interesting internship as part of my psychology studies and was looking for something with social relevance. In the vacancy I read that the WFPS is a study that tries to bring young people and organizations closer together by examining the employment preferences of young people. This assignment within a diverse and large organization with different specialists really appealed to me.'

Importance of social relevance

Social relevance is characteristic of the young generation. Themes such as sustainability and ESG are very important. Many organizations also feature these themes prominently in their business and recruitment strategy. Interestingly enough, however, the results of the WFPS show that young people do not always consider the sustainable actions of an organization as important when they are looking for a job. Initially, the younger generation mainly seeks stability, which is reflected in the need for a basic salary and a pension accrual. Themes such as social impact and sustainability, on the other hand, score remarkably low.

'That is indeed a remarkable outcome, especially for my generation,' admits Wilbrink. 'Perhaps young people don’t yet sufficiently recognize themselves in the sustainable company profile. I think that the pandemic created to a lot of uncertainties in the past two years.'

'And now the war in Ukraine is added to that,' adds Borggreven. 'It reinforces the need for security and stability. The fact that young people take this into account when looking for a job and a good salary could be an explanation.'

Working at home or in the office?

The young generation has a great need to seek connections with direct colleagues. A good relationship with direct colleagues is in the top three, according to the WFPS. This is also reflected in the survey in which 2100 respondents were asked about hybrid working. Half of participants say they want to work at the office for two to three days, compared to a quarter who says they want to go to the office every day. Wilbrink: 'I'm fine with working from home for a day, but my job satisfaction mainly comes from meeting colleagues at the office. Fortunately, within PwC I have the flexibility to plan my week myself.'

How does Borggreven view this outcome? What does PwC expect from the employee in this post-pandemic era when it comes to flexibility?

Borggreven: 'Just like the young people, we consider autonomy and flexibility to be a great asset at PwC. But without losing sight of elements such as team, personal development and quality. Not coming to the office at all is unwise. After all, you are part of a team and you don't want to alienate from the organisation.'

The research results show the need for flexibility among young people not only in the workplace, but also in the flexible arrangement of their working hours. Young people want to know 'what' exactly is expected of them, but how they plan that is up to them.

Borggreven: 'When do you deliver output, at what moments do you connect with each other and how do you agree on this? Those are the questions that matter today. Everything in between is something you arrange yourself and is your own responsibility. I have learned from wellness training that I should take a break at times during the day when I am less focussed and, for example, go for a walk. Then there is no point in staring at a document. Flexibility and hybrid working also appear to be high on the wish list in our studies. We have those themes in mind, and together we will further develop them.'

The new generation is the future

The WFPS study mainly reveals the wishes and expectations of young people versus the labor market. What does Borggreven actually expect from young people for the future as a board member?

Borggreven: 'I hope that the new generation will make full use of all the creativity it has within it. In any case, PwC offers the workplace for this - a safe house in which trying and making mistakes is allowed - and impactful work. And that with nice people around you who can take you a step further.'

Wilbrink has a good perspective when it comes to future expectations. 'I hope that my generation can contribute to the issues of our time. And that it should not be something only from the people who make the decisions at a strategic level. Let generations sit down at the table and have a conversation about this.'