Automatic for the People: PwC’s surprising take on making automation all about talent

Robotic Process Automation and citizen-led strategies may upend talent for the better

TBR Special Report - In late June, TBR met with Kevin Kroen, Partner, PwC US and Kevin Schwartz, Partner, PwC US, both leaders in the US firm’s Intelligent Automation practice. 

In this special report, TBR highlights that, ‘Every consultancy and IT services vendor – and many of their clients – face challenges recruiting and retaining people. PwC may have found a surprising tool in the war for talent and battle against attrition: automation. Seriously. Combined with analytics and deployed with intensive change management, intelligent automation may be one of PwC’s key tools for helping themselves and their clients attract and keep their best talent.’ 

The report states that, ‘Kroen began the discussion by explaining that in the early- and mid-2010s, PwC had been trying to build a full automation practice as a premium brand in a non-premium business. The firm’s consulting around automation gained some traction, but clients were frequently reluctant to pay for substantial automation consulting engagements.’

It goes on to say that, ‘in 2019, PwC did a rethink and came up with three key components to a new intelligent automation offering: citizen-led, advanced, and fully-wrapped into all of PwC’s existing practices. As described by Kroen, citizen-led imagines enterprise professionals outside of IT being trained for and prepared to use automation, embracing the tools, and becoming users and even innovators. For PwC, launching the Digital Fitness app in November 2017 started the firm on its journey to citizen-led digital upskilling and currently, nearly five years later, the firm’s own success has become a use case the firm brings to the market.’

TBR highlights that PwC embraces the employee experience of working with, not being replaced by, automation. As an example, Schwartz said newly-hired tax and audit professionals at PwC US were being trained on automation tools, using the support of the firm’s Digital Labs professionals and the ProEdge learning platform. In going to clients, PwC partners have been able to demonstrate that the firm helped its own professionals build new skills and become better at and more engaged in their jobs, which makes work more enjoyable and challenging in a positive way. PwC understands, through its own internal experience and working with clients on automation, that upskilling an entire workforce isn’t the goal for any client. Instead, the firm focuses on “acumen and awareness for all,” plus 20-30% of employees becoming power users.’

The report also states that, ‘TBR did not anticipate coming away from an automation briefing with PwC wondering if robotic process automation – the dreaded job-killing RPA – held a secret to success in combating talent challenges, one of the most frequently discussed topics across IT services and management consulting. While the discussion occasionally veered into technology details and PwC shared insights into pricing, the competitive landscape, and internal challenges, TBR kept returning to the effect a strategic, citizen-led and change management-embracing approach to automation could have on talent across an enterprise. Upskilled and empowered employees will contribute to cost-cutting by being more effective, revenue growth by engaging in innovation, and overall operational efficiency by staying longer and reducing attrition. If PwC can combine this approach to automation with the firm’s overall approach to employee experience (see the upcoming special report on PwC US’ My+), the firm may begin to separate itself from peers with respect to recruiting and retaining, while simultaneously bringing added value to automation initiatives – and talent initiatives – at clients.’    

Kevin Kroen, Partner, Intelligent Automation and Digital Upskilling Leader, PwC US said, ‘Intelligent Automation can be the catalyst to help our clients innovate, differentiate, and thrive in the digital age. Through our key alliance relationships, commitment to citizen development, digital upskilling, and strategic commitment to holistic Automation growth we continue to improve the decision-making for our clients, empower their workforces, evolve business models, and create new customer experiences. If you are thinking about accelerating your automation and digital journeys, engage PwC to see how we can help you accelerate these modernization efforts and drive the sustainable outcomes that your business values.”

Click here to read the report  (file size: 0.34 MB)