Develop Your Future Skills Today!

We live in a world dominated by technology, resulting in human workers increasingly being replaced by machines. Because of this, many people now think having digital skills is essential to secure a job.

But that is simply not the case. Yes, having digital skills will help you stand out among others but the “human difference” is what makes you irreplaceable by robots.

“For PwC Malaysia, agility and resilience are the two important skills that will help you adapt to the constantly evolving working world and navigate challenging circumstances,” explains Vinesh Naidu, Human Capital Leader at PwC Malaysia. To upskill its people to be fit for the future, PwC Malaysia introduced Future Skills to encourage its talent to develop digital skills while also cultivating human skills.

The initiative requires every employee to select and complete a digital goal, ranging from tasks as simple as a series of hands-on e-learning modules to opting to become a Digital Accelerator (PwC Malaysia’s digital change agents). PwC Malaysia also awards its people with Digital Badges upon completion of a series of online challenges designed to increase digital knowledge and then put it to the test.

WHAT MAKES PWC MALAYSIA A GREAT PLACE TO WORK?

“PwC Malaysia continues to prioritise our most important asset, our people, by providing better support, mentally, physically, and spiritually,” Vinesh says. To overcome the challenge of maintaining support while being fully virtual, the organisation makes sure to listen to and offer assistance to help people with their needs.

To build trust, solve important problems, and encourage its people to contribute in planning for the future of the organisation, PwC Malaysia runs an annual survey that acts as a platform for its talent to voice their thoughts, concerns and feedback. The insights from this survey are then used to help design and implement new initiatives such as flex+.

“flex+ is PwC Malaysia’s flexible work arrangement policies that incorporate various forms of work flexibility and benefits in consideration of people’s lives outside work,” Vinesh explains. To cater to employees who may be in different stages of life, there are a few categories under flex+. For example,

• flexMum: Option for mothers with newborns to flex their maternity leave of 30 days throughout the year
• flexCare: Additional leave for employees to care for their immediate family members
• flexTime: To allow people the flexibility to choose when to start and end their workday
• flexSpace: The option to work outside the office should the need arise

Another initiative to foster inclusivity is the running of unconscious bias workshops. The workshops are designed for managers and directors to help them understand and limit bias in their decision making, especially at crucial career milestones for other employees, such as recruiting, performance evaluation and promotions.

To allow people from different departments to meet over lunch (these days, virtually) to share and learn about topics that are relevant to each other, such as experiences working abroad, well-being and passion projects, #Lepakwithastranger was introduced. This platform allows colleagues to break down work silos, meet new people, dispel biases and stereotypes, and promote inclusion.

In adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, PwC Malaysia ensured that its people receive clear and regular communication on work-from-home guidelines and updates to the latest work arrangements. They were able to shift to a work-from-home arrangement almost immediately without too many significant issues due to the firm’s investment in technology and initiatives like flexSpace which became a key enabler to working virtually.

“Besides that, regular check-ins, virtual activities, and town halls are conducted in the virtual working space to bring teams together while also focusing on their physical, emotional, and mental well-being,” shares Vinesh.

Interested to be part of this journey to upskill, reskill and prepare for the future? What are you waiting for? Register today at GRADUAN® ASPIRE and meet PwC Malaysia this 9 to 12 July to discover all the available opportunities!