PROFESSIONAL services firm PwC has hired “virtual assistants” who will spend the majority of their working week at home.
The 14 new recruits of the firm’s Glasgow office will support partners and directors and will spend just one day a week in the office and the other four at home.
PwC said the programme “provides workers with opportunities to adapt and flex their days around their personal commitments, as well as working in a comfortable home environment”, avoiding the daily commute.
It was established to provide remote support options for PwC partners and directors whose needs often fall outside of the traditional nine to five pattern.
PwC’s recently published Good Growth for Cities report highlighted the importance to people of work-life balance and the impact of commuting time – which is echoed by the 250 applications received for the positions.
This follows the launch in August of PwC’s Flexible Talent Network, which allows people the chance to work for the firm on projects that suit their specific skills without being tied to standard working hours. More than 2000 people signed up for the network in its first two weeks.
Kenny Wilson of PwC Glasgow said: “The concept of sitting at the same desk every day is one which is fast becoming outdated in a world driven by technology and data. That is why we’ve launched our Virtual Assistant programme in Glasgow.
“This progressive concept allows the firm to provide the support needed to our partners and directors, while offering workers the option to flex their working days at hours that better suit the business.
“By offering different routes into the firm beyond the traditional nine to five job, we are hoping to attract more diverse talent who previously may not have considered the firm as an employment option.”
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