PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is one of the Big 4 accounting firms that, along with Deloitte, EY, and KPMG, handles 80% of auditing for all U.S.
public companies. PwC provides tax, assurance, and advisory services to clients around the world and employs more than 250,000 people across 158 countries in 721 locations. The work can be demanding. To keep the new employee pipeline open, PwC focuses a great deal on its college relationships and recruiting from new college graduate programs. PwC has invested and continues to invest time, effort, and money toward these programs. Several of its recruitment activities are covered in this chapter.
For example, as of 2016, PwC had hired more than 11,000 students per year via college campus recruiting programs and relationships and offers new college graduates $1,200 per year to help them pay off student debt.
Legally, firms are prohibited from asking about employees’ personal debt, but nationally, 71% of more than 44 million college graduates have student loan debt of $31,000 on average. Thus, this benefit has the potential to be highly attractive to college students weighing their options for employment after graduation.

Finally, one major source of new employees is internships that turn into job offers. According to PwC, 90% of its interns receive full-time job offers (compared to the U.S. average of 72%). To help students prepare for internships, PwC offers information regarding what students can expect, including coaching and real-time development during internships. Its continued investment in its internship program has helped PwC earn the 12th spot on the 20 Most Prestigious Internships list for 2018, according to Forbes.

Case Discussion Questions 1. Do you think PwC is offering the right mix of incentives to attract college graduates? Why or why not?
2. Are there other things PwC should consider doing to attract college students and graduates?
3. Do you think the tips shared by Alexa Merschel, a PwC recruiter, would be helpful at other firms or in other industries? Why or why not?
4. PwC offers 90% of its interns full-time employment. What do you see as the pros and cons of this approach?