PwC is cutting down the number of US locations where entry-level consultants can start their careers with the firm.
The Big Four firm has limited hiring for new associates in the advisory division to 13 offices, Yolanda Seals-Coffield, chief people and inclusion officer for PwC US, told Business Insider in an interview.
Previously, entry-level consulting hires could join any of PwC’s 72 US office locations. But since fall 2025, advisory associates have been assigned to one of 13 offices, which include key markets like New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Tax and assurance recruits can still apply to all of PWC’s US offices, a firm spokesperson told Business Insider.
“The idea is that we want to bring people together in a connected way for those first couple of years,” she said.
The isolation of the COVID years, combined with the way that AI is changing the nature of work, has chipped away at some of PwC’s sense of connection around learning and development, especially for younger employees, said Seals-Coffield.
By consolidating junior consultants into fewer offices, PwC hopes to build a greater sense of community and encourage new recruits to grow together in their first two years, said Seals-Coffield. After that, they may move to different offices.
“You may start in Atlanta and then say, great, I’ve got my two years of experience. I want to go work in Alabama, which is where I’m from and where I really want to work,” said Seals-Coffield.
Limiting the number of offices they can join will not impact overall hiring numbers, a PwC spokesperson told Business Insider. The firm continues to evaluate hiring goals annually to account for business needs and considerations, they added.
The decision to bring consultants together in their first years in the firm is part of PwC’s broader push towards collaborative learning.
On Thursday, the firm launched the Learning Collective, a new workplace learning strategy focused on everyday, collaborative knowledge-sharing and developing the mix of human and AI skills needed for the future.
“Getting our people to spend more time together, learning and growing in an intentional way, is the goal of the experience,” she added.
Upskilling the workforce for the AI future has become a top priority across all industries, but the pressure is particularly acute among the Big Four professional services firms and other consulting leaders such as McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group because of how rapidly the new technology is changing the nature of the work they do.
Straight advisory projects are being replaced with building, implementing, and maintaining tools for companies, requiring technology expertise over research skills. As consultants begin working with AI agents, they also need to sharpen their “human” skills, such as empathy and critical thinking.
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