Faith and values at work -- what does it mean?

If you’ve read any of my recent blogs, you’ll notice how clients are increasingly calling on PwC to advise on diversity and inclusion (D&I) issues. Not only is D&I good for business, it’s good for society. Because of this, and in line with our purpose statement at PwC, to build trust in society and solve important problems, we have spent considerable time addressing how to foster diversity (including spiritual inclusion, like faith and values) in the workplace.

Given the fractured socio-political environment we operate in, this topic has never been so important. You only need to look at recent tragedies such as the religiously motivated attacks on the Muslim mosque in New Zealand, Christian churches in Sri Lanka, and Jewish synagogues in Pittsburgh and San Diego to see that togetherness is the key to social progress -- not separation.

This is particularly so in financial services where many of the largest banks and insurance companies have a global footprint and ethnically diverse workforce. For instance, many of these firms have representation in North America, Asia and Europe -- where the dominant religions and spiritual practices in local markets can be varied. Further, research from a 2014 PwC study in the UK highlights the public trust issues implicit to financial services firms residual from the 2007/08 financial crisis. Against this backdrop, it is no wonder financial services firms are sharpening their focus on inclusion in efforts to restore the faith of both their employees and customers alike.     

Harnessing spiritual inclusion as a source of competitive advantage is not a new concept in D&I programs -- but I’m excited to further explore this topic with my team-mate, Nick Hladek who has a background as a Presbyterian minister.

Regardless of your spiritual inclination (including atheism and agnosticism), there’s something we can all learn from embracing faith and values at work. Take a read to hear what we talked about.

Stef: Nick, tell us about your background. What led you to PwC and what drives your interest in spiritual inclusion in the workplace?

Nick: I came to PwC following a career as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a teaching fellow in theology and religious studies at the Catholic University of America. My interest in faith and values in the workplace, or spiritual inclusion, came very naturally -- in large part due to my professional background where I saw a growing number of religious organizations forming communities and programs to promote spiritual diversity as a lever for better decision making in a business environment.   

Stef: How do you define spiritual inclusion or inclusive faith and values at work? What is it?

Nick: The term is broad: it is a company’s active encouragement of employees bringing their whole selves to work, which includes their worldviews. By worldview, I mean one’s sense of meaning and purpose, both regarding work and life in general, and how one lives out one’s own personal values in the world. This includes people who belong to institutional religions, individuals who adopt non-institutional spiritual practices, as well as those who practice no spirituality or faith at all.

Stef: In my experience with clients, particularly in financial services, I am seeing a growing number of programs in place to support the kind of inclusion you describe. For example, it’s common for companies to offer floating holidays, which may be used in recognition of diverse religious practices, as well as flexi-time to accommodate for routine or extended spiritual commitments (e.g., in observance of shabbat, or in recognition of Ramadan). I’m also noticing more prayer or serenity rooms and mindfulness spaces accounted for in workplace design -- all intended to foster spiritual inclusion. And, Halal and Kosher food options are standard in many staff cafeterias across the country. But even with these arrangements in place, it feels like companies could be doing more. What do you think the biggest challenges are?      

Nick: Specific programs aside, there is a larger issue at play -- and that is that in Western culture at least, we are often squeamish about public expressions of faith, particularly in agnostic environments like the workplace.

In the same way that firms are seeking to be more color brave, which means getting more comfortable talking about race in the workplace, companies should become “spiritually brave” as well, to help drive true inclusion in this area. This is where we can start to move the needle.

Stef: I think you’re right. Most companies have gotten to a point of tolerance around differing spiritual practices and beliefs -- but it is generous to say they are inclusive. What I mean by that is that while many financial services firms have targeted D&I programs aimed at women, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ workers, few have organized these programs around faith or spiritual identity. I think, given the fractured social climate we’re in, we need to see more focus on bringing employees from different spiritual backgrounds together, where differences are not only tolerated but actively embraced, to better solve business problems and generate business value in the future.

Nick: I like the balanced approach to spiritual inclusion promoted by Bishop Robert Barron. Within the technology sector especially, Bishop Barron has presented the case to executives that it is healthy and constructive to discuss -- and even argue -- about faith in the workplace within the context of a “rational, respectful, and productive exchange of differing views.”

I think this is important if a company is to encourage their people to bring their full selves to work. And, to leverage the words of PwC’s own Diversity Strategy Leader, Jennifer Allyn, “a central element of our diversity strategy at PwC is having candid conversations about challenging societal issues.”

Stef: Are there any indicators that an inclusive culture around faith and values can contribute to business results?

Nick: Yes, the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding discovered in its survey of American workers that organizations actively accommodating for faith and values, with clearly defined accommodation policies, are less likely to have employees looking for jobs at other places. So, there’s certainly an engagement and retention benefit to be gained.

You can learn more from PwC’s Pursuit of Happiness Podcast series, where Jennifer Allyn talks to the Deputy CEO of Tanenbaum about how religious inclusion practices can help employees feel valued and comfortable being their authentic selves at work. This leads naturally to religious inclusion as an enabler for productivity. 

Stef: Finally, Nick, what are some tactical things that PwC and our clients can be thinking about to create a more inclusive spiritual environment?

Nick: Consistent with the tips shared in the podcast series I referenced, I believe in a number of quick wins for fostering spiritual inclusion.

• Consider if there are ways to socialize at work (outside of drinking), which can be alienating to employees who identify with several religions.
• Use education and awareness to help to dispel myths about faith -- in an environment where xenophobia is growing, providing factual information has never been more important.
• Be conscious of religious or spiritual holidays commonly observed in local populations. (Companies with global workforces must be particularly diligent in this regard.) For example, avoid scheduling a global leadership summit during Ramadan, Easter, Diwali or the Jewish High Holidays. 
• Encourage open dialogue. Leaders need to role model that candid conversations around spirituality are appropriate, so long as they are respectful.
• Encourage openness to all types of faith and spiritual practices beyond the most commonly organized religions. Even if they are not familiar to you, or seem to be unstructured or informal, they are valid.

Stef: Those are great tips -- and things we can all be doing, not just executives or D&I practitioners. 

You’ll see from my 15 minutes with Nick that we covered a lot -- and barely scratched the surface of such an interesting and socially relevant topic. Within financial services especially, where firms are increasingly focused on purpose and retaining trust, making investments in humanistic people programs can go along way -- and ones focused on the inclusion of faith and values at work is a great start -- but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

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Many thanks go to Nick Hladek for his insights on spiritual inclusion, as well as my colleagues Jennifer Allyn, Stefanie Goldberg and Bhushan Sethi for their contributions to this article.

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Stefanie Coleman is a director with PwC US’ Financial Services Advisory Practice. She has spent more than ten years advising clients on HR issues in North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

She currently advises clients within the financial services industry from PwC in New York City. Stefanie is both personally and professionally passionate about diversity and inclusion. Connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/stefanie-coleman-85299bb/).