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PwC is now offering cash awards of up to $5,000 to staff who can demonstrate they have used artificial intelligence successfully.
The recognition scheme, known internally as the ‘[A]mplifying [I]mpact Awards,’ requires employees to show how they applied AI to drive measurable business results, from revenue acceleration to time savings.
Speaking to HR Grapevine, Yolanda Seals-Coffield, Chief People and Inclusion Officer at PwC US, says the firm is aiming to “drive adoption and increase usage” of AI – but only if outcomes coming from that usage are “truly impactful.”
PwC incentivizes AI usage with cash awards
The initiative comes as employers look to move beyond initial pilots and experimentation with AI tools, toward initiatives and use cases that drive a clear return on investment.
“What’s driving the next phase of adoption is a mix of clear incentives and hands-on support that helps employees apply AI in real work,” Seals-Coffield explains. “PwC is doing both.”
She observes that many companies have found that merely implementing tools, without the added support and incentives, fail to change worker behaviour.
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Employees entering the [A]mplifying [I]mpact Awards must showcase how they have gone “above and beyond in how they’re applying AI to work.”
Staff from across each of PwC’s audit, advisory, and tax & legal service divisions are invited to apply. The chief technology officer of each service line will evaluate submissions. These leaders will assess “how AI is being applied in that area of the business and the kind of outcomes it’s driving,” PwC’s Chief People Officer states.
“Ultimately, we want to understand what people can do differently with AI and the value that comes from it,” Seals-Coffield reflects. “The goal is to elevate the work that’s pushing boundaries and setting a strong example for how AI can be used in practice across the firm.”
Revenue, time, simplicity
PwC’s scheme recognizes different kinds of measurable impact.
“First, the value being created for clients and stakeholders, whether that’s improving outcomes, enhancing the experience, or helping teams move faster and smarter,” Seals-Coffield says.
“We also look at business impact, including opportunities for growth or revenue acceleration, as well as operational improvements like reducing manual work, saving time, or simplifying processes,” the HR chief adds. “Just as important is how people are helping drive adoption across their teams.”
This means employees can also win prizes for helping colleagues build AI “confidence and capability” and think differently about applying the technology to their work.
There is no fixed number of winners.
“It will depend on the strength of the nominations we receive, so we’re able to recognize the work that truly stands out, while still being selective on who is chosen,” the CPO continues.
Alongside the cash award, the winners will also be celebrated across the consulting firm, with their successful AI use cases scaled and applied across PwC where relevant.
“When we spotlight those examples and elevate them across the firm, we’re helping define what AI excellence looks like in practice,” Seals-Coffield says, arguing it will give other colleagues “inspiration” and tangible ideas to apply AI to their own work.
Incentives – the answer to low AI ROI?
It comes amid a growing appetite from boards and executive teams to see measurable returns on the billions of dollars being pumped into workplace AI applications.
A study published by G-P of 2,850 leaders across six global markets found that while 100% of executives reported AI usage, nearly 70% are prepared to axe AI budgets if goals aren't met this year.
PwC is not the only firm to revisit reward and compensation strategies in a bid to recognize and retain staff who are driving AI usage forward.
A 2026 study of 2,400 employees and C-suite leaders from Workplace Intelligence found that 92% of executives say they are actively cultivating ‘AI super-users’ – workers who have mastered generative AI –amid stagnant return-on-investment. Only 29% said they have measured significant ROI from generative AI, dropping to just 23% for AI agents.
As a result, performance-based reward structures are being reshaped.
Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence, told Fortune in April that super-users are around three times more likely “to have received both a promotion and pay raise in the past year” than slow adopters.
PwC’s HR chief “absolutely” recommends offering cash rewards as a tactic to encourage impactful workplace AI adoption.
“We’ve seen that this kind of approach helps move adoption beyond early experimentation into something more consistent in how work gets done,” she says. “When you recognize people who are already driving meaningful outcomes, it creates visibility into what’s working.”
Coaching key to sustainable adoption
Alongside the recognition program, PwC is also giving staff hands-on support through ‘AI Coaching Live’ – described by employees as equivalent to “genius bars.”
Employees can use the hubs to access in-person or virtual coaching on real challenges and use cases they are working on. The coaching hubs were initially tested through a pilot of over 90 individuals, with PwC reporting “100% positive” feedback.
“We’ve designed AI Coaching Live to feel approachable and grounded in the real work our people are doing every day,” explains Seals-Coffield, noting the hubs are separate from traditional training sessions or demos. “It’s in-the-moment, hands-on keyboard work, where people can bring a real client question, a project they’re working through, or even just their curiosity, and sit down with AI champions to problem-solve in real time.”
Both AI-savvy staff and those unfamiliar with AI tools have reportedly used the coaching, with champions tailoring their guidance to the individual’s level of expertise and experience.
“Because the conversations were tied directly to their day-to-day work, people could immediately see the value and walk away with something tangible they could use right away,” Seals-Coffield says.
She advises other employers to balance incentives for measurable impact with relevant, hands-on support: “That’s what starts to shift behavior and makes adoption more sustainable over time.”
In February, PwC launched a major overhaul of its workplace artificial intelligence skills development strategy, moving away from periodic, classroom-style learning to innovative programs, career paths, and development experiences.
