What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion means to Arval

We believe that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is good for people and good for business.
Bringing more diversity to the teams is key to generating broader ideas, new perspectives and making better decisions to support Arval Beyond strategy.

We are aware we need to accelerate on diversity and catch-up on several gaps!
There is a need and a shared willingness to take concrete actions to catch-up on several topics and to develop a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion culture throughout Arval Group.

We are dedicated to establishing an inclusive, safe and equitable environment for all employees everywhere.
Each entity within Arval Group will carry out local and specific action plans to leverage on diversity to support their business strategies and objectives for the coming years.

In line with BNP Paribas Group commitments and in order to provide a common framework to boost Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we have chosen the following five priority challenges to focus on:

1. We will foster gender equity.

We are in line with the European agreement on gender equity in the workplace signed by the Group in 2014 and the Women in Action Charter,
validated by ARVAL Group Comex in 2022. We have therefore identified the following acceleration levers to act on.

We will implement actions to support our zero tolerance approach against discriminatory behaviors within the recruitment and promotions processes. To do so, we will implement the Arval Group recruitment and mobility policy with adaptation at local level when relevant.

We will endeavour to reduce the gender-based salary gap.
To do so, we will deploy everywhere, use the gender pay gap tool and share progress with transparency. We will make sure that Arval entities provide their employees with a secure environment that protects their health and work-life balance as well as supporting parenthood.

2. We will promote and include people with disabilities.

We are in line with the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s Global Business and Disability Network Charter signed by BNP Paribas Group and want to promote and include people with disabilities throughout the workplace and possibly involving disabled workers of our partners. We have therefore identified the following commitments:

We will ensure that our recruitment process is open to discussions for people with disabilities both visible and hidden.
Any possible concern with disability will be taken into consideration within the onboarding process, including whether the new person chooses to discuss or not their disability. We will ensure that each entity will put in place at least one concrete initiative to promote and include people with disabilities (in line with ILO Global Business and Disability Network Charter and with our Sustainability Policy for 2025).

3. We will promote multiculturalism.

We are convinced diversity conveys an essential cultural richness for employee and company development and are keen to foster individual and collective mobilisation through multiple programmes and networks. To meet this specific challenge, we commit to the following:

We will endeavour to prevent casual racism. To do so, countries will implement concrete initiatives to raise awareness and understand casual racism (e.g. training, conferences…).

We will share and spread stories and testimonies on multiculturalism and measure their impact.

4. We will promote a culture of inclusivity regardless of gender diversity or sexual orientation.

We know that we all deserve equal treatment and the right to be cared for free from prejudice and discrimination which is in line with all the pillars and commitments that we have highlighted in this charter. 

To meet this specific challenge we commit to foster an inclusive environment where we can be ourselves and be protected.

We will promote initiatives and professional networks to support a working environment to encourage speaking up / allyship and thus participate in the fight against gender and sexual discrimination.

5. We will foster intergenerational relations.

We are convinced intergenerational cooperation is a way to increase our collective intelligence and that fostering collaboration between different generations allow us to maximise the skills of all our employees. To meet this specific challenge, we commit to the following:

We will endeavour that everyone will have necessary proficiency depending on their role (e.g. language, digital skills…). To do so we will set concrete initiatives (e.g. reverse mentoring, training…).

We will develop specific opportunities to leverage knowledge and know-how of more experienced talents (e.g. developing partnerships with schools to encourage knowledge transfer…).

We will create a safe space to listen to all people of all ages, to work, support and lead while creating guidance to connect people.

Arval Group will provide awareness training programmes set-up on an International scale to cover the 5 priority themes described. Progress will be measured on a regular basis through Arval and BNP Paribas Pulse Surveys and shared to foster awareness and learn from each other.

This Commitments Charter provides guidelines to all Arval Group entities. Each entity within Arval can define and implement its own diversity action plan and roadmap to move forward according to local context and priorities and bring this Commitments Charter to life.

This Commitments Charter seeks to provide a “Good place to work” environment that facilitates and strengthens equal opportunity, non-discrimination, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Arval employees.

Creating a safe, respectful and inclusive place to work will allow our employees to successfully contribute to meeting the Arval Beyond objectives and help us achieve sustainable business results.

The Country/Entity DE&I Pioneers are in charge of adapting and applying Arval’s DE&I strategy and priorities in their perimeter and fostering DE&I initiatives locally.

They must ensure that the rules defined both at BNP Paribas Group and Arval Group levels are adequately implemented (2025 objectives, etc.).

They also coordinate, promote and ensure the communication of local DE&I initiatives and best practices, in the frame of the Arval DE&I strategy.

Regarding the profile, a DE&I Pioneers is any employee willing to:

• lead a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion projects within Arval or the community,
• be involved in Arval DE&I strategy deployment.

To date, Arval has 80 pioneers in 29 countries worldwide.

At Arval, employee networks are encouraged and supported to raise awareness on specific topics, innovate together and share best practices.

AFRINITY, created to share common affinities with the African continent.

ALL ABROAD, created to facilitate the inclusion and daily life of international employees in the Parisian area.

ABILITY, a thriving network created to facilitate cooperation, emulation and solidarity around the topic of disability in the workplace and private life.

CULTUR'ALL, a global network, made up of various BNP Paribas networks aims to raise employee awareness on discrimination and barriers affecting employees of ethnocultural diversity.

MIXCITY, a BNP Paribas association and network aimed at promoting gender equality in the workplace - not strictly for women. Men have been welcome to join since 2018!

PRIDE, created to support the BNP Paribas LGBT+ community and its allies in the workplace.

WE GENERATIONS, is a network open to all, with the aim of increasing exchanges between young people and seniors.

As BNP Paribas Company, we belong to a Group that see value in diversity, equal opportunity and the quality of our lives together.

BNP Paribas Group works daily with all its stakeholders to create an environment that is respectful of everyone, based on equality, and where fighting discrimination represents a primary goal.

Discover BNP Paribas' actions in favour of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

A major in-house survey conducted in autumn 2021, more than 80,000 employees expressed their highly positive view of the Group's Diversity & Inclusion policy. Employees believe that BNP Paribas pledges to treat employees fairly and equitably, regardless of their ethnic origin (88% agree), sexual orientation (88%), nationality (87%), gender (85%), possible disability (84%), or age (82%).

BNP Paribas fully integrates the challenge of professional equality in its HR programmes, including wage equality, professional promotion, training, skills development, and other areas. It pursues its efforts to promote diversity in professional positions and representativity of women, with a view to shared governance.

In information technology positions, still mostly occupied by men, BNP Paribas has set the ambitious target of raising the percentage of women in these jobs from 32% to 37% by the end of 2025. This would widen the Group’s lead compared to its peers.

Concrete targets for professional equality between women and men:

The BNP Paribas Group and UNI Global Union (UNI) signed an agreement at an international and global level, to implement measures to benefit all employees, thus creating a social floor for all BNP Paribas Group employees.

UNI Global Union is a voice for 20 million workers in service sector companies worldwide. Through its 900 affiliated trade unions, UNI represents employees in 150 countries in all of the world’s regions. UNI Finance is the global trade union for the banking and insurance sectors.

In this light, BNP Paribas Group and UNI Global Union agreed to set up a shared global social floor through social dialogue, with concrete and measurable commitments, focused on the following themes:

- Human rights, social dialogue and trade union rights
- Social and environmental responsibility
- Employment management and change management
- Gender equality in the workplace
- Promoting diversity and inclusion
- Preventing and combating psychological and sexual harassment
- Health and quality of life at work