Building an environment in which everyone can succeed

Since Ardian was first founded in 1996, our people have been our most valuable resource. This is a conviction that is shared within our industry: 65% of senior executives at the largest private equity funds see talent management as their top priority. But in 2022, 82%  of chief financial officers in the sector reported growing difficulties in retaining employees.

In this environment, and with Ardian now boasting over 1,000 employees at 19 offices worldwide, our talent management policy is, more than ever, at the heart of our approach. Our goal is to strengthen our collective cohesiveness, while offering every employee the opportunity to thrive within a culture of excellence. 

A company that is learning from and listening to its employees

We make a point of giving junior employees more responsibility.

Ardian University reflects this stance: through training journeys that are designed in-house and entirely led by senior employees, the program promotes local and intergenerational transmission of knowledge. Rapid upskilling and mentoring activities get new recruits up to speed in a matter of months, providing a foundation for swift and exciting career progression. 

Listening to employees’ needs is another priority for us. To ensure that we understand how best to help our people do their jobs, we have set up a number of programs covering various themes, such as sense of inclusion, work flexibility and support for managers, which are delivered via a range of formats, including workshops, support groups, training courses, twice-yearly reviews and employee surveys. Based on these regular initiatives, we can take corrective measures if need be. 

Multiple HR optimization tools 

We put the emphasis on making our HR processes more transparent and objective. Supporting this goal, a skills database is raising the profile of in-house careers and allows us to clarify the skills needed by each employee at different career stages. 

In parallel, we are working closely with managers to strengthen our performance and skill assessment processes as we strive to be ever more objective. A Human Resource Information System (HRIS), a platform centralizing all HR data, has been rolled out internationally and combined with extensive data use, to help us take increasingly informed strategic decisions and to consistently implement policies across all our offices worldwide. This platform will become the primary HR platform for our employees as more modules are implemented.

Real social aspirations 

These commitments are supported by an ambitious Inclusion and Diversity program. We believe that our teams should reflect the society that surrounds us and take part in its fair and inclusive development. More diverse teams also have the capacity to generate higher performances over the long run. This is why we decided in 2020 to create a charter that clarifies our I&D strategy.

In terms of social diversity, we are pursuing multiple strategies in partnership with schools and universities to diversify our talent pool. Specifically, while continuing to engage with business schools, we are also reaching out to institutions where private equity has not traditionally had a big presence, such as engineering schools and universities, to let students know about the opportunities that we offer. Through our partnership with Vox Populi, an inclusion association, we are giving outstanding students from modest social backgrounds access to finance training courses that will help them in their search for work placements. We are also expanding our website to make it easier for anyone to get information. Our new external resource center will tell potential job applicants what they need to know if they plan to join Ardian or any other private equity firm. 

At the same time, we are making real progress in our gender equity practices: We have seen an 8% increase in women in our investment teams since we introduced our strategy in 2019. At Ardian France, female investment professionals made up 28% of the team on 31 January 2024. Pay is a particular focus area for us. In 2022, Ardian obtained EDGE Move certification – the second level of certification under this international scheme – for all its offices, recording a gender pay gap of just 3%. In 2023, Ardian France earned a score of 93/100 on the Pénicaud index, which measures pay gaps between men and women in the same positions and of the same age.

Buy-in by employees is another encouraging sign. Our 2023 I&D survey revealed that 96% of Ardian France employees recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace, and 75% say that they feel accepted as they are by their coworkers and managers. Backing up the work by HR, clubs such as the Ardian Women’s Club are playing a crucial role in communicating about these issues, building awareness within the company, while also enhancing Ardian’s appeal and providing support to employees.

Our quest to constantly do better is actively helping to strengthen our corporate culture. This approach illustrates our determination to build a future where progress and equity walk hand in hand, guiding Ardian towards bright new horizons.