What It Does: BNP Paribas offers various banking services, including corporate banking, commercial banking, personal banking, investment protection, and institutional banking.
Mission: BNP Paribas's mission is to play a significant role in the creation of a responsible and sustainable economy by offering expert advice and financing clients in line with the best ethical standards.
Size and Presence: BNP Paribas employs over 9,300 workers across its 21 offices in the UK. The bank's headquarters in the UK is located at 10 Harewood Avenue, London.
Best Known For: BNP Paribas, for years, has provided excellent banking services, which has earned it recognition and even awards. In 2019, Banker's Magazine awarded BNP Paribas as the Most Innovative Investment Bank. The same year, BNP Paribas won four awards at the Risk Awards. This bank is also regarded as an industry leader in the area of equity derivatives. BNP Paribas is the second-largest banking group in Europe.
The Good Bits: BNP Paribas has a good working atmosphere which encourages professional development and growth. The bank has an excellent welfare program for its staff.
The Not-So-Good Bits: Bureaucracy may be involved in the workflow. The pay has been considered below average.
BNP Paribas's origins can be traced through the multiple mergers it has been involved in, both domestic and international. However, the company's ancient history dates back to the 19th century. In 1848, Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris came into existence, and the bank grew into France's biggest banking network. The bank was founded as a response to the economic shock experienced in France after the revolution. Another bank, BNCI (Banque nationale pour le commerce et l'industrie), was also formed from mergers, and in 1889, it was renamed the Banque Internationale de Paris. The French Government later nationalized this bank in 1945.
In 1966, the French Government merged Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris with Banque nationale pour le commerce et l'industrie to form Banque Nationale de Paris. The bank became private in 1993. In 1999, BNP came out victorious in a bidding war against Societe-Generale for Paribas and eventually merged with the company to become BNP Paribas in 2000. As of today, BNP Paribas is one of the super banks in Europe with the second largest structure, influence, and network.
BNP Paribas has created a good working environment which makes the challenging nature of the job more pleasant. The company is filled with friendly staff who provide support for each other and frequently collaborate on specific tasks and projects to get the job done. Though the company's work-life balance can be better as it opens from Mondays to Saturdays, the company is an excellent place to be. It supports learning, making it a great place for fresh graduates and interns to grow. The dress code is corporate.
BNP Paribas has great career prospects for interns, student workers, and fresh graduates. Its summer internship program is a 9-week program targeted at 3rd-year students to gain valuable insight into the real-time banking world and the company. The company offers long-term internship programs as well. The company also has something for first-year undergraduates - the Spring Insight Program. Finally, the company offers the Graduate Induction Program to blend its fresh graduates into the company’s workflow.
The hiring process for selected candidates includes the following:
A fresher working at BNP Paribas earns an average annual salary of £30,000.
BNP Paribas is an active supporter of arts development in the UK. Between 2009 and 2016, the bank sponsored six major art exhibitions.
It's unheard of for a bank to be free of scandals or controversy, but there’s no widely published controversy involving BNP Paribas in the UK.