Van Lanschot Kempen has been working on equal pay for several years. While some organizations are only now starting their journey in equal pay reporting and compliance, Van Lanschot Kempen has already embedded the topic into its broader HR and reward governance.
Together with Highberg, the organization has built a recurring equal pay approach that goes beyond one-off analysis. By revisiting, refining and expanding the analysis over time, Van Lanschot Kempen is turning equal pay from an abstract principle into a structured and well-governed practice.
The client question
Equal pay rarely fails because of a lack of intention. More often, it fails because it is treated as a snapshot: a one-off analysis, a compliance moment or a report that quickly becomes outdated as organizations evolve.
Van Lanschot Kempen wanted to take a different approach. Rather than treating equal pay as a single measurement, the organization wanted to embed it into ongoing governance,recognizing that fairness, transparency, and regulatory readiness require consistency over time. This meant strengthening the analytical foundation and preparing for increasing expectations around pay transparency.
As regulations and reporting requirements developed, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and country-specific requirements, Van Lanschot Kempen needed clearer definitions, defensible methodologies and more insight across peer groups, roles and countries.
The approach
Highberg has conducted annual Equal Pay analyses for Van Lanschot Kempen since 2021. From 2025 onwards, this has moved to biannual analyses, covering the majority of the employee population across multiple countries.
This recurring process enables equal pay to do more than just comply with regulations, but it allows to be monitored over time. It helps Van Lanschot Kempen track trends, identifydevelopments at an early stage and make interventions more targeted and informed.
Over the past five years, the analyses have also evolved. Definitions of pay and work of equal value have been continuously refined to ensure objective and gender-neutral comparability across roles, peer groups and countries. These definitions are aligned with the requirements of the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
At the same time, additional pay components, such as benefits in kind, have been included to create a more complete and accurate view of total remuneration. The organization’s ability to explain, justify and validate observed pay differences has also been strengthened by expanding and refining explanatory factors.
The result
The collaboration has resulted in a stronger and more consistent equal pay approach. Clear dashboards, transparent reporting and validated figures now support internal reward governance, informed dialogue with employee representation and preparation for external reporting and employee information requests. The organization is better prepared in practice, moving beyond understanding toward concrete action.
Equal pay outcomes are no longer isolated outputs. They have become part of broader discussions about promotions, rewards and long-term people strategy.
“The collaboration supported us in setting up our initial equal pay analyses and, importantly, in understanding what the results really mean. It helped raise awareness and drive meaningful discussions internally, which accelerated our maturity on equal pay as a strategic HR topic. That early momentum has been instrumental in shaping our current approach.”
The value for Van Lanschot Kempen
By building a strong analytical foundation and recurring approach to equal pay, Van Lanschot Kempen can move from insight to action. The organization can monitor developments over time, identify potential risks earlier and make better-informed decisions about reward, governance and follow-up actions.
The approach also supports regulatory readiness. As the EU Pay Transparency Directive moves closer to implementation, Van Lanschot Kempen is better prepared to respond to reporting requirements and employee information requests.
Highberg also supports the organization in translating analytical outcomes into concrete next steps. Practical workshops help HR teams work with the results at the level of peer groups and individual employees. Together with a reward consultant, concrete cases and approaches are developed to support meaningful follow-up.
This partnership shows what happens when equal pay is treated not as a checkbox, but as an ongoing responsibility. By consistently revisiting and strengthening its equal pay approach, Van Lanschot Kempen is preparing for today’s expectations and tomorrow’s regulations.
About Highberg Equal Pay
Highberg helps organizations understand, explain and improve equal pay. Through data-driven analysis, clear reporting and practical guidance, Highberg supports organizations in building a defensible and sustainable approach to pay transparency.
The Equal Pay approach helps organizations identify pay differences, understand the factors behind them and translate insights into concrete actions. This supports fair reward practices, stronger governance and preparation for the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
