Ramy Khalifa

KUWAIT: As part of its ongoing strategy to invest in local talents and promote the professional growth and development of its employees, Kuwait International Bank (KIB) launched a comprehensive training and development program dedicated to its Retail Banking employees.

The new Retail Banking Training Program was designed to provide frontline managers, customer service officers and sales staff with the knowledge, tools and practical skills needed to provide first-rate, bespoke service to customers. Through a series of intensive training courses, interactive workshops and a dedicated coaching system, the program offers ongoing training platforms and development opportunities to both current and new employees.

According to the Assistant General Manager, Retail Banking Department at KIB, Ramy Khalifa, the creation of the new training program comes in line with the Bank's long-term strategy to become the "Islamic Bank of Choice" in Kuwait - for both customers and employees. In addition to its continued efforts to develop its offerings to provide customers with innovative, contemporary, and market-leading Islamic banking solutions, KIB has devoted a major part of its strategic plans to human capital development.

A key component of the program was the introduction of a new coaching system; an innovative training model featuring dedicated in-house coaches. In addition to leading all training workshops and courses, these highly qualified and professionally certified trainers serve as a reference for all Retail Banking employees, providing guidance and individual training when necessary.

"The goal with this program is to take our employees to the next level, equipping them with the tools that would enable them to provide customers with an exceptional overall banking experience. We do not want to simply meet our customer's needs; our ultimate aim is to exceed their expectations on every level," added Khalifa.

During 2016, KIB initiated two full-scale training courses, targeting more than 220 employees from across the Retail Banking Department. This included a 2-month Service Level Training Program, which focused on enhancing the level and quality of service offered to customers, as well as an on ongoing Product Knowledge Training Program. Several other specialized workshops and courses have been carried out under the umbrella of the program, including an intensive course aimed at teaching sign language to employees at KIB's six special needs friendly branches.

"One of KIB's core driving principles is its commitment to support the national workforce, and we are heavily focused on attracting, and subsequently nurturing and developing, the brightest young Kuwaiti talents. Over the past year, in addition to welcoming a wealth of new talent to the Bank, we have implemented an aggressive professional development scheme - focusing specifically on our Retail Banking employees given that they are the cornerstone of the customer banking experience," noted Khalifa.