KUWAIT: As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting and developing human talent, Kuwait Finance House (KFH) participated in the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Summit Kuwait, organized by ATD over two days at the Jumeirah Hotel. Local and International experts led panel discussions and lectures at the conference, discussing innovative talent development strategies for the digital workplace.

During his participation in the panel discussion titled “Deciphering Digital Transformation: Gaining Benefits, Overcoming Challenges”, KFH Group Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer, Zeyad Abdullah AlOmar, stated that KFH fosters a digital-friendly environment. He added that before implementing the digital environment, KFH, in collaboration with a global company, conducted a comprehensive digital readiness assessment within the Bank. The purpose of this process was to ascertain KFH’s current state and assess employee preparedness for digitalization.

“Based on the assessment results, KFH developed a strategic plan, commencing with senior management, to design comprehensive programs for all employees. This required a thorough evaluation of the bank’s infrastructure and the formulation of a clear digitalization strategy.” AlOmar elaborated, “KFH approached digitalization as a change management process. Digital transformation at KFH has become a fundamental methodology guiding all of its programs.”

He pointed out that KFH has taken initiatives to embrace a digital-friendly environment and emerging technologies such as Digital Print System Management. “This aligns seamlessly with our broader digital transformation efforts and provides our employees with valuable data analytics insights. It tracks and reports the quantity of black-and-white as well as color pages printed. It also shows the total cost on a monthly or yearly basis, enhancing employee experience by promoting digital literacy and transparency that contribute to operational efficiency and cost optimization,” AlOmar explained.

Speaking about the digital HR operations at the Bank, AlOmar noted that KFH is the first Kuwaiti bank to implement Oracle Fusion HCM Cloud. By leveraging AI-powered data analytics, KFH can enhance efficiency, productivity, and business agility. Meanwhile, he expressed his pride that the HR department at KFH was awarded with the Best Approach to HCM Innovation (Bronze) and Best HR Data Analytics (Bronze) from the prominent Brandon Hall Group in recognition of its efforts and unwavering commitment to fostering a digital-friendly workplace.

Digital literacy

From the outset of its digital transformation strategy, KFH prioritized digital literacy. To achieve this, AlOmar emphasized that KFH invested in leadership training, employed structured methodologies, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement. These efforts significantly enhanced KFH’s digital adoption and positioned it for long-term success in the digital era.

He highlighted KFH’s efforts in promoting digital literacy, pointing out that KFH continues to identify individual capabilities and offers dedicated “Digital Transformation” programs. These programs provide tailored training for digital tools and connect them to real jobs. Moreover, KFH ensures that the digital transformation concept is integrated into all training programs, fostering its adoption within the organizational culture.

Additionally, AlOmar indicated that KFH has also made other efforts to promote digital literacy. These include the new branded edition of its Forssah program titled Forssah Tech, enabling fresh graduates to build a career in the Islamic Banking industry through an Intensive 6-month bootcamp. Since launched, more than 40 hired employees graduated from this program. KFH has also signed an MoU with Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity, becoming the first bank in Kuwait to conclude an agreement fostering innovation and digital efforts among the youth.

It is worth noting that the ATD summit, which took place on October 14 and 15 in Kuwait, hosted panel discussions and presentations by globally renowned speakers and prominent HR professionals in Kuwait. With more than 30,000 members, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world’s largest association dedicated to professionals in the field of talent development. Founded in 1943 as the American Society for Training and Development, in 2014 the organization was rebranded the Association for Talent Development to reflect the broadening scope of the profession.