Human capital and talent development thrive in the face of a challenging year, with a robust pandemic safety response and various community outreach initiatives

Kuwait, 28 January 2021: As Gulf Bank is wrapping up a year of accomplishments, the Bank is also recognizing the magnificent achievements of its employees in 2020.

In the face of a challenging year, Gulf Bank's Human Resources (HR) department spearheaded a variety of initiatives including a robust pandemic response and business continuity plan, community outreach opportunities, human capital and talent development measures, and more. These initiatives reflect a long-standing culture at Gulf Bank that has always supported and empowered its employees as part of the Bank’s vision to enhance economic and social sustainability in Kuwait.

Gulf Bank's General Manager of Human Resources, Mrs. Salma Al-Hajjaj, commented: “In celebrating the accomplishments of Gulf Bank as a whole, it is now more important than ever to recognize the magnificent achievements of our employees who have demonstrated a spirit of resilience in the face of adversity. We would like to recognize all our Gulf Bank employees for their dedication and commitment, and thank them for the impact that their collective efforts have made at the Bank and the imprint they have left on the country.”

Gulf Bank is committed to applying the best preventive health measure to ensure the safety of both its clients and staff. During the first stages of returning to normal life, Gulf Bank was keen to ensure business continuity while implementing a set of initiatives that prioritized both employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, and included the periodic sterilization of the Bank’s branches, implementation of social distancing measures, and several employee wellness programs.

Safety First

During the first stages of returning to normal life, Gulf Bank was keen on applying all the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the regular sterilization of its locations. These measures include taking customers’ temperatures at the entrance, maintaining physical distance, and ensuring both customers and staff are wearing gloves and masks at all times. To raise awareness and encourage a culture of social distancing, Gulf Bank placed several markers and signs across its branches and internal spaces with the recommended amount of individuals allowed in any given space.

Gulf Bank’s HR department also distributed Personal Safety Pouches for all employees that included a hand sanitizer, masks, hand soap, and elevator safety keys. To ensure employees stayed informed on the latest health and safety measures, Gulf Bank launched a staff Instagram account and exclusive WhatsApp service for employees.

Gulf Bank also distributed a detailed safety guide for employees that included recommendations to ensure a safe working environment in addition to a detailed remote work guideline with tips on creating a proper work-from-home atmosphere.

Employee Wellness Program

In light of the exceptional circumstances the world had been undergoing, Gulf Bank also launched a nationwide mental and physical wellness campaign to raise awareness about adjusting to the gradual and safe return to the workplace. Gulf Bank’s Employee Wellbeing Program, which offered employees access to professional counselling through a series of focused workshop sessions, was designed to target specific challenges facing the Bank’s workforce, particularly employees working directly with customers. The program was held in partnership with Dr. Amar Behbehani, who holds a PhD in Creative Psychology and Design Educations, and offered attendees up to 40 hours of one-on-one or group counselling, plus other group sessions.

This year, Gulf Bank was the first bank in Kuwait to offer psychological services for its employees in recognition of the importance of mental and social health during the pandemic. Gulf Bank hosted two wellbeing webinars during the national lockdown which were open to attendees from various local banks, and launched a remote mental and physical wellness training program for over 200 of its employees.

GB Heroes

Towards the end of 2020, Gulf Bank held a series of appreciation ceremonies to recognize employees’ extraordinary contribution, hard work, and dedication throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Gulf Bank employees who displayed an immense sense of dedication and commitment to the organization throughout the pandemic were presented with plaques and pins by their direct General Managers during a series of ceremonies covering all departments and units across the bank with particular emphasis on consumer banking and especially customer facing frontlines who attended during lockdowns periods.

"Sawa’ed Al Khaleej” Volunteer Program

This year, Gulf Bank expanded the role of "Sawa’ed Al Khaleej," an internal volunteer program that brings together Gulf Bank employees from various departments for a variety of good causes. The program aims to provide Gulf Bank employees with opportunities to engage in a variety of corporate social responsibility initiatives, including internal and external events within the local community, environmental sustainability initiatives, charity and sports events, and more.

The internal volunteer team played a key role in Gulf Bank’s post-COVID response efforts. As part of their efforts to support Kuwait’s Civil Defense frontliners, Sawa’ed Al Khaleej volunteers were assigned various responsibilities including food & mail distribution in lockdown areas, aiding in quarantine facilities, and completing organizational tasks at the Civil Defense’s headquarters.

In appreciation and recognition of the Ministry of Health’s continuous efforts throughout the year, Gulf Bank’s Sawa’ed Al Khaleej team also assisted at the Coronavirus Rapid Screening Center in Sabhan. Volunteer employees distributed preventive materials to all visitors as part of the Bank’s unwavering commitment to social responsibility, and as part of its community sustainability efforts in raising awareness about the virus and its prevention.

INJAZ & Community Outreach

As part of its commitment to empowering long-standing partnerships, Gulf Bank extended its support to INJAZ Kuwait, a non-profit, non-governmental organization for education and training in workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. As part of their ongoing strategic partnership with INJAZ, Gulf Bank sponsored INJAZ Kuwait’s annual “Company Program” competition in which students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges. In light of this year’s circumstances, this year’s competition was held virtually, with each of the winners taking home valuable prizes sponsored by Gulf Bank. During the pandemic, Gulf Bank participated in three INJAZ Al-Arab programs: Job Shadow, Steer Your Career and Head Start.

World Cleanup Day

As part of its multiple efforts throughout the year to take action on preserving environmental sustainability, Gulf Bank also participated in the largest daily gathering of waste in Kuwait’s history , in honor of World Cleanup Day. In collaboration with non-profit initiative Alnowair, Gulf Bank employees took part in a cleanup day aimed at raising awareness on the importance of sustainability throughout the year.

Despite the pandemic, Gulf Bank’s training and development opportunities remained at the forefront of the Bank’s priorities throughout the year. This year, Gulf Bank conducted over 8 induction programs and recruited 174 newly hired staff.

The Bank’s human capital initiatives consist of training and educating future generations to develop their skills and lend themselves to a knowledge-led economy. As such, Gulf Bank is committed to creating sustainable job opportunities for all segments of the Kuwaiti society, including through Kuwaitization efforts that contribute to the private sector’s economic prosperity. This year, Gulf Bank spearheaded several Kuwaitization efforts, employing 152 Kuwaitis through a virtual hiring process that was held in full compliance with public health guidelines.

Virtual Training

During the pandemic, Gulf Bank’s Talent Development Department introduced new training opportunities that combined both classroom and virtual training, conducting over 50 courses to more than 700 employees across varying career levels.

As a result of Gulf Bank’s ongoing investment in innovation and technology, Gulf Bank successfully launched its first remote training program for employees. The four-week virtual training program was held for a group of 25 employees, and included a detailed overview of Gulf Bank’s products, customer service, sales department, and more. Throughout the program, employees were regularly evaluated to confirm their readiness to work at the Bank’s various branches and Customer Contact Center.

Training Center at Crystal Tower

This year, Gulf Bank also developed a state-of-the-art training center in Crystal Tower to accommodate meetings and training sessions on demand. The ability to transform the venue from four separate rooms to one big hall allows the location to accommodate up to 150 employees. The training center employs a modern and unique design, and is fully equipped with the latest audio and visual technologies. The new training center is located in Crystal Tower, offering customers and employees beautiful views of the Arabian Gulf and several Kuwaiti landmarks.

AJYAL Program

Gulf Bank has a divested interest in cultivating young Kuwaiti talent for the local banking industry and for the future of Kuwait. Since 2014, Gulf Bank’s ‘AJYAL’ initiative has targeted Kuwaiti professionals as part of an intensive training program designed to develop future Kuwaiti leaders. The program aims to help candidates develop key banking skills, cultivating holistic bankers that have shown growth potential on both a personal and professional level. In keeping with health requirements, the Talent Development Department changed the training format to online classes, graduating their sixth cohort with a small graduation ceremony with limited attendance, and initiating Ajyal 7.

MGRP Career Fair

In February, Gulf Bank wrapped up the 2020 edition of the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) Career Fair at the Public Authority of Manpower, marking the third consecutive year that Gulf Bank sponsored the fair as part of its commitment to offering employment opportunities to local youth. During the course of the event, Gulf Bank’s Human Resources team met with multiple ambitious young men and women who wished to join the banking sector and held on-the-spot interviews at the career fair. Gulf Bank’s participation reflected its ongoing commitment to the national development plan, Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait,” which prioritizes the development of the private sector and the national economy overall.

Executive Education

In 2020, Gulf Bank partnered with several prominent universities, colleges, and institutions to drive its commitment toward strengthening the skillsets of its executive leadership team. Through a series of innovative courses and specialized sessions uniquely tailored to Gulf Bank, attendees received multiple training sessions on leadership proficiency and the skills needed to manage a corporation during times of uncertainty. As a result of these efforts, nine virtual international programs were held in partnership with business institutions and elite universities around the world.

GB WOW

Launched as an internal employee initiative in 2017, Gulf Bank’s “Women of Wisdom” (GB WOW) program was created as a result of the Gulf Bank management’s vision to empower and support women in the corporate world. GB WOW offers networking opportunities for female employees via monthly gatherings held in groups of 10 to 12 women. The discussions are led by Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Human Resources, Salma Al-Hajjaj, and promote a transparent exchange on various topics related to work-life balance. The Bank’s ultimate goal is to lend its support to more women in their career paths as they strive for, and reach, leadership positions. This goal goes hand in hand with the national development vision of New Kuwait 2035, which aims to increase female contribution and presence in leadership roles to 30%. In spite of the pandemic and national lockdown, Gulf Bank held several virtual webinars addressing the importance of gender parity.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Every year, Gulf Bank aims to increase awareness for the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Throughout October, Gulf Bank spearheaded several initiatives to raise awareness for breast cancer in an effort to encourage the local community to get themselves checked, including by lighting up its head office branch in Kuwait City in pink. The initiative educated the community on the importance of early detection and regular screening, with exclusive training for female employees in partnership with Cancer Aware Nation.

Flexible Working Hours

As part of the Bank’s commitment to supporting its female employees during an especially challenging year, Gulf Bank’s Human Resources team introduced flexible working hours for mothers to assist their children in adjusting to online learning. This is based on the Bank’s commitment and appreciation for human capital, as it continues to work to support employees, and women in particular, in various ways to achieve work-life balance. Mothers were offered two hours daily on three days of the week to support their families’ schooling.

In line with recommendations from the Ministry of Health and the Kuwait Banking Association (KBA), Gulf Bank also proactively implemented group rotation systems (Group A and Group B) as a tool to mitigate the risk of contagion.