NBK's Strategy for Empowering Employees and Enhancing Institutional Performance Earns Global Recognition from WTW

After years of investing in enhancing the employee experience and cementing an institutional culture based on engagement, empowerment, and continuous development, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has achieved a new global milestone by being ranked among the High Performance Employee Experience (HPEX) organizations by WTW. This independent recognition reflects the bank’s success in translating employee experience into tangible business outcomes and sustainable institutional performance.

The bank’s inclusion in this group results from an evaluation based on WTW’s global methodology for measuring the relationship between employee experience and institutional performance. The group comprises organizations that outperform their industry averages across employee engagement indicators, as well as financial and operational results.

WTW is one of the leading global institutions specializing in management consulting, human capital, and risk management. Its evaluation framework is based on a cumulative database containing more than 250 million employee surveys collected over more than five decades.

According to WTW data, NBK is one of only 29 institutions worldwide included in the Global High Performance Employee Experience (HPEX) Organization group. It is also one of only two institutions in the Middle East to receive this recognition, and the sole financial institution in the region listed within this global group.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in NBK’s journey, which began in 2018 through employee engagement surveys. The bank adopted an institutional approach centered on continuously listening to employees and converting their feedback and insights into concrete development programs and initiatives.

Over the past years, the bank implemented a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the employee experience across all stages of their career. These included developing opportunities for professional growth and continuous learning, expanding leadership communication channels, launching well-being initiatives, and strengthening recognition and appreciation programs.

These efforts were not isolated initiatives but part of an integrated vision linking employee success with institutional success, which was reflected in both higher engagement levels and improved institutional performance.

The bank’s inclusion in this global group confirms that excellence in employee experience is not an end in itself, but a key driver of sustainable business results.

According to WTW’s methodology, High Performance Employee Experience organizations must exceed their industry averages in employee engagement indicators, alongside a set of key financial metrics, including growth, revenues, profitability, capital efficiency, return on assets, and return on equity.

From this perspective, this recognition serves as an indicator of NBK’s success in implementing an institutional model that balances investment in human capital with strong financial and operational performance.

The bank emphasizes that this achievement resulted from the joint efforts of employees, leadership, and executive management over the years. A culture of engagement, openness, and continuous development has helped establish a work environment that supports excellence and innovation.

In this context, the bank reaffirms that listening to employees will remain a core component of its future strategy, with continued investment in enhancing the employee experience and strengthening the work environment to support sustainable growth and reinforce NBK’s position as the employer of choice in the region.

This achievement is not limited to the bank’s inclusion in the group of high-performing global institutions; it also constitutes independent recognition of the effectiveness of National Bank of Kuwait’s approach to human capital management, which links employees’ perceptions of their professional experience with the bank’s actual performance outcomes at the institutional level.

This milestone caps a journey spanning several years under the slogan: “Your Voice Matters.”

What began as a regular process of listening to employees has evolved into tangible programs and initiatives that have led to a more distinguished employee experience and contributed to enhancing institutional performance, culminating in this global recognition based on precise criteria and objective measurements.

On this occasion, Mr. Emad Al-Abdali, Head of Human Resources for the Group, stated: “Including National Bank of Kuwait in WTW’s High-Performing Enterprises (HPEX) group marks an important milestone in our continuous journey toward institutional excellence. It also reflects the success of our strategy in building a work environment that enables our employees to realize their full potential and contribute to achieving the bank’s goals and aspirations.”

He emphasized that what is particularly noteworthy is that this recognition reflects the voice and real experience of our employees within the bank, and confirms that building a strong, inclusive corporate culture directly impacts performance and sustainable success.

Al-Abdali added that what distinguishes this recognition is that it is not based solely on employee experience indicators, but also integrates levels of employee engagement, institutional performance, and business results, reflecting the strength of the business model we follow at the bank.

He noted: “We began this journey in 2018 through our commitment to continuously listening to our employees, understanding their aspirations, and responding to them through practical and impactful initiatives. We believe that the success of any institution starts with the success of its employees. Therefore, we will continue to invest in developing competencies and strengthening a culture of performance, innovation, and continuous learning, thereby consolidating National Bank of Kuwait’s position as the employer of choice in the region and as one of the leading global institutions.”

WTW’s HPEX framework is based on one of the world’s largest employee experience databases, comprising more than 250 million surveys collected over more than 50 years, and it measures the relationship between employee experience and the financial and operational performance of institutions.

WTW (Willis Towers Watson) is one of the world’s leading firms in management consulting, human capital, risk management, and insurance brokerage, serving thousands of institutions worldwide.