Digital Instructor Takes Learning to a New Level

Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası A.Ş.: 2025 BEST Award Winner, #5

Istanbul, Turkey

Recognizing rapid and dramatic changes in the modern workplace, Turkish financial institution Kuveyt Türk welcomed an innovator to its talent development team in 2024: a realistic digital employee capable of providing individualized, interactive, and immersive training in various fields.

The digital instructor uses natural language processing capabilities, enabling meaningful and fluent interactions between the digital employee and its users. The digital instructor, in tandem with other artificial-intelligence-driven tools, positioned Kuveyt Türk to transition much of its training from in-person programs to e-learning modules, virtual classrooms, and webinars that employees could access anywhere.

"While the shift to digital formats offered scalability and efficiency, it required us to rethink how to maintain engagement, interactivity, and personalization in a virtual environment," explains L&D manager Merve Göksu Polat. "The biggest challenge in transitioning from traditional in-person training to a digital instructor model was ensuring that technology enhanced—not replaced—the human element of learning."

To address concerns of team members who either lacked confidence about using the new tools or felt the technology was impersonal, the company implemented interactive demonstrations to show employees how they can engage with the range of digital learning offerings.

The TD team also designed workshops and collaborative innovation labs that encourage staff to practice new skills in real-time scenarios, enhancing their confidence and competence. Adding gamification elements such as leaderboards, progress tracking, and reward systems further increased individuals' motivation to participate.

"By adopting a multilayered approach that prioritized exposure, flexibility, and ongoing support, we successfully turned initial reluctance into enthusiasm. Today, our employees not only embrace digital learning, but actively seek out new opportunities for self-development," Göksu Polat states.

In addition to making training available at the time and location of staff's choosing, Al-powered tools help the TD team analyze learning patterns, recommend personalized learning paths, and track progress to tailor training to each employee.

An AI-powered chatbot integrated into the organization's education portal instantly provides personalized training suggestions based on employees' backgrounds and interests. The chatbot's quick delivery of recommendations for individualized learning paths increases the efficiency of the educational process along with staff satisfaction and participation.

The TD team complements digital education efforts with agile learning programs prioritizing shorter learning cycles over long training sessions. The approach enables faster responses to emerging challenges and enables staff to quickly apply new skills to their work, upskilling and reskilling to meet present and future demands.

For example, when the labor market saw an increased demand for data literacy and analytical skills, Kuveyt Türk rapidly launched a series of microlearning modules focused on data analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The agile strategy also enables the organization to evaluate training content in real time, gather feedback, and iterate to ensure optimal outcomes.

"Ultimately, our ability to blend technology with human-centric learning design allowed us to transform training from a one-size-fits-all model into a flexible, scalable, and engaging experience," Göksu Polat says.

View the entire list of 2025 BEST Award winners.