People - Empower
With a service network extending across Turkey, ŞOK Marketler attaches great importance to contributing to the socio-economic development of Turkey. The Company both empowers and grows stronger together with society, through business models directed towards improving social equality.
Every initiative undertaken by the Company to improve employee satisfaction also helps create a stronger society.
Employees
Making a difference in a highly competitive retail industry centered on customer satisfaction is deeply connected with the satisfaction of employees – the Company’s invaluable stakeholders. ŞOK Marketler strives to foster an equal, fair and healthy working environment, embracing diversity for employees’ comfort and satisfaction, and offering training opportunities that allow employees to develop professionally within the sector.
In order to manage its team growing every year in the most effective way, ŞOK Marketler reviews and improves its human resources practices. The Company not only contributes to the employment of the country ceaselessly, but also contributes to the national economy with the added value it creates.
ŞOK Marketler is one large family, with more than 30,000 employees who work in over 7,000 stores across 81 provinces. This family is expanding, with new employees every year.
ŞOK Marketler attaches great importance that women join the workforce and return to their jobs after taking a break. With this perspective, the Company provides suitable working conditions for female employees to return to their jobs after having children. In the last three years, approximately 99% of employees who have been on maternity leave have returned to their jobs at ŞOK Marketler.
Employee Development
Retail companies need to adapt quickly to rapid changes in shopping habits triggered by technological developments, customers’ changing expectations and demands, and fierce competition in the sector. Therefore, the Company believes that adaptation to sector developments, progress towards strategic targets and the advancement of exemplary practices is only possible through its employees’ dedication and development.
The Company offers employees training, development and career planning opportunities based on the principles of equal opportunity and fair management. Employee assessments take into account each employee’s professional performance and experience, as well as additional competencies they have acquired.
Performance and Career Management
Employees can evaluate their performances, set future goals and identify their fields of development only by means of an effective performance management. In this context, ŞOK Marketler enhances the motivation and competence of its employees and strengthens their sense of belonging through its Performance Management System.
Determined by Yıldız Holding as an umbrella system, the Company implements the Performance Management System for all head office employees. Accordingly, employees’ business results are evaluated in terms of targets and competencies.
The performance system consists of three main periods repeated annually: goal setting, mid-term assessment and assessment period.
The assessments include evaluations of employees’ self-determined targets, as well as the responsibilities of their particular position.
Following an employee’s self-assessment at the end of the year, they are also assessed by their first and second managers, completing the process. The performance of all employees is measured against a Company achievement coefficient.
Compensation Policy Based on Merit
The Company’s compensation system is managed by a common hierarchical structure, based on the content of the job. ŞOK Marketler pays an equal and competitive wage consistent with the market, according to annual market wage research reports, upon assessing employees’ performance through this system. As well, the Company provides employees with benefits that vary in content based on their position.
Employees in managerial and other senior positions at the Head Office are awarded an annual performance bonus based on Performance Management System assessment results. A sales premium system is in place for encouraging the sales team members. Furthermore, the “Instant Reward” system in which employees who have a significant contribution to ŞOK Marketler are rewarded as soon as possible has been launched. Using the “Instant Reward” system, managers can nominate employees and, if the recommendation is appropriate, the employee is rewarded.
ŞOK Marketler strives to be a preferred employer and invests in its employees’ professional and personal development and well-being. In this way, employees are offered a career journey that will enable them to use their potential in the most effective way. This planning process is handled in a holistic manner together with performance management and training processes.
Human Resources Career Planning for Employees
“Human Resources Career Planning” is conducted annually for the Head Office and branch offices. During this process, the Department analyzes employees’ strengths and areas for improvement and creates a career ‘road-map’; this data is recorded and referenced during the following assessment periods. Development tools, including coaching, mentoring, class training, rotation and project ownership, are used in line with Human Resources processes, in this case, the 70-20-10 model.
In the Company’s stores, “In-Store Human Resources Planning” is conducted four times a year. After each session, store managers identified as ‘promotable’ are assessed in a separate process. Using case studies, individual presentations, and Q&A sessions, the Company can identify candidates for promotion or provide them with self-development plans.
Leadership Development Program
In 2017, ŞOK Marketler launched the “Tactics Here” leadership development program for field executives, including regional executives, regional managers, and branch managers. During this program, regional executives received four days, regional managers three days, and branch managers six days of classroom training. The program was extended to include training content for the development of eight leadership skills in the qualifications required for field executives. In addition, we offered branch managers a one-day coaching training session.
Need-Based Training Sessions
The Company offers tailored training opportunities to employees, to enhance their professional and personal skills and support their career development.
Performance Review System
Employees at the Head Office can also participate in training sessions across a wide range of fields. These courses cover topics such as leadership, communication, presentation techniques, time management and problem-solving, all of which contribute to social skills development. Employees in managerial and other senior positions can participate in the leadership courses available in the same catalog.
Academy ŞOK
Keeping up with the digital transformation process, ŞOK Marketler has implemented the Academy ŞOK e-learning and development platform in the field of education. The Company has laid the foundations of a company culture that “learns from each other” by supporting the simultaneous development processes of all employees in its headquarters and stores through this platform. Launched as a pilot application in 2017, Academy ŞOK is designed as a user-friendly platform removing the time and place restrictions with a high accessibility as well as easy and understandable content. Thanks to the application, the Company offers its employees the opportunity to participate in trainings on many subjects such as store processes and basic management on a platform that they can access via computers, tablets, and all smart mobile devices.
Academy ŞOK aims to promote strong company culture and update employees in the most rapid and appropriate manner, making our operational processes more effective. Following a successful pilot stage, the platform was made available to all employees. 85% of the employees actively use the Academy ŞOK which received the TEGEP (the Learning and Development Platform Association of Turkey) 2019 Learning and Development Award.
Employee Loyalty and Satisfaction
Events and celebrations, determined with dates announced to the head office and branch offices as per an annual internal communication calendar, play an important role in supporting employee loyalty.
