Leveraging the right tools for organizational growth

Digital transformation is at the top of the agenda of the Senior Management of companies. The main topic of HR has been identifying and measuring technical capabilities and establishing backup policies within IT departments -the prominent key player in digital transformation.

We caught up with Zuleyha, the Human Resources – Executive Vice President of Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası, with which Mercer has a business partnership specific to this matter.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Q: You have won the first prize in the IDC Turkey CIO Awards Future of Work at Talent Management category with the NEXT Information Technologies Talent Management Program. Congratulations! Could you briefly tell us about the NEXT Information Systems Talent Management program for which you received the award? What was the need? How did it emerge? What solution have you come up with to meet your needs?

A: The NEXT Information Systems Talent Management Program is designed within the framework of two main needs: Revealing talents under the umbrella of Information Systems, ensuring that talented employees are in positions appropriate to their potential to increase efficiency and retention.

Within the framework of information systems business group dynamics, it has become increasingly challenging to retain our colleagues who can work independently in the sector under competitive conditions. In this context, it has become more important to identify our employees who can be regarded as “talents” and whose retention is critical and to provide them with customized training & development opportunities.

Q- Why did you choose Mercer | Mettl?

A- In our NEXT Information Systems Talent Management Program that we first implemented in 2020, it was critical for us to include a consulting firm with deep-rooted experience in this field so that our program could be designed and implemented in the most accurate way in line with both the dynamics of our bank and the dynamics of the sector. Therefore, the most prominent key feature for us when considering partnering with Mercer | Mettl was the contribution they could provide us with their knowledge and experience in the field of Information Systems.

Q- During the project period, you have made both technical (for measuring knowledge & capabilities) and behavioral skill assessments for the evaluation center through a digital platform. What kind of experience was this from employees’ perspectives? How was their feedback?

A- Within the scope of our Evaluation Center Applications, all of our colleagues who successfully passed the potential evaluation phase and were eligible as a result of 9 Box evaluations participated in the online behavioral and technical evaluation center application.

Behavioral evaluation center application was designed and reported based on the skill sets determined by our bank for the relevant roles. The technical evaluation center application was designed and reported based on the technical requirements created together with our Information Systems (IS) directors and managers.

Especially in 2020, during the pandemic that affected our country along with others, being able to carry out the evaluation center applications online provided an advantage as we can go on without disrupting our processes. The best features could be the fact that our employees can participate in the applications whenever it is appropriate for them throughout the scheduled time for our applications and the fact that the content of the platform is in Turkish. Another upside is the applications can be carried out entirely through digital platforms, especially with IS Business Group, and that creates a positive perception/image.

Q- From the perspective of the organization and employees, what impacts/positive changes have you experienced ever since you implemented the IT talent management process and backup planning?

A- First of all, we are proud and happy to have appointed one of our employees who was in our talent pool as Manager within this short period.

Also, the results of the feedback survey we conducted with our employees after the process showed us that our employees were happy to participate in such a process and felt that the bank valued them.

We have identified the development areas in the most accurate way within the scope of the results and designed separate training & development programs both for our employees who are included in the pool and for our employees who have failed during the potential evaluations.

Q- How would you review your experience with Mercer I Mettl? Would you recommend it to other organizations aiming to develop/adapt their Talent Management applications?

A- From the process of identifying critical roles to the evaluation and feedback phases, Mercer I Mettl has provided us with maximum support at every moment of the process. With their previous experience and knowledge, they answered all our questions and guided us on the points on which we needed guidance.

We received very positive feedback from our employees, especially about the interview and feedback processes in which our consultants had one-on-one contact with our employees.

The success we had and the experience we shared is something we will not hesitate to recommend to other organizations. We would like to thank Mercer I Mettl for all their support.