Our Employees

Human Resources

As part of its cultural transformation work in 2022, Tat Gıda stated its founding purpose as: “We exist to lead the transformation that will bring good & healthy food to everyone".

Working to strengthen Tat Gıda's future vision and company strategies, the Human Resources Department focuses on developing, activating, and disseminating innovative and integrated human resources applications.

2022 was a busy year for our Human Resources department with prominent strategic focus on operational efficiency and experience-centered digitalization, cultural transformation based on the understanding of a winning team, talent acquisition and development, talent and leadership development, and employee engagement.

"We added taste to life"

 As part of the cultural transformation efforts, which were one of the most important strategic focuses of the company in 2022, the future strategies of the company were determined, with Tat redefining its founding purpose, taking strength from its 55- year history, as follows: "We exist to lead the transformation that will bring good & healthy food to everyone". In order to support this new founding purpose, Tat Gıda worked on renewing its employer brand , determining its own new motto: "We added taste to life," emphasizing 55-years of history and prominent characteristics. With the new employer brand, work was started on how to better add taste to food, people’s lives, farmers, each other, and society as a whole, as well as renewing the entire talent acquisition and value-oriented process from top to bottom, inside and outside the company.

Another part of the cultural transformation was the determination of organizational values and behavior that would support future strategies and Tat Gıda’s vision of the future. In this context, we have started to integrate these into the company's efforts to strengthen its values, in recruitment and placement in particular, but also in rewarding and performance management.

Talent Acquisition

Tat Gıda’s deep-rooted history dates back 55 years making it one of Turkey’s pioneering, ambitious, global companies. It carries out production operations in 3 different locations and is a leading company in its sector that continues to grow with its wide range of products.

In this regard, we select and recruit candidates who already have/carry a potential for the competencies to carry Tat Gıda into the future while also supporting their development through objective evaluations based on Tat Gıda competencies and company values, which increase our employees' contribution to business results.

Each candidate who takes part in the selection and placement process at Tat Gıda is evaluated equally and objectively. We use a role-based customized inventory and evaluation center to access talent from different sources. We also effectively manage recruitment channels to continuously grow our candidate pool.

Aware of the expectations candidates have during the application process, one of the principles Tat Gıda has adopted is to give a positive/negative response to every candidate who reaches out to or applies to Tat Gıda. In order for each applicant to have a good candidate experience, we also support and measure all processes using digital tools, and we assess the feedback we get using critical performance indicators in order to improve the process.

With its focus on talent management, the company's strategies in different areas, its growth and globally oriented vision, and its activities in multiple locations have brought about an intense focus on recruitment. Tat Gıda hired candidates with different functions, experiences, and abilities as employees in 2022 and supported them with a development-based orientation to ensure rapid adaptation. Each employee hired has rotation opportunities to work at different functions and locations as part of their career development plans.

In 2022, digital studies carried out for field employees in order to reach the candidates fast in case of a need, and to carry out evaluations and interview processes. To contribute to women's participation in work life, if two candidates with equal characteristics remained after all selection and placement evaluations, the female candidate was preferred.

To close the talent gap in 2022, cooperation was consolidated with Uludağ University to increase employment and make sure that students take part in joint projects with Tat Gıda to reinforce theoretical knowledge with practical knowledge. In addition, Tat Gıda is taking part in joint projects in software engineer development and licensing terms under the leadership of Koç Holding to create employment opportunities.

Internship Opportunity

Tat Gıda knows that internships are very valuable for introducing students to professional life and providing for the needs of new graduates. In addition to offering short-term internship opportunities, Tat Gıda also runs a “Talent Factory" program, which was selected as the most acclaimed internship program in the sector in the Fast Moving (Food) Consumption Category in the Top Talent Top100 program.

This year, the Talent Factory program included work on R&D, Information Technologies, and Production. The selection and placement process was managed objectively, with interns chosen after examination, inventory analysis, and interviews. At Tat Gıda, interns play active roles, and we support their development with intensive training & development programs besides mentoring opportunities. The employment target after the internship has been set at 50%.

Performance and Career Management

The Performance Management System, OKR (Objective & Key Results), in place at Tat Gıda serves to the communication of Company strategies and objectives starting from the top management to all employees. This system makes it possible for employees to adopt company goals and work with a culture focused on success, development, and feedback throughout the year. Employees are able to constantly review their OKRs, revise them with review (check-in) periods, and set performance goals with new focus areas.

Tat Gıda holds career planning meetings every year to determine the future organization of the company, the development of employees with leadership potential, critical specialties, rotation, promotion, company backup plans, and talent pools. Individual development plans are used to track the development of employees in the talent pools. Monitoring performance indicators helps the company focus on acquiring and developing the talents needed.

Organizational Development and Digitalization

Tat Gıda completed its "Future Fit" project aiming to ensure its experienced organization could adapt to the changing and transforming world, to make its organizational structure more ready for the future, to ensure that processes are improved through automation and digitalization, and to make the organization leaner and more efficient. Tat Gıda aims to develop talents and skills, increase business motivation, and thus create a winning team culture through agile transformation activities that prioritize focus on the customer. We initiated the "Optimization of Business Processes Project" which covered all business families in the company and reinforced corporate memory and sustainability, while creating process maps and identifying development opportunities.

In line with Tat Gıda's digitalization strategies, Human Resources carried out important digitalization projects in 2022, in areas ranging from master data to scoring, and from workflows to the employee portal. Furthermore, system integrations and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) applications resulted in significant steps for digitalizing our human resources and increasing efficiency.

Talent Development

Tat Gıda runs training and development programs focusing on individual, functional, and company-oriented development. These programs aim to improve employees’ competencies and continuously increase their levels of technical knowledge so they can contribute to the company's vision. Tat Gıda implements not only training programs for development, but also on-the-job learning activities, projects, and rotations as part of the development management approach. All employees are able to plan their development both at home and at the workplace through the Koç Group intranet portal "Koç Academy" platform, which offers different learning opportunities.

Tat Gıda implemented many new development programs in 2022 in order to strengthen the employee experience and to support the future strategies of the company.

 • Senior and middle level managers took part in the "Tat Leadership Academy" program, the first module of which started in November 2022, to improve their leadership competency through 360 degree evaluation, individual development plans, coaching sessions, case studies, and action learning teams.

 • First-level managers and expert employees in the field participate in the "Formen Leadership Program" to improve their leadership skills. This program is also supported by development coaching.

• Field workers, on the other hand, participate in "Awareness Seminars with Tat" in addition to on-thejob trainings and legally required trainings under different titles such as Being Me, Being Us, Being a Team, and Managing Stress, all aimed at individual development.

 • The "Winning Culture Development Program" for office employees in which they participate face-to-face and learn skills based on projects and case studies is in the design process. Tat Gıda supports company strategies through all the development programs that have been implemented/ will be implemented, while at the same time ensuring the dissemination of training to every employee with a focus on development. In 2022, in order to closely monitor training and development indicators, we developed systems to continuously monitor reports.

In 2022, the company revised its orientation program and actualized the "StarTAT Program" to focus on experience and development. Office workers got the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the company and all departments in this program, and the orientation experience was improved through social and development-oriented activities so they could learn from each other, and get to know and cooperate with new employees. This program is renewed from end to end to give better mentoring support for each new employee using continuous feedback received through the system and monitoring the experience.

Training and Development Activities Continued without Interruption

Training and development were important activities on Tat Gıda's agenda in 2022, prioritizing leadership, agile transformation, digital transformation, competence, technique, coaching training, and development programs.

In 2022:

• Office workers received 8,219.5 hours of outsourced training. Training hours per person amounted to 43.95.

• Field workers received a total of 23,096 hours of training. Training hours per person amounted to 25.4.

Employee Experience and Engagement

Employee engagement surveys measure employee engagement every year. The most important goal in this process is to carry out focused studies by continually getting feedback from our employees. Therefore, transformation teams were established in 2022 whose focus was to improve employee engagement. Teams consisting of volunteer employees gathered insights, suggestions, and took improvement actions. Other actions were taken on priority areas at the suggestions of these teams.

Since improving employee experience is a critical focus for employee engagement, all management teams participated in leadership workshops with a focus on employee experience. Ethnographic studies were conducted to closely monitor the experience of employees and to determine areas where it could be improved. Critical experience points for employees including factory locations like the dining hall, cafeteria, and the rest area were renovated and the transition to an open office format in the headquarters continued. An increase of 16.6 points was achieved in the employee engagement survey for the year 2022.

Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Tat Gıda evaluates its employees using objective criteria and processes with a management approach that eliminates all kinds of discrimination and prejudice. It works to offer equal opportunities to employees at all levels.

In 2015, Koç Holding signed the Equality at Work Declaration to ensure equality at all levels of the group. Later, 30 Group Companies including Koç Holding signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Koç Holding is one of 10 Impact Leaders of the HeForShe movement run by UN Women. And it continues to actively offer support to increase women’s employment.

Tat Gıda supports the global "HeForShe" initiative supported by the Koç Group, which aims to create gender-sensitive work environments where women employees can find more training and development opportunities, advance their careers, and benefit from equal opportunities. In order to raise all employees’ awareness of this, Tat organizes gender sensitivity training.

Recognition and Rewarding

Tat Gıda uses different reward systems to celebrate employees' achievements that make a difference, to appreciate them in a timely manner, and to share their happiness.. Every year, the most successfully executed projects are identified and these achievements are celebrated with ceremonies. Tat Gıda aims to recognize exemplary behavior and achievements based on company values, to increase solidarity within the company, and to support everdevelopingby revealing the best practices through the reward system that covers all employees. In addition, annual award ceremonies are held to reward employees who have worked for many years at Tat Gıda.

A total of 63 people received spot awards in 2022. More than 100 employees received awards as part of the continuous improvement efforts for the "Bests" of the year. In addition, employees earn rewards under the TPM and recommendation system.

A Year of Strong Unity with Employees

2022 was full of events that brought Tat Gıda's employees together, such as ceremonies to celebrate the start of the production season, celebrations for setting production records, regular monthly and 3-month information meetings, and events such as BizBize. These all consolidated the ‘Winning Tat’ feeling.

44% of Employees are Female

In 2022, the proportion of female employees at Tat Gıda was 44%.

New Woman Employees

In 2022, the proportion of new woman employees at Tat Gıda was 63%.

Employees with Disabilities

In 2022, the proportion of employees with disabilities at Tat Gıda was 3%.

The Right to Unionize & Occupational Health and Safety

Tat Gıda respects the right of employees to unionize. It aims to ensure the continuity of peace and tranquility at work by complying with the laws and collective bargaining requirements within the framework of the trust-based relationship established with trade unions and employees.

In order to increase internal communication and to share information about projects to be carried out in plants, to receive support, and to act together, regular weekly meetings with trade union representatives and business leaders were initiated. In addition, union representatives and members are actively involved in many projects carried out within the company, especially the OHS Cultural Transformation and the Effective Leadership Project. Keeping the health and safety of its employees as one if its top priorities, Tat Gıda complies with legal regulations in line with its employee health and occupational safety policy, and develops both its plants and employees in this field.

Human Rights and a Fair Work Environment

Tat Gıda’s approach to human resources centers on employees. The development programs offered under the roof of the company, in-house trainings, social events, and benefits offer a work environment that makes employees feel happy and safe.

The Ethical Code of Conduct and Principles of Practice that comply with the principles and culture of the Koç Group shape the company's personnel regulations.

While providing a safe and peaceful working environment to employees, the priority approach focuses on respect for fundamental human rights and continuous improvement. Tat Gıda operates with a fair reward and talent management policy and gender equality between men and women, offering its employees a free space where they can develop themselves.

The human resources policy, which is against all kinds of discrimination, including but not limited to language, religion, race, and gender discrimination, prioritizes the protection of the rights of employees and contributes to the realization of the company's goals.

In addition, Tat Gıda has adopted Koç Group’s approach shaped by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. It follows and complies with policies regarding diversity, the prevention of discrimination, zero tolerance for child labor and forced labor, freedom of trade union associations and collective bargaining, health and safety, zero tolerance for harassment and violence, work hours and compensation, personal development, data privacy, and political activities.