VKF_FRAE_2017

PART II: MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES 106 VakıfBank Annual Report 2017 HUMAN RESOURCES PRACTICES VakıfBank’s modern and strategic human resources policy is designed to develop its employees’ talents in line with requirements of the current day and the necessities of digital banking, and to increase employee motivation. The present human resources practices are geared towards providing equal opportunities and conditions for all employees, on the basis of their competencies. In addition, the Bank aims to contribute the individual and professional development of employees to maximize employee satisfaction and commitment, and nurture a culture that will sustain corporate success. »» RECRUITMENT AND PERSONNEL PROCEDURES The Bank’s employment plans are carried out in a line with strategies determined in the light of the Bank’s long-term strategic objectives and the departments/branches’ staffing norms, so as to meet their personnel needs in a top quality and efficient manner. In 2017, as a result of studies to determine the employee requirement, the Bank identified the places where additional employee is needed in the short term, and made a point of overcoming the shortcoming in these places, and organized regional recruitment, tests and interviews. As for the long term, the Bank planned and carried out the employee recruitment process in due consideration of employee requirements expected to arise during the year, depending on planned organizational changes, new branches set to be opened, and the number of employee who would leave due to retirement, resignation and similar reasons. In this scope, 1,152 new employees were recruited in order to meet the Bank branches’ and departments’ employee needs that arose in 2017. The Bank’s head count increased 3% compared to the prior year to reach 16,097 as of end-2017. The Bank also attempted to meet the branches’ and departments’ demand for employee with the existing workforce, by changing places of duty in the year 2017. The ensuing appointments and assignments allowed the Bank’s branches and departments to operate with an optimum number of employee. Furthermore, to ensure the continuity of the added value created by the employees for the Bank, the places of duty of 700 employees who had been working in the same branch for a long period were changed in January 2017, according to specific criteria (branch class, signature authorization, the employee’s role, title, etc.). As such, the possible risks associated with working at the same branch for long time and reduced labor productivity were eliminated, and the employee’s dynamism and motivation were increased. In consideration of the mentioned rotation scheme’s positive effect on the Bank employee’s productivity, VakıfBank plans to repeat it periodically in the following period. With a view towards preventing the risks posed by accumulated annual leaves for the Bank, efforts were expended in 2017 to encourage Bank employee with annual leave of over 50 days to plan and use at least 2 weeks of their leave without disrupting the workflow in their places of duty. These efforts not only helped reduce the accumulated annual leave days but also enabled employees to enjoy their right to leisure and increase their work dynamism. »» EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Activities carried out in the scope of the Occupational Health and Safety Policy, which embodies the importance attached by the Bank to its employees, possible workplace risks are minimized and a safe work atmosphere is created. To this end, efforts were expended in 2017 at the Bank in line with the relevant provisions of the Law numbered 6331 on “Occupational Health and Safety Policy”. Risk Assessment Reports and Emergency Plans were prepared for 875 branches and 279 departments, 8,298 employees were given Occupational Health and Safety Training, 1,250 employee received Basic First Aid Training, 8,000 employees underwent periodical health check/screening, and Fire-Robbery-Theft-Natural Disaster Drills were carried out in numerous branches and departments. 2018 goals for human resources practices » » It is planned to recruit approximately 1,000 more employees during various dates in the year 2018 in order to meet the needs which will arise due to resignation, retirement and similar reasons, and the workforce requirements of the new commercial segment branches to be opened in 2018. » » The rotation scheme applied in 2017 for employees working at the same branch for a long time will be extended into 2018 and turned into an employee policy, since it has made huge contributions to reducing risks posed for the Bank. » » Occupational health and safety measures will be implemented through the integration into VIT of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System purchased by Vakıf Joint Health and Safety Department. The Bank plans to ensure that work accident and occupational disease records are entered over VIT and that statistical data is stored duly. VakıfBank is committed to provide equal opportunities and conditions to all of its employees in its human resources practices.