Empowering a Multicultural Team at Trendyol: Unleashing the Power of Diversity
In my 1.5 years Trendyol Group, I continue to be amazed by the diverse richness of thought and background that each new team member brings to our locations.
At Trendyol, we have actively cultivated an environment that naturally celebrates multiculturalism and a diverse workforce throughout our rapid international growth journey. Our unique #culture and the Trendyol way of working are the driving forces behind these efforts.
A Fair and Inclusive Decision-Making Process based on Impact and Data
The company culture is based on the belief that it’s not about where you come from, but about the ideas, feedback and contributions you bring to the table. How often do you use a scorecard or a structured pros/cons table to make decisions at your workplace? Well, at Trendyol it is every day, every time, for everything. We have developed decision-making tools that foster a fair and inclusive environment, where ideas can thrive based on impact/effort rather than personal background. Every decision we make considers its impact on our internal and external customers, backed by supporting data. These decision making tools are all ultimately seen in every decision you make. That’s their power!
We do adopt this data-driven way of work from the very beginning of our employment journey: The recruitment process. In our recruitment management tool, we have scorecards created for each candidate, which are filled in by different interviewers using the same evaluation scale and data set. It is not the intrinsic gut feelings and attributes about the candidates but the data that speaks for itself . The purpose of using scorecards is to make our decisions objectively in the recruitment process and to ensure alignment between interviewers and data. This is very critical to create an unbiased hiring process for us. This way of working ensures that every team member’s voice is heard and valued, regardless of their differences.
Fostering Collaboration and Inclusive Communication for Team Success
Let me start by explaining how Trendyol’s culture already supports #diversityequityandinclusion through our “Stronger as a Team’’ value. Collaboration is at the heart of any successful diverse team, and Trendyol fully understands this. If you think that you should go alone, don’t! Here is one of our mottos to remember: #teamworkmakesthedreamwork . The only way to succeed is through teamwork and we never put ourselves before the team. Trust and support are our main drivers while Trendyol encourages open communication channels. Imagine having countless Slack accounts where you can easily reach out to anyone by simply tagging their name, regardless of their role, level, title, gender, or any other attribute that might be emphasized in other companies. It creates an inclusive space where ideas can flow freely. At Trendyol, you can join Slack channels in the blink of an eye without the need for permission or superior approval. No hierarchical steps in teamwork!
Feedback and Diversity: Driving Continuous Improvement and Collaboration
Let me elaborate further on our feedback culture: we believe that “The best performance of today is the minimum requirement of tomorrow” and in order to strive to be better every day we need to learn and this is thanks to the feedback we continuously collect from our stakeholders, customers, partners and peers. Sending out feedback surveys, holding retrospective meetings, and regular 1–1 feedback sessions are just a natural part of our daily practice of identifying what we have done well or what we could have done better. We welcome all feedback regardless of its source which fosters an inclusive workplace where we feel psychologically safe to speak up. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion further reinforces the value of feedback. We believe that every idea and every piece of feedback, regardless of its source, contributes to our collective progress. By embracing the spirit of “One Dream One Team” we foster a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are not only heard but also celebrated.
HR Initiatives: Promoting Awareness and Understanding
As an HR team, we recognize the enormous potential of harnessing the power of diversity. We regularly host talks by industry experts and thought leaders to share their insights on cultural diversity, inclusion, and the benefits it brings to the organizations. These talks not only educate our teams but also inspire them to embrace diversity as a catalyst for innovation and growth. Additionally, we also run workshops that provide practical strategies for creating an inclusive work environment where diverse talent can thrive. All of these initiatives foster empathy, respect, and collaboration among our diverse workforce.
Proactively Embracing Cultural Diversity for Global Expansion
As we embark on our global expansion, we recognize the importance of proactively embracing cultural diversity. Our HR team works diligently to ensure that our policies, practices, and organizational structure are tailored to accommodate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our international workforce. We have developed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training modules for different audiences (newcomers during onboarding, Inclusive Leadership for leaders, catalogue training and video learning for all). In addition, our career gym approach with rotation opportunities offers tremendous opportunities for all different needs.
We are a continuously growing company, hence cultural diversity, having the richness of different ideas and promoting inclusion is a long journey for us. What I love about seeing this journey towards becoming more and more multicultural and inclusive every day is its authenticity and alignment with the company’s culture, vision and values. I think the one of the biggest challenges in diversity, equity and inclusion is that it has become a box that needs to be checked rather than a meaningful initiative or differentiator. However, at Trendyol our progress is real, just like the growth journey of any baby. Just as you don’t expect a baby to walk on day one, at Trendyol we have built our foundations first. We believe that with our teams of 34 different nationalities, 40% female workforce and generational diversity,we have already done something good! By embracing diversity from the start, we are better equipped to enter new markets, understand local dynamics, and connect with customers worldwide.
Join our Diverse Team and be Part of Diversify Team
Come and be part of our diverse team and recognize the significant value it brings to our collective success. Let us continue to nurture and celebrate our diverse workforce as we move forward together. Join us and be a part of this richness.
