Committed to becoming a global player, Sabancı Group is striding confidently towards the future with its diverse and highly capable human capital.
As of December 2023, Sabancı Group provides employment opportunities to more than 60 thousand employees worldwide, including subcontractor employees. Committed to becoming a global player, Sabancı Group is striding confidently towards the future with its diverse and highly capable human capital.
Employee Gender
Breakdown
69%
Male
31%
Female
Board of Directors
Gender Breakdown
Generational
Distribution
Strategic Human Resources Roadmap
Sabancı Group designed its human capital strategy in line with the Group Strategy House and defined a new human resources roadmap for the next three years.
The roadmap focuses on five key pillars:
1. Attract and Retain the Best Talent Ever
This pillar aims to attract and retain top-tier talent by aligning with global trends and implementing strategies that resonate with the needs and preferences of top talent.
In 2023, Sabancı Group maintained its position as being an “Employer of Choice.” Aiming to hire the best local and global talent, Sabancı Group is committed to delivering exceptional employee experience.
The New Generation Career Experience Program offers thirdyear and fourth‑year university students the opportunity to work on projects and experience the Sabancı ecosystem for an eightweek period. A diverse group of 42 highly capable undergraduates from six countries, 54% of whom were women, participated in this program in 2023.
The SEED Young Talent Program was redesigned to align with the Group’s digital growth strategy. The revamped SEED Digital Young Talent Program targets young professionals with 1-3 years of experience in digital fields. A total of 5,600 applications were received in 2023. The program participants are involved in a diverse range of digital roles, embarking on an upskilling journey to launch their professional careers.
Sabancı Global Ambassadors program is designed to help achieve the Group’s global growth target. Under the program, top Turkish students at QS 500 European and American universities are selected as Sabancı Ambassadors. The student ambassadors aim to raise awareness about Sabancı Group at career events and across other networks.
Reskilling and upskilling are key strategic initiatives for talent management across the Group.
| Program | Objective | Duration | Number of
Participants |
|---|
| Advanced Data Analytics Academy |
Ensuring the development of critical employees in the field of “data analytics” within the digitalization road map of Sabancı Group. |
8 months |
55 |
| IN-LEAD |
Providing high-potential technical managers and engineers with professional and leadership development. |
1 year |
23 |
| NEXT |
Targeting the alumni of Group Development Programs; this year’s focus was on crafting a comprehensive, experiential cybersecurity training program, including cyber threats. |
1 day |
45 |
| X-TEND |
Fostering a resilient and socially responsible community, this online academy provides insights into key areas such as Adult and Child Psychology after Earthquake, First 72 Hours of Disasters, Practical Information on Earthquake Resistant Buildings, etc. |
1 year |
~ 3,100 |
| X-LAB |
Supporting the Group’s strategic direction on innovation; the third cohort, including the Ideathon phase, was completed in 2023 and four teams were selected for Sabancı ARF. |
4-6 months |
224 |
2. Establish a Fast, Flexible, Fluid Organization
Creating an agile and adaptable organizational structure that emphasizes speed, flexibility, and fluidity in companies to push Sabancı Group’s strategy forward is the goal of this pillar.
In 2023, Sabancı Group completed the strategic workforce planning initiative. Human resources actions will be designed accordingly, focusing on crucial organizational skills and capabilities for companies to achieve their objectives.
Leadership bench strength is a key success factor at Sabancı Group. Maintaining continuity and expanding the talent pool are accomplished through organizational and group-level people review gatherings. These efforts ensure adherence to leadership potential assessments, succession strategies, pipeline capacity, and overall organizational health and flexibility across the Group.
X-TEAMS, a business development platform utilizing agile methodology, aims to identify potential business areas aligned with the Group’s strategies. Since the platform’s launch, eight cohorts with 50 teams consisting of employees from crossfunctional teams have realized more than 50 projects.
3. Build a Purpose Driven, High Performance Culture
The objective of this pillar is to foster a culture centered on purpose and high performance, motivating Sabancı Group employees to concentrate on an inspiring goal and collectively attain sustainable outcomes.
Sabancı Group’s purpose is to unite Türkiye and the World for a sustainable life with leading enterprises. All strategies and actions based on this purpose are shared with Group employees at the annual management meeting and quarterly CEO talks.
As part of the Sabancı Republic Day Campaign, the Group participated in the Istanbul Marathon with 2,800 employees – the largest number to join the popular event from a single company. Adopting the slogan “It’s Worth Running,” Sabancı Group ranked among the top conglomerates to raise the most charity donations.
At the 14th Golden Collar Awards, 153 projects from across the Group competed. The best projects were recognized and rewarded in the following categories: “Digitalization and Continuous Improvement,” “Innovation,” “Customer Experience,” “Sustainability,” and “Sabancı of New Generation.”
Embraced by every Sabancı Group company, the continuous performance system (OKRs, KPIs) prioritizes transparency, maintains agility, fosters collaboration, and thrives on feedback. In 2023, 100% of Group employees had regular performance evaluations.
All Sabancı Group companies
offer separate side benefit
schemes with varying content
and flexibility based on role status
and requirements in line with
employee expectations and needs.
The Group does not tolerate a raw
gender pay gap between male
and female employees. Sabancı
Group is committed to conducting
an annual equal pay for equal
work research study, including
a raw gender pay gap analysis,
to maintain wage equity going
forward.
In 2023, Sabancı Group executed an
interim salary increase in line with
macroeconomic data and market
conditions to ensure competitive
employee welfare.
STI (short-term incentive plan)
enable employees to focus
their performance on achieving
key financial and non-financial
objectives. LTI (long-term incentive
plan) are offered to a defined group
of senior executive positions to
boost share value and help them
gain a shareholder perspective,
as well as to reward long‑term
performance and stability. The
Board of Directors reviews and
defines long-term KPIs for the senior
management team each year.
KPIs for variable remuneration in
2023 follow below.
* Short-term KPIs are not limited to those included on this page; those shown are merely examples.
** Change in market capitalization compared to peers for listed companies.
*** For non‑listed companies.
4. Enable Orchestrator Leadership for Teams
Cultivating leaders in line with the Sabancı Leadership Model, and skillfully orchestrating teams and all stakeholders are the objective of this pillar.
In 2023, the Sabancı Leadership Model was renewed with collective wisdom and a participatory approach. The new model aims to raise future-ready leaders who act as ecosystem leaders, focus on growth, prepare for the future by transforming, and strengthen connections.
Leadership Development Programs are regularly conducted to bolster the diverse leadership pipeline and extend the Sabancı Leadership Model to all levels of the organization.
| Program | Objective | Duration | Number of
Participants |
|---|
| TP-X |
Supporting individuals with high potential who are new in their business careers and the Group. |
1 ½ years |
17 |
| X-POSURE |
Improving the leadership potential of Sabancı Group mid‑level managers. |
1 ½ years |
21 |
| HR Journey |
Supporting Group HR leaders by incorporating global perspectives and methods to prepare them for a future-ready ecosystem |
1 year |
24 |
| X-CELERATE |
Supporting CXO leaders’ transformation and deepening their global and leadership perspective. |
1 ½ years |
22 |
| Sabancı Transformation Team (SATT) Program |
Sabancı Holding Executive Board Members and Company General Managers are positioned as “key accelerators” who will realize the transformation of the Group. Throughout the Sabancı Transformation Team (SATT) initiatives, strategic areas are focused, and leadership development is supported. |
1 year |
30 |
5. Create a Human Touch for Sustainable Lives
This pillar aims to instill a humancentric approach to promote sustainable lifestyles, fostering connections that prioritize personal touchpoints and continuous learning for general well-being and vitality.
Sabancı Group is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and driving community growth where it operates. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination based on language, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, or disability. Embracing the Declaration of Principles on Equality at Work, Sabancı Group prioritizes a fair workplace in line with its sustainability strategy. Progress is monitored via a comprehensive roadmap, which includes female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture, anti-harassment policies, and women’s support, as acknowledged by the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. Notably, Sabancı Holding was included in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index – the sole Turkish holding company in the global index.
Sabancı Group companies receive regular data-based analysis on potential industrial relations and labor law risks. Immediate updates are provided on these developments to aid proactive risk management. Embracing adaptable work approaches, the Group implements flexible working models within legal and regulatory frameworks.
Respecting employees’ rights to organize and engage in collective bargaining, Sabancı Group maintains a neutral stance towards unions and unionization processes. A substantial portion of Group employees are union members. Collaborative environments are fostered by labor and employer unions, ensuring sustainable labor relations. As the leader of TÜSİAD’s Employment and Social Security Working Group, Sabancı Group supports initiatives focused on labor legislation compliance, secure flexible work, employment incentives, and future job skills.
Sabancı Group ensures compliance with relevant legislation and internal standards for employee health and safety. Through training and knowledge transfer, the Group aims to standardize and enhance employee health and safety practices continually. Embracing the principle of “Occupational Health and Safety First,” Sabancı Group emphasizes the importance of employee well-being. This commitment to excellence is reflected in both the Group’s workforce and stakeholders.
