100,000 Cvs To One Company

In fact, there is a serious problem of unemployment in Turkey. Thousands of people are waiting for work and their ranks are being continuously swelled by young people. The problem became even greater after the 2001 crisis as thousands of qualified personnel joined the ranks of the unemployed. The economic growth of the last two years has meant that companies have begun to recruit again and hopes have risen. The CVs and job applications with which companies have been flooded are an indication of this. Indeed, some companies have received nearly 100,000 applications over the last eight months. This figure is expected to rise still further towards the end of the year.

In 1998 Arçelik, the leader in the white goods market, received around 2,000 job applications. In 2003 approximately 69,000 people contacted the company looking for work. In the intervening five years the number of applications for jobs at Arçelik has reached record levels. Like Arçelik, many other companies today receive tens of thousands of job applications. There is no doubt that applications being sent electronically has played an important role in the record number of applications. But it would be a mistake to attribute this increase solely to technology.

Companies which are pioneers and leaders in their fields attract applications like magnets. Applicants are influenced by factors such as the company’s size, performance and market position. These companies are attractive as much for the career opportunities they offer as their salary policies and training opportunities. Saide Kuzeyli, who is one of the most experienced executives in the field of human resources, says that there is a lot of interest in companies which boldly demonstrate pioneering, entrepreneurial, aggressive and unusual implementations. For this reason, companies which rank amongst the leaders in their own markets attract more attention from the workforce than others. The interest varies according to the sector. There is high demand in what are seen as growth areas such as banking, pharmaceuticals, consumer durables and automotives. In addition,. Multinational companies are also receiving increasing demand.

Banks Always Amongst The Favorites

The 2001 crisis in the banking sector triggered an earthquake which left thousands of people unemployed. But this did not affect those looking for work. Because banking is still one of the sectors most in demand. This is borne out by applications to the three largest banks in the sector. In 2003 Yapı Kredi Bankası received 56,944 job applications. In the first eight months of 2004 the figure was 35,297. Garanti Bankası Human Resources Manager Murat Akgün says that in 2003 they received applications from 36,000 people, rising to 43,000 in the first eight months of 2004. Esra Bozkurt, who is responsible for human resources and change at Akbank, explains: “There were 30,000 applications in 2003 and so far this year we have received more than 28,000.”

Multinationals Offer Hope

The opportunities offered by multinationals in Turkey also attract the interest of job applicants. Another reason for the interest is that these companies are seen as a gateway to the outside world. Danone Türkiye has been in Turkey since 1997. According to figures provided by the company’s human resources manager Gülgün Tekindur, in 2003 18,000 people applied to work at Danone. Since January this year another 39,000 have applied.

In the first eight months of this year 9,369 people applied to Unilever, another multinational company. This compares with 12,500 in all of 2003. In the last four years the company has received a total of 42,000 CVs. Nestle Türkiye Board Member Ahter Kutadgu says that in the last three years they have received an average of 15,000 applications a year.

Foodstuffs Sector Becoming Popular

Domestic companies active in the foodstuffs sector are also attracting interest. They are led by Ülker. Ülker Human Resources Coordinator Aziz Refiğ says that they received applications from 51,000 people in 2003. In the first eight months of 2004 this figure was 49,000.

Eti, which is an important player in the biscuit and chocolate market, attracts greater interest each year. The applications to the company confirm this fact. In 2000 3,500 people sent their CVs to the company. In 2003 this figure rose to 6,000. The increase continued in 2004. In the first eight months of the year the figure reached 7,500.

Yaşar Holding’s restructuring has made it one of the most widely discussed companies of recent years. In 2003 the Holding received 12,497 applications. Interest increased in 2004. In the first eight months of the year alone 26,653 applied to the holding for work.

Automotives On The Rise

Tofaş is one of the most important players in the Turkish automotive sector. In 2003 it received a total of 17,266 applications for work. In the first eight months of 2004 this figure rose to 19,674. In the 1990s the company used to receive an average of 4000 applications a year.

Another important player, Renault, is divided into Oyak Renault and Renault Mais. In 2003 the two companies received a combined total of 7,658 applications. This figure rose in 2004. In the first eight months of the year 10,514 people sent their CVs to Renault in the hope of finding work.

Ford, which has grown rapidly in recently years, continues its rise on the labor market. In 2030 it received a total of 24,500 job applications, of which 17,500 were for white collar and 7,000 for blue collar posts. This figure rose to 33,500 in 2004, of which 22,500 were for white collar positions.

Tufan Sevinçel/Kariyer Net General Manager

“A Lot Of Applications To The Major Players”

THEY ATTRACT A LOT OF INTEREST When we look at the job applications over kariyet.net, without distinguishing between new graduates and those looking for high level posts, we see that there is a preference for large or multinational companies or those which are members of large groups. When these companies post advertisements they generate a lot of interest and there is even a lot of interest in general advertisements which don’t specify any particular position.

PATH OF RAPID ADVANCEMENT The reason for this is that new graduates are looking for ways of advancing easily in their careers. They believe that even if they only start off as an intern in a leading company, in the future they will be promoted within the company and will have the opportunity to be able to advance more rapidly. Moreover, working in a leading firm will be a good reference in the future. In addition to this, the performance evaluation systems that the large corporations apply, and the fringe benefits they offer, show the value that these leading firms give to their personnel.

 Company                         2003     2004 (first 8 months)

18 of the 28 companies received more than 10,000 job applications

efirat@capital.com.tr