One Year with Pandemic: Business World Experiences

One Year with Pandemic: Business World Experiences

“One Year with Pandemic: Business World Experiences” panel were broadcasted live from BAU Futura Campus on Youtube. Executives of the business world attended the panel moderated by BAU COOP Directorate and BAU Rector Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz and explained how they managed the 1 year with the pandemic.

Participants of the panel are Microsoft Turkey Marketing and Operations Vice President Münir Kundakçı, Getir Head of People Özlem Salur and KPMG Executive Director Ali Tuğrul Uzun. BAU Rector Prof Dr. Şirin Karadeniz opened the panel by asking about how the companies were managed and how they dealt with the difficulties. Speaking of the sudden move of more than a hundred thousand employees from Microsoft offices to their homes, MünirKundakçı said:“We gave four of our fundamental technologies for free to anyone who did not have it. We started out with our mission, which is to support every person and institution on the planet.”He also summarized the three-stage plan they implemented for the pandemic process and its aftermath; “Respond, recover and re-imagine. Primarily, to respond quickly to the crisis, then adapting to get out of the crisis gradually and when the pandemic environment is over, nothing will be the same as before, but nothing will be as in the pandemic period. Therefore, lastly starting studies for whatever should happen in this interim period."

Ali TuğrulUzun answered the question of how companies managed the situation during the pandemic from the point of KPMG. First, as a business using Microsoft, he thanked the company for making decisions to facilitate the situation for individuals and companies during the quarantine period.He underlined that the company adapted to change very quickly.He explained that the employees have been divided into three groups since they started coming to the office; "Since June, anyone who wants to come to the office has to come in three separate shifts. Even though it is not mandatory to come into the office, anyone who wants to come, can come in within his group.

Özlem Salur evaluated the situation for the Getir application, noting its use has increased enormously during the pandemic period.She mentioned that unlike some other businesses, Getir was successful in using the process on its behalf, they were not affected by the process badly and they acted quickly.She also stated that this rapid growth brings in a lot of responsibilities as well. “When your work has meaning and you do it with passion, you don't seem to get tired. We distributed 330 thousand aid parcels. We got organized for people with poor incomes.”

As the panel continued, BAU Rector Prof. Dr.Şirin Karadeniz asked where the business world is heading and what young people should do to prepare for this changing business world.All three participants agreed on the most necessary features for young people: To be curious, courageous, and agile. It was also mentioned that the changing business world will transition to a hybrid order and that data is at the center of everything in this order.

The decisions taken for the management of the anxieties that may arise in the employees were also mentioned. Thus, the importance of human social needs was pointed out too. It was mentioned that Getir offers psychological sessions to its employees and KPMG celebrates special days online with its employees as well.

Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz closed the panel with the following statements: “You have to know very well that there is no linear path in building your career. People change professions every five years and change jobs every two years. Curiosity, courage, self-confidence, which we call fundamental skills… When you mature these, you can actually exist in any career. "