Kolektif: An Innovative Employee Platform by Akbank Design Studio

Combining Social Media and Human Resources Functions for Enhanced Employee Experience

Operating from its Istanbul headquarters, 19 regional directorates, and 711 branches across Turkey, Akbank is staffed by over 12 thousand employees. The inspiration behind Kolektif was to create a dynamic social media platform that keeps this dispersed employee base connected. By also gathering different human resources functions in a single place, the platform aims to provide utmost convenience to the employees.

What sets Kolektif apart is its dual functionality. Each employee has a profile, and the platform offers multiple social media functions like following other profiles, posting on the timeline, stories, post comments, and likes. Simultaneously, it acts as a human resources platform where employees can see the latest announcements and access different human resources functions. The platform also features an appreciation page where employees can thank their coworkers under different categories.

The project, available for desktop, was realized using design tools such as Sketch, Principle, Illustrator, Invision, Zeplin, Abstract, and development tools like .net 4.5, mvc, Kendo UI, Microsoft Office Sharepoint, and Angular. The technical specifications of the design include a responsive design and a holistic design approach to corporate identity.

Through Kolektif, employees can perform all their human resources affairs from a single channel. They can create their own profiles, update them at will, containing their personal and work-related skills, and make social shares. They can see their colleagues' information and interact with their posts. They can also thank their colleagues. With all these personal entries, a new database is created for employee-specific training and activity suggestions.

The project started in April 2020 in Istanbul and had its first release in May 2021. It is an ongoing process with updates depending on new needs. The design process involved workshops with staff, human resources staff, and managers to determine the needs and functions. The scope studies were guided by the workshop outputs. Dashboard and social media design benchmarking research were conducted, leading to meaningful insights that were used in creating personas and customer journey mappings. User testing was also conducted to evaluate the design and observe user behaviors.

The design of Kolektif presented a unique challenge: the need for a platform where employees could be more socially active and the need for human resources to create a personalized database for its employees. The solution was to bring the priorities of the two sides together on a common platform. Employees would add special skills related to their job or personal interests to their profile and socialize at the same time. Thanks to this customized data, human resources employees would also be able to offer special activities, training, and personal development suggestions to each employee.

This innovative design was recognized with a Golden A' Design Award in 2022, a prestigious honor granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. These are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.