D-Tech Partner Network contributes to the professional progress of Doğuş Teknoloji employees with the help of Microsoft Skills Initiative (ESI) program

Following contemporary developments and being open to innovations, require remaining a life-long learner. Thanks to development of the technology, it has become easier to have access to the information, however, in it one if the disputed issues today, how this information can be used in practice. According to research, it provides that, in every field, theoretical knowledge is supported by practical knowledge and implementation areas; that knowledge be interiorised and be longer-lasting.

The pandemic has not only brought along remote work, but also the process of remote learning and achieving development. Adapting to digital education and fulfilling requirements of technology transformation, have become important in preserving competitive capacity; certification processes have also undergone a transformation in this period. As Doğuş Technology, we have adapted most of our certification supports performed face-to-face, to remote education, and we have supported our employees’ opportunity to improve themselves, but also observed that they remain in safety. One of the most typical examples of this, is that; within the scope of our partnership with Microsoft, as led by D-Tech Partner Network, a joint venture of Doğuş Technology, we have performed our certification training courses online. Thereby, our colleagues performing remote work in various cities, have had the chance to convert the training and certification process into a technical improvement by a smooth user experience.

Importance of certification

In the digital age, by swift transformation of the technology, professional certificates have become priceless in career development of a person. Therefore, having the most up-to-date information in related certificate issues, is in a sense, proves becoming competent by closely following the technology. Certification training courses have also positive contribution both to personal development and internal culture of the company. Certification training regarding issues such as business life, private life, project management, organisation; has been much in demand in the remote work period, and demand to it has peaked.

Doğuş Technology believes that, supporting technological innovations by most current content and methods, shall create added value for all stakeholders. While adapting to digital development, for the purpose of supporting requirements of this adaptation with practical implementations, it has been targeted to improve internal learning culture of the company constantly and thereby, to render it permanent; and the certification process has been supported in this context. It has become a generally accepted practice in the industry, to crown training courses with certification, in order to provide global certification; therefore, we mobilise our supports for our colleagues who work at Doğuş Technology, to help them to attend certification training courses both in their field of expertise, and also in different areas according to their interest and skills.

In addition, in the Microsoft ESI program realised within the scope of our partnership with Microsoft at Doğuş Technology, in order to convert training into competence, theoretical and practical implementation processes have been designed based on real project management scenarios. Most of our colleagues have not contented themselves with one certificate only; their motivation in this regard has been supported by flexible models provided by the ESI program. Each of our colleagues has experienced that, in addition to becoming competent regarding the matter; having certificate also plays leading roles for restoring self-confidence.

Certification and Preparation for Examinations by Figures

Within the scope of Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI), which is a global program; all employees of Doğuş Technology have had the right to have access to many various function titles. In the content of training courses, prepared taking into account that each employee has a different learning style; on-demand and online in-class training courses are used. In the in-class training courses, while receiving training in native language, direct contact has been established with the instructor, and simultaneously, having the advantage of question-answer, has provided great benefit for participants.

In the course of preparing for the certificate examinations, pilot tests offered by the program, have supported the learning process, in the sense of both refreshing knowledge, and feeling ready for the examination. Pilot tests, by decreasing examination stress and fortifying the knowledge, have increased the participants’ motivation; and it has had a positive impact on the certificate examination success rates. In the years 2021-2022, employees of Doğuş Technology, have been entitled to more than 100 certificates. When we examine distribution of the certificates taken, they consist of; “fundamental” certificates at the rate of 29%, “administrator” certificates at the rate of 19%, “solutions architect” certificates at the rate of 17%, “engineer” certificates at the rate of 19% and “developer” certificates at the rate of 10%. In the last 1 year, our 140 colleagues have attended 7 in-class advanced level online training courses.

Participants, after completing their training, in order to fortify their knowledge for certificate examinations and to deepen their skills; start preparations for pilot test and certificate examination. With the participants who have been satisfied y this adventure and who recommend to it to his/her colleagues in the team; we continue to add new ones to our certification processes, for which we receive a great deal of attention.    

Believing in importance of feedback in order to determine impact coefficient of certification programs, we wanted our colleagues to share their comments and improvements regularly. Barış Arslan, our colleague who has been entitled to highest number of certificates within the scope of Doğuş Technology in 2021-2022 period, has mentioned that; “I wanted to improve my skills in order to better perform my daily works. At the same time, I am interested also in other matters which shall indirectly contribute my skills, and thereby, I am trying to develop a perspective of 360 degrees. The training courses I have attended, have provided a great deal of benefit and value, to enable be to achieve these desires of me. Each training course I have attended, was enjoyable and productive. In order to get better prepared for the examinations, I have benefited from the documents available on the platform. I feel myself more competent and experienced in various subjects. I thank Microsoft for the benefit and supports it has provided in this process."

Gizem Duru, our team manager who value effect of certification in the recruitment process, has mentioned that; “It is very valuable for us that employees constantly improve themselves, gain experience. Thereby, they have the chance to improve their current skills and to invest in themselves at global standards. We have the opportunity to assess competence of each of our institutions, besides we grant our colleagues a field of personal development. For instance, as a team, we are very much interested in AZ-204 and AZ-400 training, and we have been satisfied with all steps included in the process. And, in the recruitment process, I offer our candidate colleagues our certification process as an ancillary right, and I observe that positive feedback is received from the candidates.”

Increasing the Impact Coefficient

At further phases of intense program, which starts with fundamental level, advance level training planning processes have been deepened; vertical of expertise has been created for every level, and it has been targeted to increase participation percentage rate within the scope of the company. In our roadmap, it is a significant milestone to support all our colleagues at various expertise levels to get certificate. At this point, holding certificate has been encouraged; it has been observed that it has had positive effect even at the target setting phase of the teams.  

By the Enterprise Skills Initiative program, we, as Doğuş Technology, have speeded up in most of our projects and processes, and we have implemented the knowledge we gained, to our daily life, and we have observed maximum interest of our group companies in this benefit, and we have supported their participation in the program. In this context, Barış Çakıroğlu, the Information Technologies Manager of Doğuş Publications Group, one of our group companies, has mentioned that; “In 2021-2022 period, we, as Doğuş Publications Group, have supported the certification process together with ESI (Enterprise Skills Initiative) program. We have experienced that entitlement to certification has had concrete, significantly positive contributions to our institution. Training courses we receive has priceless support for us to speed up in our projects.”

Hanifi Tayfur, manager of our Doğuş Technology Software Development team, has mentioned that; “In the 2021-2022 period, we, as the Software Development team, have closely followed the certification processes, by the ESI (Enterprise Skills Initiative) program. We have noticed that it has provided us concrete, significantly positive contributions in the certification process and thereafter. Among the training courses we have received, we have analysed concretely the unique support for us to speed up in our projects, provided by the expertise such as “Microsoft Azure Security, Technologies Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure, Azure Fundamentals”. On the other side, the competence of considering the incidents from a different perspective, a skill we have gained by the training courses, has supported us in most of our projects.”, and he explained benefits of the partner development program, which we carry out jointly with Microsoft. Transforming power of the certification programs in technical development program, has created positive effects on both the employee and corporate culture.