First of all, thank you for your time for me and the HR Trends & Insights newsletter. Our newsletter, which exceeds 3500 words, is probably the most comprehensive one this month. I hope you enjoy reading it.
In this month's newsletter, we will cover 5 important topics:
- 🍱 Mumbai's Silent Heroes - The Dabbawala System
- 🤖 Benedict Evans's 2025 Technology Presentation
- 🇹🇷 The Economic Potential of Generative AI in Turkey
- 📊 Gallup "State of the Global Workplace 2024" Report Review
- 📥 Heavy Applications to Job Postings (Bonus)
🍱 Mumbai's Silent Heroes - The Dabbawala System
In India, especially as a reflection of centuries-old food culture, carrying home-cooked meals to the workplace is a very common tradition. A unique logistics system has emerged to meet this need in crowded cities like Mumbai: The Dabbawala system.
The word Dabbawala in Hindi consists of "Dabba" meaning box and "wala" meaning carrier, meaning "lunch box carrier."
Founded in 1890 by Mahadeo Havaji Bachche, the Dabbawala system today employs approximately 5,000 workers who deliver more than 200,000 lunch boxes from homes to workplaces every day and bring them back the same day. Each Dabbawala works with an average of 30-40 boxes and makes deliveries using the city's complex transportation network (including train, bicycle, and walking).
The Dabbawala system is not just a local service, but also a global logistics success story studied by Harvard Business School (Harvard Business Publishing).
3 Main Success Sources of the Dabbawala System
1. Organizational Structure
- Low hierarchy with flexible and fast decision-making mechanism
- High trust and cooperation with minimum salary difference
- Profit-sharing, cooperative-like business model
2. Operational Process
- Efficient logistics with train, bicycle, and walking combination
- Low-cost traceability with alphanumeric coding system
- High accuracy without needing technology
3. Human Resources Model
- Regional recruitment and reference-based trust network
- Practical training and knowledge transfer from master to apprentice
- Low turnover rate based on loyalty and belonging
Lessons Highlighted by Harvard Business School
- Excellence can be achieved without technology.
- Cultural bonds and trust are the foundation of sustainability.
- Simple systems can scale even in complex environments.
Takeaways for HR Professionals
- Culture and belonging are at least as important as processes.
- Low hierarchy and transparency increase engagement.
- Local recruitment models strengthen trust and performance.
- Training is more effective when combined with practice.
Sources
- Harvard Business School Case: The Dabbawala System
- Forbes: Lessons from the Dabbawalas
- BBC Documentary: "The Men Who Deliver Mumbai's Lunches"
🤖 Benedict Evans's 2025 Technology Presentation
First, let me briefly introduce Benedict Evans. He is a well-known UK-based technology analyst, writer, and podcaster. In his career, he was a partner at Andreessen Horowitz and specializes in strategy, trends, and interactions in the technology sector, especially in mobile technologies, media, and retail. He is also known for his own newsletter and presentations.
Evans publishes a presentation every year analyzing global technology trends. The 2025 presentation is titled "AI Eats the World." The highlights of this presentation that I think also concern HR professionals are as follows:
1. AI is Industrializing
AI has moved from being an experimental technology to the center of large-scale sectoral transformation.
"An argument about AI is often really an argument about automation."
2. Talent Wars and New Skill Demands
Demand for talent who can work with AI and manage complex systems is rapidly increasing. Reskilling in existing positions has become mandatory.
"Lots of mid-complexity tasks are now automated. The remaining work needs higher-level judgment."
3. Organizational Structures are Changing
Flatter, data-driven, and agile structures are coming to the fore. Middle management positions are at risk of automation.
"The org chart of 2030 won't look anything like today's."
4. Employee Experience (EX) and AI Integration
Improving employee experience with AI-supported tools is becoming a strategic necessity.
"How do you make people 2x more productive and also happier? That's the real AI question."
5. Ethics and Responsibility
Ethical use of AI systems in decision-making processes, recruitment, and performance evaluation is a critical HR issue.
"AI can scale bias as easily as it can scale insight."
🇹🇷 The Economic Potential of Generative AI in Turkey
According to this report prepared by Implement Consulting Group, which Bilişim AŞ previously shared, generative AI (GenAI) has transformative potential in the Turkish economy. The report comprehensively analyzes GenAI's economic contribution, sectoral distribution, and effects on the workforce.
GDP Contribution
- Annual Potential: $17.5 – $36.5 billion (1.6% – 3.3% of GDP)
- Growth Scenarios:
- Partial Adoption: +1.6%
- Medium Adoption: +2.3%
- Full Adoption: +3.3%
Employment Impact
- Workforce Open to Automation: ~5 million employees (15% of total workforce)
- Restructuring: These employees represent roles that need to be transformed rather than eliminated.
Sectoral Distribution
- Highest Impact: Financial services, professional services, manufacturing
- Medium Impact: Retail, healthcare, education
Talent & Skills
- The proportion of employees with GenAI skills is low (~2%)
- Training and reskilling investments are critical
Report Summary
For GenAI to realize its true value in Turkey, a comprehensive transformation strategy is needed; this strategy should include not only technological infrastructure but also talent management, organizational agility, and training investments.
📊 Gallup "State of the Global Workplace 2024" Report Review
Globally, Gallup is one of the most important research sources that comprehensively tracks employee engagement and stress levels. According to the 2024 report, the employee engagement rate across Europe is only 13%; this rate is significantly below the global average (23%). These data reveal that employers in Europe face serious challenges in terms of both motivation and productivity.
Turkey Data
- Employee Engagement: 14% – Slightly above the European average, but below the world average.
- Actively Disengaged: 20%
- Daily Stress: 44% – Above the European average (37%)
- Daily Anger: 32% – One of the highest rates in Europe
The Role of Leaders and Managers
The report emphasizes that managers' impact on team engagement reaches 70%. However, managers themselves also experience high stress and burnout; this makes leadership development programs a critical priority.
Gallup's Comment on Leadership Development in Turkey
"While only 14% of employees in Turkey work engaged, it is necessary to accept that managers are the most important factor that can reverse this rate. However, managers are also under intense stress; this makes their development a strategic priority."
📥 Heavy Applications to Job Postings (Bonus)
In a post I made in recent weeks, I asked the following question:
"Can you share how many applications you received for job postings you published on Kariyer.net and LinkedIn?"
In the responses I received from many HR professionals, I saw that some postings received more than 800 applications. This number is quite common, especially during intense recruitment periods. So what should be done in this situation?
The Real Question Facing HR
Receiving 800 applications is no longer good news — it's an indication that the company's recruitment process is going through a serious test.
The real questions to ask here are:
- How many of these applications are actually suitable candidates?
- How efficient is the screening process?
- How is the candidate experience affected?
Strategic Approach Recommendations
1. Clarify the Job Description
Avoid general expressions and design the posting so that only suitable candidates apply.
2. Use Pre-Screening Questions
Add short and screening questions to the application form to filter out unsuitable candidates from the start.
3. Evaluate AI-Supported Tools
Increase efficiency by using AI tools in processes such as pre-screening, resume scanning, and video interviews.
4. Strengthen the Employer Brand
A strong employer brand reduces wrong applications and attracts the right candidates.
AI-Supported Recruitment Tools
- Stafio.ai – Coming very soon
- Manatal – AI-powered candidate matching and ATS
- Sapia.ai – Text-based pre-screening and fairness-focused assessment
- Crosschq – Reference checking and talent analytics
If there are topics that caught your attention or you are curious about in this month's newsletter, I look forward to your comments. As IC Consulting, we are here to offer customized solutions for strategic and digital transformation in human resources, employee health, and analytics-based development.
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