Civil Servants Enter the Era of Self-PR... Changwon City's 'New Hope Position System' Aims to Reform Rigid Public Service Culture

Internal structure of the new Hope Position System in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. [Image source=Changwon-si]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Changwon City in Gyeongnam is bringing a new breeze to the rigid public service culture by introducing a new personnel system tailored to MZ generation public officials.

The city announced on the 23rd that it will operate the 'New Hope Assignment System' for internal public officials starting from the 24th.

The new assignment system consists of three sections where all public officials below grade 5 introduce themselves directly: 'My Personnel Card Created by Me' for self-promotion, 'The Best Person in This Field ? A Colleague I Want to Work With,' and 'My Difficulties' which are hard to share with others.

The system allows officials to specify their strengths, reasons for suitability for assignments, and aspirations by detailing their satisfaction with assignment paths over the past five years, competitive and vulnerable areas, preferred and avoided departments, and more.

It is designed not only to recognize quietly hardworking employees but also to enable colleagues to recommend administrative experts, and to record work-related difficulties that are hard to disclose to others.

The information entered will be immediately reflected in the regular personnel appointments in January next year and will be updated twice a year in line with the regular appointments in the first and second halves of the year thereafter.

The city established this appropriate assignment system to improve the lack of means for public officials to showcase their abilities and talents within the public service society, despite living in an era where self-promotion through social networks and YouTube is commonplace.

In particular, although elite public officials born in the 1990s have recently entered the public service society in earnest, the proportion of those who cannot adapt to the rigid organizational culture and either leave or struggle is gradually increasing.

This is caused by a lack of internal communication and work stress within the organization. The city expects this personnel system, suitable for the MZ generation accustomed to non-face-to-face communication, to function as an online communication channel as part of measures to help young public officials adapt.

Mayor Heo Seong-mu said, "We have high expectations for this personnel system where employees promote themselves," adding, "It will be a good gateway for talented public officials to be internally selected in the Changwon Special City launching next year and a good opportunity for gradual change into a flexible organization."