"Promise to Hire 80,000 Over 5 Years... Samsung Begins First Half Public Recruitment"

Public Recruitment from 11th to 18th for First Half of the Year
Plan to Hire 80,000 New Employees from 2022 to 2026
Chairman Lee Jae-yong's 'Talent Management Philosophy'
"Technical Talent Is an Indispensable Core Competitiveness"

Samsung announced on the 10th that it will conduct an open recruitment for new employees in the first half of this year to secure future technology talent and provide fair employment opportunities for young people.

A proctor conducting a preliminary briefing for candidates ahead of the 2023 second half online Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT). Photo by Samsung Electronics

Samsung will hold the first half open recruitment from the 11th to the 18th through the Samsung recruitment website, 'Samsung Careers.' A total of 19 affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Biologics, and Samsung C&T Corporation, will participate in this recruitment. Applicants will follow the hiring process starting with submitting their applications, then taking the online Global Samsung Aptitude Test next month, followed by interviews and health checkups in May. For certain job categories such as software development and design, applicants must also undergo software competency tests and design portfolio evaluations.

Samsung introduced the open recruitment system in 1957, the first among Korean companies, and has maintained it to this day. To expand domestic employment, Samsung has set a plan to hire 80,000 people over five years starting from 2022 and is executing it without delay. To secure outstanding research and development (R&D) talent, Samsung has also recruited both experienced domestic professionals and foreign international students concurrently.

Samsung has pursued innovation in its personnel systems, including recruitment. Following the management philosophy of 'Talent First (Injae Jeil, 人材第一),' Samsung has strived to implement ability-centered personnel practices. In 1993, Samsung established the first open recruitment system for female college graduates in Korea, and in 1995, it abolished conventional discrimination by removing academic background requirements from hiring qualifications, leading an open recruitment culture. Samsung also works to create a flexible and horizontal organizational culture where externally recruited talent and foreigners can fully demonstrate their capabilities.

Beyond recruitment, Samsung operates the 'Samsung Youth Software Academy (SSAFY)' at five nationwide hubs in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gumi, and Busan, providing high-quality education free of charge to help young people strengthen their software competitiveness. Additionally, Samsung runs 'Samsung Dream Class,' which offers middle school students in underprivileged educational environments courses in English, mathematics, career and future planning, global competency enhancement, and software education. Through the in-house venture nurturing program 'C-Lab (Creative Lab),' Samsung supports startup creation and carries out the Hope Stepping Stone 2.0 project to help young people preparing for independence acquire skills and achieve economic self-reliance.

All these efforts are said to be in line with Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s philosophy of 'Talent Management.' Chairman Lee inherited this philosophy from the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee and has led organizational innovation within Samsung. He has consistently emphasized, "Let’s change not only the existing flawed systems and practices but also outdated perceptions," and urged, "Let’s boldly fix what is wrong, insufficient, or lacking."

This year, Chairman Lee has repeatedly stressed the necessity of securing 'super-gap competitiveness' through the preemption of technology talent, drawing attention. As his first management activity this year, he visited Samsung Research to review the development of next-generation communication technologies and held a meeting with Samsung Masters, emphasizing the importance of technology talent. At the Samsung Masters meeting, he said, "Technology talent is an indispensable core competitiveness," and added, "We will create an environment where talent can freely challenge and innovate."

Chairman Lee is also expanding communication with on-site employees both domestically and internationally to foster future-oriented and flexible organizational culture innovation. At the end of this year, he met with employees at Samsung SDI’s Malaysia plant and Samsung Biologics’ Songdo plant, encouraging them by saying, "Let’s not be swayed by short-term performance but lead change through bold challenges."