Samsung and SK to Announce Hiring Next Month
Leading AI Semiconductor Talent Recruitment Including HBM
Executives Visit Universities to Engage on the Frontlines
Competition for Overseas Talent Focused on the US Also Noteworthy
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are set to secure semiconductor talent through various forms of recruitment in the second half of this year, following their efforts in the first half.
According to industry sources on the 25th, Samsung will conduct its 'Second Half New Employee Regular Recruitment' in early next month. The Device Solutions (DS) division, which handles Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business, will announce job-specific recruitment notices for the Memory, System LSI, and Foundry business units.
SK Hynix will conduct a 'Second Half New Employee Recruitment' targeting those graduating in February next year and those already graduated, as well as a 'Junior Talent' screening for those with 2 to 4 years of experience during next month. SK Hynix is also expected to recruit full-time (production) employees in the second half. It is known that the company will hire a three-digit number of production staff throughout the year, including both the first and second halves.
The recruitment efforts of both companies are interpreted as a move to lead the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor market, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Earlier this year, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix hired talent related to next-generation memory, such as HBM development and Compute Express Link (CXL) product development.
Executives are also actively working on the front lines to secure semiconductor talent. Samsung Electronics recently started the 'Tech & Career (T&C) Forum' at Yonsei University and Seoul National University, followed by Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) on the 26th, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on the 27th, Sungkyunkwan University on the 28th, and Korea University on the 29th, totaling six universities. The T&C Forum is an annual event held since 2016 by the DS division to discover and nurture semiconductor talent, targeting master's and doctoral students. This year's T&C Forum features DS division technology executives explaining the company's culture, key products, and technologies.
SK Hynix will also hold 'Tech Day 2024,' a recruitment event for master's and doctoral students, at five universities including Seoul National University, POSTECH, KAIST, Yonsei University, and Korea University until the 10th of next month. Tech Day will feature a full lineup of executives including President Kim Ju-seon in charge of AI Infrastructure, Vice President Kim Jong-hwan responsible for DRAM development, Vice President Cha Seon-yong in charge of the Future Technology Research Institute, Vice President Choi Woo-jin responsible for P&T, and Vice President Song Chang-rok in charge of CIS development.
They are also actively securing overseas talent. Samsung Electronics is building a foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) plant in Taylor, Texas, USA, with an investment of $17 billion (approximately 22 trillion KRW), aiming for operation in 2026. Along with this, they are promoting cooperation with nearby universities as a strategic move to secure talent.
Samsung Electronics' recruiting team plans to tour 12 campuses nationwide, starting with Texas A&M University, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and Purdue University early next month to recruit students for next summer's internship program.
SK Hynix is also running an internship program in the United States and is expected to recruit personnel to work at the advanced packaging production base for AI memory to be established in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In April, SK Hynix announced plans to invest $3.87 billion in building an advanced packaging plant in Indiana and to collaborate on semiconductor research and development with local research institutions such as Purdue University. Relatedly, SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jeong met with Purdue University President Mung Chiang at the 'SK Global Advisory Council Meeting' held last month in San Jose, California, USA, exchanging views on advanced packaging investment and talent development.
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