Connect Applicants with Current Employees of Major Tech Firms
Concerns Raised Over Fairness in Recruitment
Companies Investigate Employee Participation
It has come to light that current employees from 'Nekarakubaengdto'-a group of companies favored by job seekers, including Naver, Kakao, Line, Coupang, Baemin, Danggeun Market, and Toss-have been paid to review and edit applicants' resumes, sparking controversy. Each company responded immediately to the situation.
List of current employee mentors from 'Nekarakubaengdto' who provided resume editing services. The alphabets are presumed to be the initials of each company. Resume service screenshot
According to Asia Economy's coverage on August 14, one company has been offering a paid service since last month called 'Nekarakubaengdto Resume Editing,' which provides resume review services for job seekers. If a person wishes to apply for a specific position, such as a project manager (PM), at a particular company, they can pay for the service and be connected with a current employee in the same role at that company.
Such services may violate company policies prohibiting side jobs or concurrent employment, and could undermine the fairness of recruitment. As a result, companies are checking whether their employees actually participated in the service and are considering follow-up measures. A Danggeun Market representative stated, "We have confirmed that an actual employee was listed as a service provider, and we immediately ordered the activity to stop upon recognizing the issue." A Coupang representative also commented, "The employee in question claims not to have participated in the service or provided any resume editing. We have contacted our compliance office to verify the facts."
As a result of an internal survey among mentors of the 'Nekarakubaedtonto' resume review service regarding whether to disclose real names. Provided by the resume review service side
Other companies are aware of the potential issues but say it is difficult to identify participating employees due to the prevalence of common names and privacy protection concerns. However, it appears unlikely that the names of current employees were used without consent. The manager of the resume editing service stated, "We disclosed the real names of current employees and carried out the service with their consent." The service is currently suspended pending internal review.
A Naver representative explained, "We require prior approval for side jobs that disclose company affiliation, and engaging in such activities without notifying the company may constitute a policy violation. If any issues are confirmed through internal checks, we will take action in accordance with internal regulations." A Kakao representative also said, "Our internal regulations do not permit such side jobs, and if it is confirmed that the individual is a Kakao employee, we will take action at the company level."
A representative from Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baemin, stated, "We cannot officially confirm personal information about employees. Unreported side jobs are against company policy, and if confirmed, we will take action in accordance with regulations." A Toss representative similarly commented, "We instruct employees to share any activities that disclose their company affiliation in advance, and if any issues are confirmed, we take action according to internal policies."
Industry experts have raised concerns that such practices could compromise the fairness of recruitment. Yoon Dongyeol, a professor of business administration at Konkuk University and former HR executive at a major corporation, stated, "Because these activities were not conducted openly with company approval, they are unacceptable from the perspective of fair recruitment. Each company must enforce strict internal discipline and take appropriate action."
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