South Korea’s Samsung to overhaul recruitment methods

South Korean electronics producer Samsung has announced plans to overhaul its recruitment process, starting the middle of next year.
Thu, 6 Nov 2014
South Korean electronics producer Samsung has announced plans to overhaul its recruitment process, starting the middle of next year.

According to a report from the country’s news agency Yonhap, it will segment its recruitment procedures by job categories instead of relying solely on the written test-orientated system, the Samsung Aptitude Test.

The move comes after criticism that its recruitment methods put too high a social cost on the jobs market.

According to the news agency, becoming a ‘Samsung man’ is the top wish for many young jobseekers and the high competition to gain a position has had an adverse effect on the job market.

Competition is so fierce that jobseekers pay for expensive private tutoring or cram schools in preparation for the aptitude test.

Starting in the second half of next year, all applicants will be asked to hand in an essay on the field they want to work in, along with their CV, as a prerequisite to the written test.

"It is to diversify the recruitment process by types of occupations, as opposed to the uniform, test-based programme," Lee Jun, Samsung's communications chief, was reported as saying at a briefing.

The company will also adopt a debate session during the oral interview, where the applicant will be asked to discuss certain topics.

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