[Innovation #6] A good work culture is made top-down, not bottom-up

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[Innovation #6] A good work culture is made top-down, not bottom-up

Posted : 2017-09-24 18:39

Updated : 2017-12-27 12:20

A wall of the Hanmi Global headquarters in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, displays words that reflect the company's philosophy on keeping employees happy. / Courtesy of Hanmi Global

Hanmi Global chairman claims 'happiness management'

By Yun Suh-young

This is the sixth in a series of articles on companies with innovative work cultures. — ED.

How many Korean companies have you heard of that send employees on a two-month "paid" sabbatical leave? Not even one, for me, until I came to know of Hanmi Global.

Hanmi Global is a construction management company which takes on projects that overlook and manage the construction of a building from beginning to end. For a company that's part of a rough and tough industry, Hanmi Global is a mutant _ and a very good one.

Employees of Hanmi Global are allowed to go on a paid "refresh vacation" for one month every five years and a two-month paid sabbatical leave every 10 years. For the executives, the rewards are better. They take a two-month paid break from work every five years.

"My boss's attitude on work changed after he came back from a sabbatical recently. The team atmosphere is softer and he gave us much good advice," said Bae Yu-jin, PR administrator at Hanmi Global.

"He stressed the importance of a program like this and told us to experience and feel as much as possible."

Bae says the program is what she was most surprised by when she entered the company two years ago. "It's the program that employees love the most," she said, adding that colleagues are supportive about those who take the leave despite having to take on their work, because they know they'll also get their turn.

"It was amazing to be able to spend so much time with family. My mother and my children were really happy about it and I felt proud to be part of a company that gives us such benefits. Which company would send you on a paid leave for so long? The program makes you feel more loyal to the company," said Jung Ik-gyo, an associate PR director at Hanmi Global, who recently came back from a sabbatical in Vietnam.

"I think this program is very necessary for employees. I scoffed when people who've been on it said they wanted to come to work after a month and I didn't believe them, but it's true. After a while you feel like you have to return, and want to. Then you start doing the same work but with more appreciation and care. Work becomes proactive and an incentive to go on your next sabbatical."

But this isn't what solely defines the work culture at Hanmi Global. It has a variety of employee welfare programs, ranging from one-year maternity and paternity leave for both parents, flexible working hours, graduate school support programs, financial support for language and personal development studies, an individual budget rewarded for book purchases, full educational support for employee's children from elementary school to college, even for adopted ones, regardless of the number of children, and free massages at work, to name a few. There are also non-material aspects that the company emphasizes and fosters, such as appreciation and communication between employees and social volunteer work for the disabled.

Word of mouth spread that the company strives for employees' happiness. As a result, the company has been ranked one of the country's 100 best companies for nine years, four of which it won gold prizes for and one, the top prize.

Hanmi Global Chairman Kim Jong-hoon

"It's the leader that matters," says Kim Jong-hoon, founder and chairman of Hanmi Global, during an interview with The Korea Times describing how such a work culture can be established.

The chairman has given numerous seminars, workshops and talks to CEOs in various companies. He wrote two books on his company's work culture _ "We Go to Work in Heaven" (2010) and "Passion for Perfection" (2016), the latter catered toward a younger audience.

"A good work culture doesn't happen overnight. And it doesn't happen from the bottom to the top. It happens from the top to the bottom. The willingness of the leader is very important," he said.

"Striving for a good work culture is a lasting investment. Of the three components that make up a company _ people, money and technology _ people are the most important. Leaders should become like union leaders. They should figure out what their employees need and provide them with it. Think in the employees' shoes instead of corporate shoes. When you satisfy your internal clients and make them happy, they won't betray you."

In fact, he said, "companies betraying their employees is a bigger problem."

"When companies make promises, they have to keep their promises, because leaderships in Korea last a very short time, policies or philosophies last a short time as well. But a culture has to be a legacy. I want my company's happiness management and employee first principle to last like DNA passed on," said Kim.

"It's important what the company thinks and acts on. Our mantra is employee-focus. We have a happiness management task force of which I'm the team leader. There are 15 on the team from every department, consisting of younger employees, and we hold meetings every month on how to improve the work culture and what to act on to meet our agenda."

The mission to create a company where employees want to go to work in the morning was what Kim dreamed of when establishing his own company in 1996, which grew from several dozen employees to over 1,000. The idea was inspired by his children who couldn't wait to go to school when Kim was dispatched to Malaysia for a construction project when he worked for Samsung.

"They were so depressed and stressed about not going to school during the summer vacation and I was fascinated. They couldn't be happier when school started. How could school make them so happy? And I thought what if I could bring this into a work environment? How wonderful would it be if I could create a company where employees couldn't wait to go to work?"

And so he did. Not everything happened overnight, but slowly and gradually he established policies that reflected his forward-thinking philosophy.

The three pillars of happiness management became 1) fun and fluid 2) employees' self growth and 3) pride.

"In the end, why do workers go to work? To earn money? Yes. But in the end, they want to be happy. The workplace has to be happy and it has the responsibility to be. CEOs need to establish policies to let employees be happy. At the same time, employees should also make the effort themselves. They shouldn't sit back and do nothing and rely on the company. They should strive to become happy themselves," said Kim.

The happy lounge at Hanmi Global headquarters in Samseong-dong, Seoul / Courtesy of Hanmi Global

He also said the reason why Koreans aren't happy despite the country's incredible growth and international stature is because they aren't thankful.

"Our country is well off but people aren't happy because they don't thank each other, between families, colleagues and to society. So from about five years ago, we adopted an internal movement for appreciation. It's important to show you're thankful to each other."

To those suspicious of how work culture could impact performance and outcome, Kim said his company's productivity far exceeds others.

"Could it bring better results? There isn't any proven scientific research yet on the correlation between a good work culture and growth, but we have a strong belief it does. Although being happy is not the sole reason, it plays a big role in changing the outcome, and definitely on sustainable growth," he said.

To those who work at subpar work cultures, Kim advised them not to be discouraged.

"Life is not a sprint. It needs patience and time. You don't have to work there forever, but you can find the strengths in that workplace and use them for your growth, either establishing your own business or becoming a good leader in a different company. In whatever situation or environment, there are always pros and cons. So look on the positive side," he said.

ysy@ktimes.com