Battery makers use innovative methods to recruit workers

A screenshot from SK On's comedic recruitment promotional video "Why should I choose SK On?" / Screenshot from YouTube

By Kim Hyun-bin

LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI are competing to recruit skilled workers in order to take the lead in the rapidly growing battery market, according to company officials Wednesday.

Recruitment is one of the top priorities for battery companies and the most recent methods of recruitment have been breaking traditional norms. Companies have come up with innovative ideas to better attract younger workers, including uploading comical videos on YouTube of their interview procedures as well as uploading videos of human resources personnel explaining in detail the selection process and criteria.

SK On has been accepting applications for entry-level employees since March 28 and will receive applications through April 10. Ahead of the recruitment process, a job ad video was uploaded on the company's YouTube channel with the title, "Why should I choose SK On?"

This video depicts a conversation between an applicant and an interviewer through an online video interview. The applicant appears to wear a sport coat and dress shirt, but also reveals he's wearing gym pants. The applicant asks the majority of the questions while the interviewer is left busy answering them. It seems the roles of the applicant and the interviewer are reversed giving it a comical feel.

The interviewer boasts of the company's high growth potential, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) management and easygoing corporate culture. In particular, it actively promotes the strengths of SK On by emphasizing the perks including a self-approval vacation system to better appeal to viewers and prospective applicants.

"We are hiring a lot these days, even entry level employees. We tried to introduce the company in a fun format to better suit the MZ generation style," an SK On official said.

Samsung SDI received resumes through mid-March and is conducting interviews now. The company also uploaded a nine-minute video on its official YouTube channel last month, in which an HR employee introduces the recruitment procedures and explains the characteristics of each job in detail.

"The younger generations are more in tune with social media and YouTube, and since last year we have posted videos of our recruitment procedures that have gained popularity and received positive feedback," a Samsung SDI official said. "It also provides better in-depth information on our recruitment procedures to potential applicants."

LG Energy Solution (LGES) focused on portraying the daily lives of employees. It uploaded a video titled "Ensol Inside," which portrays the real story of an intern who became a full-time employee.

The three companies are also focusing on nurturing students by offering full tuition support and guaranteeing a job after graduation. SK On has cooperative relationships with Sungkyunkwan University and Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology, while Samsung SDI works with Seoul National University, POSTECH, KAIST, and Hanyang University, and LGES has ties with Yonsei University and Korea University.

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