Samsung hires more tech, science talent

Most of Samsung Group’s second-half recruits this year are science and engineering majors, reflecting the company’s push for software development, according to industry sources.

Samsung Group’s affiliates have been announcing from last week the results of the recruitment for the second half of the year, which began in September.

Among some 4,500 new hires at the 25 Samsung affiliates who went through weeks of tests and assessments to get into South Korea’s largest conglomerate, most were science and engineering graduates, the sources said.

Samsung Electronics in particular, filled more than 85 percent of its job vacancies with science and engineering majors. The electronics firm conducted the hiring processes for jobs including software, research and development, sales marketing, design and management support.

The tech giant is expected to place more engineering graduates in the departments relevant to software development than in other departments, aiming to boost its software prowess.

“Software is often pointed out as the main weakness of Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker,” a market watcher said. “The tech giant seems to be focusing on securing talents in the science and technology fields to strengthen its software prowess.”

At other Samsung affiliates, including materials firm Cheil Industries, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and Samsung Techwin, applicants with science and engineering degrees snapped up around up to 90 percent of jobs.

The conglomerate’s financial and service business wings such as Samsung Life Insurance, and Hotel Shilla were among those that hired more humanities graduates than from tech and science.

Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee’s first and second children, Jay-yong and Boo-jin have bachelor’s degrees in East Asian History, and Youth Education, respectively, and his third child Seo-hyun studied design in the Parsons School of Design in New York.

Concerns have recently been rising in the South Korean society over decreasing popularity of humanities at school and university as more companies look for people with expertise in science and technology.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heradlcorp.com)