SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - South Korean chipmaker SK hynix said on Wednesday it has completely abolished educational requirements for its new recruitment drive, shifting its focus to practical skills and growth potential as it gears up for the artificial intelligence era.
Starting with its latest rolling recruitment that opened Wednesday, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker has removed the traditional prerequisite of a "four-year bachelor's degree or higher" from its job postings.
Under the new system, applicants will be evaluated purely on their experience, job competency, and cultural fit, allowing anyone to apply and be hired regardless of their academic background, the company said in a statement.
The structural shift aligns with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's recent vision for talent in the AI era. Chey recently emphasized the importance of three core "muscles" for future employees: a "thinking muscle" to ask questions and probe the essence of problems, an "adaptability muscle" to respond agilely to technological shifts, and an "empathy muscle" for flexible collaboration and understanding diversity.
A company official explained that conventional degrees and standard resumes are no longer sufficient to gauge a candidate's potential in the fast-evolving AI sector, prompting the company to revamp its recruitment criteria to find creative problem solvers.
In an unusually large move for a rolling recruitment period, SK hynix plans to hire hundreds of new employees for key engineering positions, including semiconductor design, to lead next-generation chip development.
The company aims to aggressively recruit high-potential talent to secure future growth engines and solidify its competitive edge in the global AI semiconductor market, while also contributing to broader youth employment.
Applications for the current hiring round will be accepted through June 23 via the company's recruitment portal.
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