Now, SK Hynix — which has been reshaping South Korea's corporate hiring landscape by scrapping academic requirements for entry-level positions — is overhauling how it evaluates candidates. The chipmaker has significantly revamped its recruitment process to identify talent with what it calls "thinking muscles," or the capacity for deep, foundational reasoning suited to the AI era.
SK Hynix announced Thursday that it will accept applications for entry-level rolling recruitment from Aug. 20 through Aug. 26. Open positions span key functions including design, device engineering, R&D process and mass production technology, with work locations in Icheon, Cheongju, Bundang and Seoul. In line with the company's June declaration to fully abolish academic requirements, anyone may apply regardless of age or educational background.
The centerpiece of the overhaul is a "half-day deep interview" focused on verifying real-world competency — an approach that aligns with the vision of AI-era talent championed by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.
Chey has said that "in the AI era, people who can design new systems and societies where humans and AI coexist across diverse fields will become increasingly important," adding that "the ability to question and think through the essence of a problem — thinking muscles — is what matters."
Moving away from the conventional 20-to-30-minute interview format, SK Hynix will have candidates spend half a day completing in-depth assignments and undergoing interviews. The company plans to assess not only job-specific expertise but also AI application skills, humanistic sensibility and logical reasoning.
The application stage is also being fully revamped to reflect this competency-centered approach. SK Hynix is eliminating the traditional self-introduction form and replacing it with a new format in which applicants describe their AI proficiency and semiconductor job expertise. The intent is to move beyond simple credentials and formalities and instead identify — from the document screening stage — candidates with the potential to apply AI flexibly on the job and solve difficult real-world problems.
In addition, the company is shifting its recruitment information sessions away from the university-campus model toward open, hub-based events accessible to anyone. Sessions will be held in four cities — Seoul, Cheongju, Daegu and Gwangju — with the aim of offering young people and next-generation talent interested in the semiconductor industry a chance to explore career paths and learn about the industry's vision, not just students enrolled at specific universities.
SK Hynix will also hold an "AI Hackathon Competition" in the fourth quarter to identify top-tier AI innovators. A hackathon is a contest in which participants build software or algorithmic models to solve real-world problems within a set time limit. Entrants will tackle challenges involving the application of AI to semiconductor manufacturing issues. Top performers will receive a fast-track benefit — an exemption from the document screening stage and direct access to interviews.
"We have restructured our hiring system to move beyond credentials and document reviews, and to rigorously verify candidates' fundamental problem-solving abilities and practical competencies," a company recruitment official said. "We will actively recruit and develop AI talent with strong thinking skills, and continue our unrivaled technology leadership in the global AI semiconductor market."
Full details on the entry-level recruitment requirements and the schedule of information sessions are available on SK Hynix's official recruitment website, where interested job seekers can also register to attend.
gil@heraldcorp.com
