‘Average Bonus of 700 Million Won?’ Hynix Exam Craze Sweeps SK hynix Production Job Recruitment

[The Financial News]  As SK hynix Inc. began accepting applications for open recruitment of production workers, a so-called "Hynix Exam" craze has spread among job seekers. With expectations rising for record-breaking bonuses amid the semiconductor supercycle, landing a production job is drawing competition as fierce as a national exam.
According to the education industry on the 21st, major job-preparation firms such as Hackers have launched short-term pass courses for SK hynix Inc. The courses cover the entire hiring process, from company analysis and self-introduction essays to interview preparation and the SK Group aptitude test, the SK Comprehensive Competency Test (SKCT). Online bookstores are also seeing strong demand. At YES24, study materials for the written test for SK hynix Inc. production jobs have risen to No. 1 on the real-time bestseller list in the exam-prep and certification category, reflecting a sharp increase in related sales.
The main reason behind the hiring frenzy is the company’s exceptional compensation and bonuses. Securities firms expect SK hynix Inc. to post about 25 trillion won in operating profit this year. In particular, if the company assumes a bonus pool of 25 trillion won under its profit-sharing bonus system, which sets aside 10% of operating profit, the average bonus per employee could reach about 700 million won before tax, based on a workforce of 35,000. The outlook has gained more credibility because the company already paid 140 million won in bonuses last year to employees whose annual salary was around 100 million won.
As a result, some applicants are even considering lowering their academic background to meet the eligibility requirements. This recruitment is limited to high school or junior college graduates, so those with a bachelor’s degree or higher are generally not eligible to apply. Posts have also appeared on job-seeking communities asking whether applicants can hide the fact that they graduated from a four-year university.
Meanwhile, SK hynix Inc. has been recruiting maintenance and operator positions for its April Talent Highway through its hiring website since the 13th. The maintenance role is responsible for equipment upkeep and production line operations related to semiconductor manufacturing, while operators handle quality testing and defect inspection. Applications for this hiring round, which will place workers at sites in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yongin, and the Cheongju Campus in North Chungcheong Province, close on the 22nd.


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter