"If Samsung and SK hynix offer huge bonuses, foreigners would go too": Taiwan MZ generation speaks candidly

[Financial News] [Hsinchu, Taiwan = Choi Hye-rim, Jeong Won-il] "I know TSMC is an important company, but I don't think that makes me feel any prouder. Money matters more to me."Tzu Hui-sun, 23, a nanoengineering student at National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, said this without hesitation after naming TSMC as the company she most wants to join after graduation. She met reporters on the university campus on the 4th local time. For her, a high salary matters more than the prestige of being the world's largest foundry or the pride of leading a key national industry.
She added, "My parents' generation would be very proud if they could say, 'Our daughter joined TSMC, a world-famous company.'" She said, "I don't really care whether a company is famous or not."■ TSMC may be the sacred mountain that protects the nation, but young people say salary matters moreIn Taiwan, TSMC holds such a special status that it is called the "sacred mountain that protects the nation." Getting a job there is seen as more than simply joining a good large company. It is also viewed as a source of pride in becoming part of an industry that represents Taiwan. But the younger generation that will lead the semiconductor industry's future sees things a little differently. To them, TSMC is a national symbol, but it is also, above all, the place where they can earn the most money in Taiwan.
About 10 students interviewed by reporters on the campuses of National Tsing Hua University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, both located near Hsinchu Science Park, said they hope to work at TSMC after graduation. Both schools are considered leading semiconductor talent incubators near Hsinchu Science Park, the heart of Taiwan's semiconductor industry.
What stood out was that most students cited salary as the main reason they want to work at TSMC. Rui Xuan, 21, an electrical engineering student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, said, "There aren't many companies in Taiwan that pay as much as TSMC does. Honestly, my biggest goal is to earn a lot of money."
When asked what the "sacred mountain that protects the nation" means, they all named TSMC without hesitation. But when asked whether pride was the key motivation for choosing a job, they all shook their heads. Rita, 20, who studies industrial engineering and engineering management at National Tsing Hua University, said, "That may be part of it, but personally, salary is the biggest reason." The other students gave similar answers.
■ "Our parents see it differently... We want to go to Samsung and SK hynix"The students said their parents' generation sees things differently. Parents place more importance on TSMC as a representative Taiwanese company and a workplace with high social prestige. Mary, 20, an industrial engineering and engineering management student at National Tsing Hua University, explained, "Most parents of Taiwanese students want their children to work at TSMC because it is Taiwan's most representative and prestigious company." She added, "They think it offers a stable future and a clear career path, rather than just high pay like students do." For the older generation, TSMC symbolizes national pride and stability. For younger people, it means a top workplace that offers high compensation and a solid career.
The students' strong interest when told that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix would pay bonuses worth hundreds of millions of won this year also reflected that mindset. Feng Yi-chen, 23, a materials engineering student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, said, "A bonus in the hundreds of millions of won is really attractive. If the work environment is stable enough, even for foreigners, I would naturally want to go where the money is better." Rui Xuan also said, "At that level, I would want to go too. The reason I want to work at TSMC is ultimately because I want to make a lot of money, so if there is a place that pays more, I don't think I need to insist on TSMC alone." She added, "I know Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are world-class companies, just like TSMC."


kaya@fnnews.com Choi Hye-rim Jeong Won-il Reporter