Samsung mulls changes in recruitment system

Samsung Group, the country's largest business group, said Wednesday that it is considering modifying its recruitment system for recent college graduates, as a larger than expected number of people have applied for the group's new positions. More than 100,000 college students submitted their applications last week to the group. Samsung plans to hire some 5,500 new college graduates for the second half of the year. We cannot help but review our recruitment system, as a large number of college students unexpectedly applied for our new positions, which could raise social costs as well as financial costs for applicants," group chief spokesman Rhee In-yong told reporters. Samsung Electronics and other sister firms are among those most favored by college students in South Korea. For one, South Korean college students listed Samsung Electronics as their top choice for the 10th straight year this year, citing excellent benefits and having a sense of pride in working for the world's largest smartphone manufacturer. Some applicants attend private institutes to prepare for the group's job aptitude test, and buy test preparation books, which also raise the financial burden for college students. The group plans to keep its college graduate headcount at 9,000 for the year from last year. Samsung said it plans to continue its policy of hiring high school graduates and expand recruitment of the handicapped. Meanwhile, as part of efforts to strengthen its software clout, Samsung said earlier it would hire liberal arts majors and train them as software engineers.