New Job Interview Methods on Verge of Employment

With the employment season underway, a great “war of job interviews” is taking place between companies trying to hire talented people and people preparing for employment.

Many companies are implementing various new methods of job interviews such as presentation, cooking, and testing practical skills in order to enhance the power of judgment among the applicants.

Accordingly, people who are preparing for employment are stepping forth to conquer the highland of employment by collecting and sharing information on job interviews through the Internet and even making study groups for job interview preparation.

Companies are Searching for Precious Stones -

Eland, an apparel company, implemented a job interview method of “self-approved employment” full-scale following its removal of limitations on academic background, age, and major.

Applicants must choose at least one among four to five “required capabilities” that are presented according to each area, make a PowerPoint presentation about it, register it as a file, and then present it. If the applicant is not able to register his or her own potential and capability upon the related area as a file, then the application itself is impossible.

Sampyo Foods Company conducts job interviews by cooking. The applicants are formed into groups of four and after cooking freely from the given specific ingredients, they are asked to do a presentation about that dish. The company decided to implement this kind of a job interview after concluding that they would be able to evaluate concept, idea, and planning skills through cooking and also look at leadership skill, which will be shown throughout this whole process.

A motor parts manufacturing company, Mando, which has more than twice as many applicants than last year, implemented an in-depth interview system consisting of three steps, including practical knowledge, communication skills, and a job interview conducted by executives. In particular, the job interview testing practical knowledge is conducted in form of an intensive interview, in which the assistant manager or the manager becomes an interviewer themselves and asks intensive questions about the applicant’s professionalism as well as their knowledge of their major.

The Korean Reinsurance Company conducts an outdoor screening process by climbing mountains and playing soccer. Their objective is to look for companionship, cooperation, progressiveness, and positiveness throughout the process.

Officials of Korea Recruit (www.recruit.co.kr), which is a recruiting company, said, “As the number of people searching for jobs is increasing due to unemployment difficulties, differentiating through TOEIC scores or paper-screening is decreasing, and many companies are putting more weight on job interviews,” adding, “There are even quite a few companies that are benchmarking the job interview methods of first class companies such as Microsoft in the U.S.”

Shaping up for Job Interview for People in Search of Employment-

Various Internet websites and communities for employment are acting as an information storehouse for people preparing for employment. In an on-line community called “Breaking through employment” (cafe.daum.net/breakjob), there is a separate bulletin board for Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK Group, and many people are sharing their job interview experiences through those bulletin boards.

“The Jokbo (a list of formerly asked questions) section,” which has much information about job interview questions of a specific company in detail and which also has the experience of the people who passed, is also a great hit. A “study group for job interviews” is also formed according to the company people are planning to apply to.

In addition, recruiting portal websites like Korea Recruit, Jobis, and Empas are also providing various information about job interviews.

Jong-Hoon Lee taylor55@donga.com