Employees do have sparks in their hearts

There are many reasons why people work for a company. These include livelihood, self-actualization, a sense of belonging to society, and an efficacy in contributing to the organization. In Korea, intangible reasons other than livelihood are rapidly losing value with the next generation.

Especially in large corporations, a higher salary is often the primary goal. People don't hesitate to switch jobs for better pay, but at the same time, they're unwilling to take on work that doesn't guarantee any financial return. A former president of Samsung Electronics mentioned that whenever he encounters young people in the workforce after leaving office, he frequently hears them say, “I don't want to work for a company.” He often reflects on this, thinking, 'There's a spark in their hearts, but the company fails to ignite it.’

The spark he witnessed in Samsung was the following: In 2022, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (then Vice Chairman) and Bill Gates, Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, teamed up to create a successful toilet project for underdeveloped countries. The project was part of Samsung's social value initiative to develop toilets that don't require sewage treatment.

Initially, Samsung employees assigned to the project felt demoralized by the fact that they were working on something outside their core business. Aside from semiconductor or smartphone processes, they lacked experience in sewage treatment, and thus, there were numerous obstacles ahead of them. However, with an internal drive to "show that Samsung does things differently," the team succeeded in delivering a working product within two years.

A company is a group formed to make money, but it's also a society of people. American author and journalist Simone Stolzoff in his book analyzing the state of the modern workplace, notes, "As social and religious ties have weakened, the workplace has become the primary social group for many people.” As traditional communities based on kinships have weakened and religion's role in people's lives has diminished, the workplace has become increasingly important in modern society.

However, ironically, as a company grows, the sense of pride and efficacy that characterized its early members continues to fade. This is why many of today's employees have lost their passion for their companies. Faced with the complacency of Samsung employees who feel secure from termination and the self-interest of aristocratic labor unions, companies should once again reflect on how they can reignite the sparks in the hearts of their employees.