SK hynix will overhaul its entry-level hiring process to evaluate the fundamental reasoning and real-world capabilities needed in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. It will remove academic background requirements and introduce an in-depth interview that has candidates complete tasks and sit for interviews over half a day, replacing the existing 20–30 minute interviews.
SK hynix said on the 30th it will accept rolling applications for entry-level hires from the 20th to the 26th of next month. Open roles include design, device, research and development (R&D) process, and mass production technology, with worksites in Icheon, Cheongju, Bundang, and Seoul. The company said it "significantly revamped the hiring process to select talent with 'thinking muscles (fundamental reasoning)'."
Under the policy released in June to fully abolish academic restrictions, anyone can apply regardless of age or education. The company said it will focus on assessing an applicant's ability to identify the essence of a problem and derive solutions, rather than résumés or formulaic answers.
The core of this overhaul is the "half-day in-depth interview." Previously, interviews lasted around 20–30 minutes, but going forward, candidates will complete tasks and interview over half a day. The company plans to comprehensively evaluate job expertise, AI utilization skills, humanities knowledge, and logical reasoning.
This aligns with the AI-era talent profile emphasized by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Chey has stressed that in the AI era, it is important to have the capability to cross multiple fields and design systems where humans and AI coexist, along with "thinking muscles" that ask and think through the essence of problems independently.
The document screening stage will also change. SK hynix will remove the existing self-introduction prompts and introduce a format where applicants describe their AI utilization capabilities and semiconductor job expertise. The aim is to assess whether candidates have the potential to apply AI to work and solve on-site problems, rather than focusing on formal self-introductions.
Recruiting briefings will shift from university campus–centered events to regional hub–based events. Briefings will be held in four regions—Seoul, Cheongju, Daegu, and Gwangju—offering opportunities not only to students at specific universities but also to teenagers and job seekers interested in the semiconductor industry.
In the fourth quarter of this year, the company will also hold an AI hackathon contest. Participants will implement software or algorithms that use AI to solve semiconductor field problems within a set time. A fast track will be applied to outstanding participants, exempting them from document screening and granting interview opportunities.
An SK hynix recruiting official said, "We revamped our hiring system to move away from spec- and document-centered evaluations and to verify applicants' fundamental problem-solving skills and practical abilities," adding, "We will actively hire and develop AI talent with the power to think."