SK hynix dethrones Samsung as most desirable place to work

Samsung Electronics is no longer the most desirable workplace for Korean university students — the crown has been passed to SK hynix, with university students citing compensation.

SK hynix's campus in Icheon, Gyeonggi [SK HYNIX]

Samsung Electronics is no longer the most desirable workplace for Korean university students — the crown has been passed to SK hynix, according to a new survey released Monday.

Recruiting platform Incruit released its 2025 rankings Monday, based on responses from 1,176 job-seeking students. SK hynix topped the “Most Desirable Companies to Work For” list, rising eight spots from last year. Samsung, which led the rankings in 2023 and 2024, fell to third.

SK hynix drew 7.1 percent of the vote. Two-thirds of respondents cited the company’s “satisfactory salary and compensation system” as the top reason. Strong earnings from high bandwidth memory sales and record operating profits likely boosted its appeal. The chipmaker also plans to implement a full 150 percent productivity incentive bonus this year.

CJ ENM came in second at 6.7 percent, climbing three spots from last year, with respondents highlighting its strong employee benefits.

Rounding out the top 10: Naver placed fourth; CJ CheilJedang fifth; Hyundai Motor and Kakao tied for sixth; LG Electronics came in eighth; and Samsung C&T and Otoki shared ninth.

Preferences diverged by major. Humanities, business and education students leaned toward CJ ENM. Engineering students favored SK hynix, Samsung and Hyundai Motor. Natural sciences and life sciences students preferred CJ CheilJedang, Naver and Samsung Biologics.

“This year, compensation and reward systems were more important than ever, reshuffling the rankings of top companies,” said Lee Myung-ji, brand communications manager at Incruit. “Employers should emphasize robust benefits and a leading brand image when planning recruitment strategies.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY NA SANG-HYEON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]