When 20-year SK hynix veteran Boyeon Kim was in college, she estimated only around 10% of the students in her engineering program were women. The lack of women in engineering classes prompted those on campus to distinguish students into three groups: men, women, and “engineering women”. Despite graduating years after Kim, Yujin Lee, who joined the company in 2022, admitted she did not expect to find female mentors or even work with other women in the engineering field.

The experiences of Kim and Lee in South Korea are echoed elsewhere around the world. In the U.S., women only accounted for 11.6% of all employed electrical and electronics engineers in 2023. To address this significant imbalance, International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated annually on June 23 to raise the profile of women in engineering and inspire more young women to pursue careers in this profession.

To mark the occasion, Kim and Lee from DRAM Development sat down for a one-on-one discussion at SK hynix’s Icheon headquarters. The pair covered a range of topics including progress for female engineers, their achievements, key lessons, and future goals.

Changes & Progress for Female Engineers

Yujin: “Since you’ve been in this industry for a much longer time than me, I’ve always wondered what it was like back when you first started. Did you ever feel like you were at a disadvantage because you were one of the few women in the office?”

Boyeon: “Even when I was just one of a handful of women in class or at work, I can’t remember ever being explicitly discriminated against because I was a woman. But I did somewhat feel like I had to work harder than other team members to be recognized in a traditional workplace.”

Yujin: “Then, have you experienced any changes since you started your career?”

Boyeon: “While the culture was predominantly androcentric when I started out, it feels like it has now shifted toward recognizing and celebrating diversity.”

Yujin: “When I joined the company, I felt that women in the industry generally didn’t face many obstacles but were still encountering issues in areas such as networking. However, I received a pleasant surprise when I was assigned to my team: two of the leaders were women. It’s encouraging to see experienced female leaders around me who I can learn from. I’ve also benefited significantly from the design schools, mentoring opportunities, and seminars offered by our team’s senior members.”

Female Mentors: A Guiding Light for Young Engineers

Yujin: “Did you have female mentors when you were a young engineer?”

Boyeon: “I was fortunate to have a senior female colleague on my team around my fourth year. She helped and supported me as I grew, and she remains a reliable mentor to this day. Even after nearly two decades, I always seek her advice when faced with challenges and still find it beneficial to ask her questions.”

Yujin: “I was also lucky enough to meet various mentors. My interest in the semiconductor industry sprouted from meeting a mentor at a university alumni networking event, while I decided to work at SK hynix after meeting another mentor during my internship here. In addition to those mentors, it’s also been so inspiring to work under you and another female team leader. As a leader, what is your approach to mentorship?”

Boyeon: “When mentoring junior colleagues, I often discuss their current career status and how they want to progress. People can become somewhat complacent after working for years at a company, so, in order not to get tired, it’s important to keep planning for their future growth and envisioning a bigger picture.”

Yujin: “I am always grateful when you and my other senior colleagues take the time to help me despite your busy schedules. Often, I feel like I’ve grown significantly after just listening to your thought processes. I also apply many of these lessons to my daily life outside of the office. When I see you balance work and family while living your own life, it makes me think that I can do the same in the future.”

Boyeon: “I’m glad that you feel inspired. When it comes to talking with seniors, please don’t hesitate to ask questions. Seniors actually enjoy receiving questions from juniors and are happy to answer them.”

Eye-Opening Lessons That Transformed Perspectives

Boyeon: “You’ve been working at SK hynix for about two years now. What is something that you can say you are proud of accomplishing?”

Yujin: “Although I haven’t worked here for long, I’m satisfied with becoming familiar with my daily tasks. My latest project was regarding peripheral circuit design, and I’ve managed to approach my work intuitively after six months.”

Boyeon: “Is there anything you’ve learned from this project?”

Yujin: “My logical thinking skills have improved, and this has allowed me to enjoy my work while also feeling a sense of reward. In general, I have also learned that when I hurry to finish work, a problem generally occurs in the end. For example, there was one instance just after I started working here when I didn’t apply all the known conditions to simulations when verifying circuit designs. After a defect occurred during a wafer test, I learned that I needed to apply all relevant conditions to simulations in order to verify them—even if there are more than 1,000 conditions. I’m now more thorough in my approach to work.”

Boyeon: “Yes, there is a lot to learn from our mistakes and failures. Likewise, my most memorable project wasn’t one that was successful from the beginning. On the contrary, I learned the most from a project where we performed quite poorly. Even when our team had to work overtime every day to interpret the malfunctions that occurred in our product design, this tough experience was really valuable as it helped me and my team members develop our skills.”

Yujin: “Do you think the team gained anything unexpected from this experience?”

Boyeon: “It made us realize the importance of teamwork. We saw first-hand how the skill of each member comes together to become the overall skill of the entire team.”

Welcoming the Next Generation of Female Engineers

Boyeon: “Let’s talk about what lies ahead for us now. What is your goal for this year?”

Yujin: “I think I’ve moved on from merely absorbing knowledge from my senior colleagues to now thinking about the direction I should take by myself. Going forward, I want to become an engineer who works efficiently and uses various tools to enhance my design methodologies.”

Boyeon: “My goal is always to become a better leader. As a team leader, I see it as my responsibility to foster members’ growth and development. As SK hynix leads the DDR5 market, our team goal is to ensure the company maintains this position as we move into the DDR6 era.”

Yujin: “Lastly, what advice would you give to your younger self or to younger women who want to pursue a career in this field?”

Boyeon: “Like everyone else, I wanted to immediately be good at my job. This made me become impatient with myself. But I learned that it’s really crucial to be patient and draw a picture of how you want to grow and take small steps every day to reach your destination. What about you?”

Yujin: “Right, I can see that looking at the big picture is important when it comes to personal development. If I was to give advice, I would say if you’re inspired and motivated to tackle complex but rewarding puzzles, I’m sure we’ll make a great team here at SK hynix.”

The post INWED 2024: Junior & Senior SK hynix Workers Share Their Experiences as Women Breaking Barriers in Engineering first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” These words from media personality Oprah Winfrey are particularly poignant on International Women’s Day (IWD) as they highlight how belief helps women achieve success at work and beyond.

This mentality has undoubtedly played a part in the rise of female leaders across offices worldwide. At SK hynix, efforts to boost inclusion have seen the number of female executives and team leaders rise in 2022 from the previous year. To encourage the inclusion of more female workers and leaders, it is important to hear from women with values and traits that inspire those around them.

In a special interview to mark IWD 2024 on March 8, the SK hynix Newsroom asked six women from the company’s offices around the world to describe a belief that motivates them to improve themselves. From striving for the highest standards to spreading positive energy, discover the beliefs that have taken the interviewees to the next level.

What Belief Inspires You to Improve Yourself Both Inside and Outside of Work?

“Being on a team that manages the technical and quality issues of SK hynix’s flagship products including GDDR¹ and HBM² can get a bit overwhelming at times. The fact that my decisions could impact our company’s revenues or product returns keeps me on my toes. But I view such challenges as opportunities. Since setbacks are inevitable, we must focus on the next steps instead.

“Also, I was the first female and youngest expat to assume this role, which added even more pressure. It didn’t make it any easier that I had to move to the U.S. from South Korea by myself. However, I found that you often don’t realize what you’re capable of until you’re challenged. Facing challenges is a testament to one’s capabilities and a catalyst for growth. So, I always say…Just go for it!”

¹Graphics Double Data Rate (GDDR): A type of high-performance memory designed for applications with high bandwidth requirements, such as graphics processing units (GPUs).
²High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that revolutionizes data processing speeds over conventional DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV) technology.

“I’m a firm believer in reaching for the highest standards of excellence in my work and beyond. To reach such levels, you need to find ways to become efficient and prevent problems from recurring. That’s why I create guidelines that track the difficulties and problems I run into when working on projects. This habit has made it easier to find solutions for issues at work.

“I also feel proud when my colleagues are able to reduce their work times and become more efficient by following my guidelines, because I know how satisfying it is to see yourself growing. I like to tell my colleagues to strive for the best standard in everything you pursue.”

“My high school basketball team was all about positive vibes, and this team culture translated into good results for us. Our positive attitude and desire to improve is summed up by the fact that we would sometimes even practice without our coach.

“Just as I did on the basketball court, I always have an upbeat attitude at work. Although everyone occasionally lets their emotions get the best of them, I’ve been fortunate to work with team members and customers who maintain their positive energy no matter what. You want to work with these kinds of people and help them in even the smallest ways. That’s why I have an optimistic approach to work as I believe spreading good energy makes all the difference.”

“At our fab in Wuxi, I was nominated by my co-workers as the ‘model employee’. It was truly gratifying to know that I was picked for my work ethic and leadership as I feel tremendous satisfaction when my efforts are acknowledged by the people around me. It’s also equally significant when I get the chance to make an impact in my organization and community. So, when I was chosen to be the company’s representative at China’s National People’s Congress, promoting SK hynix’s various contributions to the public sector was at the top of my mind.

“In the process, I really wanted to address the needs and well-being of my coworkers and help solve issues we see in society as being a leader comes with the moral responsibility to look out for others.”

“I enjoy finding the optimal solution to problems as I know that my capabilities will improve as a result. When travelling with friends, I identify and resolve any issues in the itinerary, including restaurants, transport, and so on, to make our journey more comfortable. Likewise, at work I am never phased by any issues and will collaborate with my co-workers to find solutions.

“No matter how much time it takes, I’ve learned that persistent determination paves the road to solving the problem. The key is to be careful, deliberate, and show perseverance in everything you do. In the long run, it makes life easier for myself and the people around me.”

“Straight out of college, everything was new for me at work. I would just follow what my seniors were doing all the time. Taking notes from them, I gained knowledge as an engineer and the right attitude. I feel lucky to have met so many great co-workers during my time at the company.

“My parents named me ‘Hane’ which means ‘exemplary’ in Korean. They were the ones who showed me that anyone could change the world one small step at a time. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to meet other role models throughout my life who helped me get to where I’m today. So, just as my name suggests, I also want to become someone who can lead others in the right direction.”

The post Women of SK hynix Reveal Inspirational Beliefs on International Women’s Day 2024 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

When Mi-sook Kim first started working at SK hynix’s global HQ in South Korea over 30 years ago, she noticed that most of her female colleagues retired after getting married and having children. However, following significant cultural shifts, Mi-sook now sees an increasing number of female coworkers “putting themselves first” by focusing on their career to build a better life.

While progress has been made in improving women’s rights and opportunities in the workplace, women are still underrepresented in many professional fields, particularly tech-related sectors. Looking at the semiconductor industry, a 2022 report from Accenture for the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) reveals that women represent only 20-25% of the workforce. Going up the ladder, less than 10% of leaders in the industry are women, according to a report from the same source in 2021.

At SK hynix, gender diversity is above the industry average as women accounted for over a third (37%) of its entire workforce as of 2021. In order to further encourage diversity and equality in the company, SK hynix also introduced its ESG strategy framework PRISM in 2022. One of its key goals includes increasing the gender ratio of the board to 30% by 2030.

These measures highlight the company’s focus on promoting gender equity, which is also the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD). Held on March 8^th, IWD 2023 has a message to #EmbraceEquity, a call for everyone to recognize that each person has different circumstances and highlights the need to allocate resources and create opportunities to ultimately reach equality for women.

Three Global Offices, Three Women Role Models

To mark this year’s IWD, SK hynix’s newsroom interviewed three female employees across its global offices who are making a difference in their workplaces. In addition to Kim who is a team leader in the Korean HQ’s HR Planning team, SK hynix America’s Rene Chostner is also an experienced leader who has been working in the tech sector for over 20 years. At the Chinese HQ in Wuxi, Shalan Zhou is a proud female engineer who desires to “share happiness” at work. The trio shared insights about their journeys, lessons learned, and values they have maintained throughout their careers.

Q. Can you tell us about how your career has progressed at SK hynix? What are some of your highlights while working at the company?

Currently in charge of employee compensation, personal tax withholding, and welfare support, Kim has emphasized precision in her work while handling various tasks during her three decades at SK hynix.

Kim: “I place a special focus on the practicality of each process and the elimination of as many human errors as possible. In 2015, I received the CEO’s award when I was part of a taskforce that investigated the criteria for the changed standards to employment insurance premiums. We received a total refund of 10.5 billion won (USD 8.3 million) as a result.”

At SK hynix America, Senior Director of Venture Investment Chostner and her team drive strategic investments in relevant startups in fields including memory, fabrication process, AI/ML, data centers, IoT, and mobility technologies. The team has invested nearly USD 100 million since 2016, leading to successful IPOs and M&As.

Chostner: “Our investment activities not only provide market intelligence and early access to innovative technologies for the advancement of our current products, but they also aim to distinguish potential future growth engines for SK hynix to provide optionality and speed in the face of market disruptions and paradigm shifts. The journey has been exciting and humbling as we collaborated with and supported our portfolio companies. We are striving to create more strategic value and a positive impact for both SK hynix and the startup/venture community.”

In China, Zhou and members of the Analysis Team have proved to be pivotal in the advancements of the company’s products.

Zhou: “Since joining my team 15 years ago, I analyzed an array of products including the company’s flagship DRAM products. As our team has introduced new techniques in product analysis whenever a product goes through an upgrade, our analytical skills have been enhanced tremendously which have contributed to improving the quality and yield of products.”

Q. What are some of your most important lessons on developing one’s career? And can you describe the most important values that you uphold as a worker in as few words as possible?

For Kim, her key word is “accountability.” Throughout her long career at the company, she has been known to help colleagues with tasks that are outside of her duties and has welcomed changes in her role.

Kim: “I have always had an interest in things that were even outside of my work scope, and I have always thought that I was solely responsible for the outcome of my work. Even when people would ask me about tasks that I wasn’t familiar with, I would tell them that I would check and report back to them. This naturally led me to find out about work outside of my comfort zone, and I became more open to changes.”

Chostner noted the three “A’s” that have carried her throughout her career: “Ask—for information, opportunity, support, and feedback. Assert—your ideas and opinions with confidence. Act—follow through and own your work.”

As someone who identifies herself as “cheerful” and “enthusiastic,” Zhou placed “facing difficulties with a positive attitude” as her most important lesson learned. “You have to continue learning and keep up with the pace of other members who are developing themselves,” she added.

Q. What are some things that you are doing to ensure you continue growing as an influential worker at the company? How do you think you can help or influence other female employees to reach their full potential?

Collaboration is what comes to mind for Kim.

Kim: “You don’t get promoted for just doing your job well. To become a successful leader, you need to focus on the people who are around you. To make the team perform well, you need to deal with those people, develop them, and, finally, motivate them to do a good job. So, I emphasize communication that encourages people. I also take time to share my knowledge. Every year, I set aside one-on-one time with my team members to hear about their challenges and to suggest solutions for them.”

It is her philosophy to “give out the greatest amount of encouragement and rewards” for even the “smallest of positive results.”

Chostner finds that “unconscious bias” at the workplace limits the potential of workers—whether female or male. As a leader, she wants to ensure that workers are not afraid of trying new tasks and taking on new challenges. “Knowing that unconscious bias exists is not enough. We need to look for it and commit to take steps to counteract it.”

Similarly, Zhou stresses a “happy workplace atmosphere” that can enhance cohesion in her office by also running one-on-one sessions. These happy hours with female members of the department carry the intention of “fully understanding their needs and ideas while encouraging them to actively put forward their suggestions and opinions.”

As Kim says, leaders need to “give first” to ensure “those who grow with their support become the ones who have their backs later.”

Q. What is something that you would like to say to all your fellow female employees at SK hynix? What are some things that they should keep in mind or remember as they manage various roles in the workplace and in their homes?

Kim: “If there are any female members who are afraid to be a leader because they are not sure they can juggle work and family at the same time, I hope they start to change the things that they have control over bit by bit, get people around them on the same side, and expand their horizons to achieve growth.”

Chostner: “Just like oxygen masks on an airplane, make yourself a top priority. Let’s allocate time and energy for self-care.”

Zhou: “Women should be happy both in the workplace and in their personal life. We have many roles in our life as children, wives, parents, and colleagues among others. Balancing work and family is a lifelong homework for everyone.”

SK hynix Continues to Develop and Encourage Women

Individual prowess and effort are what led to the work accomplishments of these three women, but support from SK hynix will become a most important factor in making sure that more female talents follow in their footsteps.

Accordingly, Chostner believes that the company can provide its female workers with adequate support for career development by “recognizing and removing additional hurdles rooted in unconscious bias and establishing a clear career development track, a transparent guideline for promotion, a mentorship program for all genders, and an unconscious bias training company-wide.”

Current employee support initiatives at SK hynix include the Women in Leadership Program which provides tools and experiences for female employees to grow into role models at the company. Family-friendly programs in the form of special leaves and financial assistance for parents are also available to limit work interruptions of employees.

In addition to supporting and encouraging female employees like the three mentioned above, SK hynix strives to become a global company that values diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all employees by implementing policies and programs addressing gender inequality in the workplace.

In line with the theme of this year’s IWD, SK hynix wants its employees and stakeholders to know that it stands with its employees all across the world who #EmbraceEquity.

The post International Women’s Day Interview: How SK hynix is Cultivating the Female Leaders of Tomorrow first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

“Even a simple ‘yes’ can have different meanings depending on how you say it in Korea. I’ll tell you all about it.”

When two SK hynix employees from the company’s South Korean and U.S. offices compared their countries’ work culture, they discovered a host of differences. As a global company, SK hynix cherishes these differences and adapts its corporate culture across its worldwide network of offices to create a positive work environment for all of its workers.

To provide an insight into the range of cultures that exist within SK hynix’s global offices, the videocall between a DRAM developer from SK hynix’s South Korea HQ and a financial analyst from SK hynix America covered a range of topics. The pair discussed cultural differences and similarities that can be seen in a range of aspects at work, including communication styles, approaches to work, and diversity.

Eun-hwan  Almost everyone is Korean in our office so there are no major cultural differences, but there is a generational gap in Korea. The differences are so stark that there is a phrase ‘latte’ often used by older people, but they’re not talking about coffee! In Korean, the phrase for ‘back in my day’ sounds like ‘latte’, so people often use it when talking about their work methods and values, but it is used outside the office too. So, you might hear senior staff say: ‘In my day (latte), a new worker couldn’t even talk directly to their team leader’. However, SK hynix has now established a much more horizontal culture. What about in the United States?

Loc Wow that’s so interesting. So I guess the ‘latte’ phrase can also be used sarcastically by younger workers in Korea too? Here, ‘the back in my day’ culture is less prevalent now. Unlike in Korea, there are more cultural differences in the U.S. than generational differences as people of various races and nationalities work together. This can sometimes provide challenges as we can be unsure how to be culturally sensitive to certain colleagues. In order to improve our understanding of other cultures, SK hynix America has developed a cultural transfer program to bring workers closer together and celebrate our cultural differences.

Loc  In addition to making efforts to improve our understanding of different cultures, I’ve noticed that SK hynix has also been looking to improve the efficiency of work processes here. How about in Korea?

Eun-hwan  The Korean headquarters is focused on improving the efficiency of tasks to save time. I’ve heard from my seniors that they used to write many reports but now there aren’t as many, and the speed of work is more important. What about in the U.S.?

Loc  The U.S. definitely seems to have less of an emphasis on speed than Korea, so I feel like timelines for tasks are probably longer and we therefore work less overtime. Also, I think in the U.S., employees draw a more distinct line between their work and personal life which also lessens the amount of overtime.

Eun-hwan  As there is an emphasis on speed and work efficiency in Korea, we do sometimes have to work overtime to meet short deadlines. However, the company’s Happy Friday¹ program here has meant that we can get rewarded with a day off if we do work regular overtime. Of course, the employees here are grateful for programs like this.

¹Happy Friday: SK hynix employees at certain offices are able to take one Friday off a month to refresh themselves when they work over the mandatory working hours.

Loc  Yes, who wouldn’t like Happy Fridays? Recently, we started Happy Friday in our office as well and employees here have responded enthusiastically. How satisfied are employees at the Korean HQ with these employee benefits?

Eun-hwan  We are extremely satisfied with our benefits. We can choose our working hours, and we’ve introduced two satellite offices (one in Seoul and one just south of the capital in Bundang) so employees can choose to work at the one closest to their homes. Since Vice Chairman Jung-ho Park became our co-CEO, there have been many experiments to improve the corporate culture. I have even higher expectations for the future.

Loc  It sounds like the Korean office is doing a lot for their employees. It’s interesting to see the different programs and general differences in our offices.

Loc  Actually, I was also interested in how staff communicate in Korea to see how it differs from here.

Eun-hwan  In Korea, a lot of our communication is via online messaging and text because we’ve cut down on reports, emails, and so on. The interesting thing is that even a casual ‘yes’ has different nuances in Korea depending on the expression. Simply writing ‘yep’ means agreeing readily, ‘yes’ means agreeing lukewarmly, and ‘yes…’ means agreeing reluctantly. What about in the United States?

Loc I can see that people in Korea put in a lot of effort to find the meaning behind the words, but in the U.S. we tend to be more straightforward. So yep, yes, yeah… they all mean the same thing: I agree.

Eun-hwan  It sounds more straightforward communicating in the U.S. office then. Of course, we use online messaging all the time now, especially since the pandemic had reduced our face-to-face interactions with colleagues and clients. However, fortunately now restrictions are easing so we can meet in-person more. How do you bond with your colleagues now that it’s possible to go out more? Do you go out for company dinners together?

Loc  While I’ve heard that companies in Korea are starting to go out for team dinners again since the COVID-19 restrictions have been eased, in the U.S. company dinners are not really common. I feel personal time is more sacred. Are there still a lot of company dinners in Korea?

Eun-hwan  Unlike the U.S., Korea still tends to emphasize the need for team-building over personal time. In the past, late-night company dinners were encouraged to build camaraderie, but nowadays people have more freedom to decide what team-building activities they want to do, such as cultural activities and sports.

Loc I heard that South Korea only recently lifted the indoor mask mandate. In the U.S., people have not been required to wear masks for a while now. How are Korean staff dealing with the situation?

Eun-hwan  As you said, now the indoor mask mandate has been lifted for most places except for medical facilities and public transport. However, many people are still wearing masks so it’s still a transitional period. Another positive effect of COVID-19 restrictions being eased is that we are able to travel once again. For people at our company, this means they can take work abroad through the Global eXperience Program (GXP).

Loc  Yes, that’s right. In fact, not long ago a member of the Korean headquarters came to our office (SK hynix America) to work for five weeks as part of the GXP. He helped out our U.S. team while still keeping up with his work from back home.

Eun-hwan  Yes, the GXP program² is very popular these days. In the future, the company plans to create a global hub office overseas so staff can freely work abroad. This is expected to create even more interest in positions at our company.

²GXP(Global eXperience Program): A work abroad program which provides staff with the chance to work at one of SK hynix’s overseas offices or a foreign partner company for five weeks while continuing to do their duties from their home office.

Loc  As well as offering work abroad programs such as the GXP, I feel that SK hynix is also strengthening its diversity and inclusivity policies. How about in Korea? Have you noticed more female and foreign staff around the office?

Eun-hwan  Yes, I think the company is changing in terms of cultural diversity. There are already a lot of female engineers like me, and you can see some foreign staff around too. The number of female executives is also steadily increasing. What about the U.S.?

Loc  As you know, the U.S. is home to a wide range of nationalities and a number of initiatives are in place to improve female representation in the workplace. Of course, we should never stand still and more measures could be taken to improve diversity and inclusion here.

At a ceremony to celebrate SK hynix’s tenth anniversary in 2022, Vice Chairman and co-CEO Jung-ho Park announced SK hynix’s plans for the future. These included establishing a family-friendly corporate culture, becoming a growth-oriented company for top global talents, and offering a flexible and innovative work environment.

This discussion offered an insight into how SK hynix is working to meet these goals through its strong benefit programs, inclusive policies, and its positive work-life balance. While there are various differences in work culture in the U.S. and South Korea, SK hynix is making tremendous strides to create a welcoming environment and inclusive culture for all of its employees across its global offices.

The post Employee Interview: SK hynix Cherishing Global Differences Through Adaptive Work Culture first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

As one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, SK hynix has always been committed to delivering innovation and excellence. At the core of our breakthrough technologies and products is a global team of employees from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each with their unique perspectives, experiences, and expertise.

To mark Global Diversity Awareness Month, which celebrates the diversity of minds and beliefs held by all cultures around the world, let’s take a look at how SK hynix is fostering a corporate culture of inclusion, and creating an environment in which every employee feels valued and respected.

Diversity Is Policy

“SK hynix strives to enhance both corporate culture and technological competitiveness, with diversity at the heart of maintaining such a talented workforce,” said Sang Kyu Shin, Head of Corporate Culture at SK hynix. “As a global company, I am convinced that securing and fostering human resources that include people from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their gender, race, education, religion and other, is a critical factor to our long-term competitiveness.”

In accordance with PRISM, SK hynix’s goals by 2030 include strengthening the diversity of governance with a gender and nationality diversity ratio to at least 30 percent, tripling the ratio of women in executive positions, ensuring at least 10 percent of team leaders are women¹, and supporting local communities by helping create 1,000 jobs for people with disabilities or low incomes².

In selecting candidates for specific jobs, SK hynix focuses on the competencies and expertise that are required for the role. As of 2022, at least 94.5 percent of people are hired for permanent positions, providing a stable and secure environment in which people can work.

Empowering Women

SK hynix is committed to gender equality. It’s no secret that, historically, semiconductor companies worldwide have been characterized by a lack of gender diversity. According to a study by GSA and Accenture, women represent 10-25 percent of the entire semiconductor workforce, with the majority of companies still having less than 1 percent of women in director roles. As an industry leader, SK hynix recognizes the importance of addressing this issue head on and setting a standard. In doing so, it is breaking down barriers and redefining workplace culture and attitudes both in Korea, where the company is headquartered, and throughout operations worldwide.

At SK hynix, 26.3 percent of managers³ are female⁴, and the company is making every effort to increase this ratio. This includes through the Women in Leadership Program (WLP), which supports and encourages the growth of female employees across the SK Group. The training program includes meetings with female executives from SK Group companies, who serve as positive role models for the participants to grow within the company. Furthermore, the company is preparing to sign the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) CEO Statement of Support to demonstrate its commitment to empowering women, from nurturing female leaders to eliminating gender discrimination in the workplace.

SK hynix is also launching initiatives aimed at helping families balance work and life. This includes a three-month leave for taking care of children entering elementary school, extending shortened working hours during pregnancy, and implementing infertility treatment benefits and leave policies.

Recognizing Junior Talent

When a person leaves their job within several years of joining a company, the Korean job market often requires that they start over as a new recruit. SK hynix believes such practices have no place in the modern workplace. The Junior Talent program⁵, introduced in 2021, recognizes the experience that people have accrued even if their work history is only a few years, and supports them in their new jobs accordingly. The company organizes large-scale job fairs three times a year to promote the Junior Talent program.

In October 2021, SK Group signed a partnership with the Korean government to participate in the Youth Hope ON project. The project aims to create 32,000 jobs for young people from various backgrounds. SK hynix is committed to fostering semiconductor talent, recruiting young people from underprivileged communities and nurturing the innovative young entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Underrepresented Communities Matter

SK hynix takes great pride in its commitment to ensuring the inclusion of underrepresented groups within its global operation, which includes a non-discriminatory recruitment process. Every effort is made to accommodate employees’ personal needs so that they can perform to their full potential.

As part of ongoing efforts to recruit people from all backgrounds, SK hynix aims to create 1,000 jobs by 2030 for people with disabilities or from low-income households to support local communities⁶.

The company takes things a step further with its Happymore subsidiary⁷. Happymore is a workshop for people with disabilities established in 2016, where employees make and clean smocks used in semiconductor cleanrooms. As of 2021, 405 persons with disabilities worked as full-time employees, making this the nation’s largest operation of its kind. Happymore also runs diverse programs to support and motivate workers so they can continue to grow into independent professions. Thanks for these efforts, Happymore was selected as an Exemplary Workplace by the Korean government in 2021.

Dedicated To Becoming a Global Top-tier Company

Based on the PRISM framework, in 2021, SK hynix achieved 11 percent women representation on its Board of Directors, created 918 jobs for people with disabilities and low-income households⁸, and generated KRW 120.3 billion in social contribution value. These are just some of the ways in which SK hynix is improving the company, and will strive to achieve even greater targets in 2022 and beyond.

SK hynix remains committed to bringing the best people on board without discrimination, and bringing the best out of them. As proud as the company is of its progress and success, SK hynix does not want to stop here and will continue on its journey to become a global top-tier company that sets the standard in the industry, and leads the way.

^1~2Figures from domestic sites

³Manager positions at SK hynix include Director (excluding Executive Director), Professional Leader (PL), Independent Part Leader, Field Manager, and Line Leader.

^4~8Figures from domestic sites

The post Diversity Drives Innovation at SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix places a high priority on both economic and social value with the aim of having a positive impact on the people they serve and our world. In a show of commitment, SK hynix has announced SV2030, a roadmap for maximizing social value in the four core areas of Environment, Shared Growth, Social Safety Net, and Corporate Culture over the next decade. In regards to Corporate Culture, SK hynix is moving towards diversity, inclusion, and equity (DI&E), increasing the recruitment and appointment of women and providing training for all employees.

Specifically, the semiconductor industry, which set records for mergers and acquisitions in 2020, can benefit greatly as focusing on corporate culture during a merger has shown to increase the probability of success from 30-40 percent to 60-70 percent.

Major tech companies are embracing DI&E to bolster their corporate culture and are turning to actionable approaches such as diverse talent recruitment and inclusivity training. SK hynix strongly supports diversity and inclusion and is evolving its own culture with the goal of helping employees grow professionally and personally. Corporations across the industry are also demonstrating their commitments by implementing initiatives and programs surrounding self-development, diversity, and female leadership.

SK hynix’s Happiness Design Group was introduced to support working parents. The initiative’s diverse participants work together to cultivate a more forward-thinking and compassionate culture in the workplace for busy parents and offer effective mentoring to foster leadership in female employees. Following its establishment, a remarkable 99% of parents now return to work following parental leave.

Additionally, the Junior Board provides a direct line for employees of all levels to voice their opinions with leadership team members, supporting SK hynix’s belief that every voice is inherently valuable.

Included in the efforts supporting the core area of Social Safety Net, SK hynix is committed to making employment accessible to all job seekers, helping create over 1,000 jobs for members of the disabled community.

Any progressive company that believes in continual growth will recognize the intrinsic importance of social value. That is why SK hynix has dedicated itself to SV2030 as a guide for its future.

A key driver for social value creation moving forward will be DI&E. It can transform corporate culture, enabling innovation through diverse voices and harmony through a unified goal of shared values for employees, customers, investors, and communities.

The post Culture for All: SK hynix Zeroes in on Inclusion first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Ada Lovelace, a member of the British aristocracy, is widely considered the world’s first programmer. In the early 1800s, she collaborated with mathematician Charles Babbage on an early computer called the Analytical Engine, writing an algorithm for performing calculations.
In 1903, Mary Anderson invented the world’s first windshield wiper – and 15 years later, another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood, built upon this innovation with the first automatic windshield wiper.
In the 1930s and 40s, Hedy Lamarr developed the ‘frequency hopping’ technology, which enabled remote control of weapons and devices for the U.S. Military during World War II. It’s this same technology that underpins the ubiquitous wireless communication we all rely on today. These are just a few of the women engineers who have left their mark on history.

As in the past, there are still far more men in the world of modern engineers, but fewer numbers don’t necessarily mean less impact. And as these numbers continue to grow, we will certainly continue to see bigger, better breakthroughs from women around the world who are designing semiconductors, developing AI technology and setting up the network system.

In commemoration of the International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, we spoke to the next generation of female engineers of SK hynix in Korea, the U.S., China and Belarus who are shaping the future of the industry from the inside out.

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Lee Min Hye, Physical Design Manager (Korea)

Her proudest accomplishment: “A patent I wrote in 2017 has been registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. And the product that I designed was applied to other products and became the company’s layout design standard.”

Her advice to younger female engineers: “I would definitely recommend this job to my younger family members. The culture at SK hynix is comfortable and family-like. It’s not difficult to adapt, and I don’t think there’s anything that is made more difficult because I’m a woman. Rather, it is thought that the meticulousness and persistence of women will contribute to the development of the company.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “Since the proportion of women in engineering colleges is small, I think the same is true in the company. During the project period, overtime is frequent, and I think that many female seniors leave the company because it is difficult to take care of childcare during that time…”

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Rae Lee, Systems Engineering Manager (United States)

Her path to engineering: “My parents encouraged me to explore everything when I was a kid. So, although I was a girl, I had many science toys – and I believe that made me think that science was fun. After I graduated from college, my first job gave me the chance to help my boss to set up the network system for the entire company, which brought me into the computer world, and helped me find my interest in computers.”

Her case for engineering jobs: “First of all, job security. Engineering jobs are not likely to be eliminated by automation, because automation needs engineers to develop and test. Secondly, the compensation. Engineering jobs are paid the highest average starting salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $91,010 (in 2021) and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade. Thirdly, the sense of accomplishment. Engineering jobs are challenging but they also bring you the sense of accomplishment.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “The best thing we can is to pay women equally and put more women in prominent leadership positions. It sends a message to younger women pursuing careers in engineering that they can advance and have a successful future.”

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Maryia Smouzh, FA Tools Team Lead (Belarus)

Her path to engineering: “Everything happens by accident. It’s all fate and chance in life. As a child, I was curious what was inside devices what would happen if I changed something. I would try this while my parents weren’t looking! At university, I studied math with no idea what to do after graduation since there wasn’t much choice at that time. So, I let life just guide me here.”

Her inspiration: “The result of the work and how it benefits people. While I can’t say I have one specific role model or hero, I get inspired by the biographies of people who followed their dreams – both in the tech world and beyond.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “Women are underrepresented in many spheres, not just the tech industry. I think it takes its roots in the early ages – for example, the stereotypes that girls should only play with dolls, and that boys are better in math and science. It can discourage a girl from studying STEM subjects and results in a gender-biased pool of specialists… However, I do believe that the situation is changing towards more diversity in the tech sphere.”

Guangqin on the front left

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Guangqin Yin, Production Engineer (China)

Her favorite part of the work: “When encountering a special emergency, all departments are responsible for dealing actively with the problems and need to have a flexible response. It’s great to strive for the same goal, with each team member’s united effort!”

Her role model: “My former boss Director Li Xiangche is my role model. His passion in work is much deeper than we think. In the early stage of mass production, he was always the last to work, and occasionally he called to the production line to confirm the operation of the production at two or three in the middle of the night. Li worked with strict discipline. After work, he was a friendly uncle. He often spoke Chinese too. He was a semiconductor man who loved life very much.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “I think family factors and work intensity may be the factors for female engineers to leave the semiconductor industry. Nevertheless, I believe that there will be more and more women in the semiconductor industry. After all, women are not inferior to men, and women can hold up half of the sky!”

The post Our Female Engineers on International Women in Engineering Day first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The Cultural Agenda for SK hynix: Creating Social Values in the Era of Culture Fusion

Peter Drucker, the founder of modern management, is attributed to have said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” While he may not have been the first to say it, the statement is more true today than ever before.
To understand how true that statement remains today, look no further than the semiconductor industry. Mergers and acquisitions in the sector set records in 2020. And while corporate strategies may have driven those deals, their successes would actually depend on the cultures that would form from the combined companies. Our research has consistently shown that paying attention to culture during a merger increases the probability of success from 30-40 percent to 60-70 percent.

SK hynix already has a history of integrated cultures from three of South Korea’s top four business groups – but only through inbound efforts. Now, those efforts need to go global, making it critical for SK hynix to meet its own Social Values 2030 campaign (green, advance together, social safety net, corporate culture) without failing to sustain its global market leadership in semiconductor memory. Its competitors are also spending a lot of resources to meet the growing social demand by appointing diversity executives and creating alliances for inclusion.

Just as semiconductor technology has advanced, so has understanding of social values – corporate culture, in particular.

Traditional social values focus on beliefs that shape behaviors inside a company. Often described as the “roots of the tree,” they reflect the values of the company that are upheld by all employees.

Increasingly, they need to reflect the “right” culture, or the identity of the firm in the mind of its best customers today and tomorrow. Identity is about brand and its values in the minds of customers. SK hynix brand identity “Technology Innovator for a Better World” and brand slogan “We DO Technology” provide a purpose that’s real to both customers AND employees. The “right” culture means making this customer-centric brand identity real to every employee every day.

For SK hynix, this means that the four social values resonate in the marketplace with customers, investors, and communities.

• Being “Green” helps protect the planet and makes SK hynix a contributing social citizen
• “Advancing together” implies co-existence with business partners
• Creating a “social safety net” means caring for physical, emotional, and social needs of not only employees but also the community and the vulnerable social groups
• Establishing “corporate culture” focuses on diversity, inclusion and equity means that SK hynix cares for employees’ development

These four social values do not just define how SK hynix operates but are also key drivers of the technology brand identity in the marketplace. When customers see these social values in practice, they prefer to do business with SK hynix. When investors recognize the commitment that SK hynix has to these social values, they increase confidence in future earnings and increase stock price. When communities recognize SK hynix citizenship actions, they build the reputation.

With this in mind, the “right” culture starts with the aspiration of the Purpose (making a better world with all members of the society by leading the tech-based IT ecosystem) and promise of the brand. The right culture becomes less about the roots of the tree and more about the leaves that grow and change over time.

Diversity, inclusion and equity have been ingrained in SK hynix’s social values and culture from creation and have become a driving force for what matters to customers, investors, and communities today and tomorrow.

Diversity requires divergence and respecting differences. Divergence means that the company is constantly open to new ideas and ways of working. Innovation occurs not only in products and services, but in encouraging different backgrounds. Divergence comes from open dialogue, seeking others’ opinions, and looking for new answers to old problems. Divergence means that every employee has something to offer the company and that opinions will be respected. Diverse organizations create a pipeline of innovation because employees share their best ideas and disagree without being disagreeable.

Inclusion requires convergence and unity. True diversity begins with unity. Unity, or convergence, means that every employee believes in the SK hynix purpose and works to make the marketplace brand into workplace actions. Unity about the social values means that employees are all moving in the same direction, with different skills. Diversity without this unity is random action; unity without divergence leads to groupthink and a lack of innovation. Inclusion also instills a sense of belonging where each employee feels a sense of personal connection to the firm. This sense of belonging comes when employees not only share the values but enjoy working together with each other and learn and grow from that work. Equity means that everyone has an opportunity to live up to their potential.

The DI&E culture is not just for employees inside the company, but also customers, investors, and partners. These external stakeholder groups are also comprised of people who want to be respected for their diversity and feel a sense of belonging through inclusion.

A positive DI&E culture begins with senior leaders who model how to manage the divergence/convergence ongoing process. These leaders use their power to empower others by seeking input and fresh ideas (divergence) and by focusing attention on the key priorities (convergence). Employees will often do what their leaders do, and when leaders empower others, employees will not only respect their leaders, but also follow them.

Ultimately, every employee at SK hynix is responsible to help create and embed the right (DI&E) culture so that it is not an abstract ideal, but an action-oriented daily practice. Here are some questions each employee can ask to help make the right culture real:

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Peter Drucker’s insight about culture being equal to or more important than strategy applies even more today. In a world where strategies, products, and technologies are changing faster than ever, the right culture must also adapt to deliver future success.

The post The Cultural Agenda for SK hynix: Creating Social Values in the Era of Culture Fusion first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

For International Women’s Day 2021, SK hynix’s Wuxi office provided female colleagues with care packages of women’s products including hand sanitizers and face wash. Addtionally, SK hynix’s Chongqing office held an in-house event for female colleagues to make handmade lipsticks and presented them with jujubes – good for female blood circulation – and lottery tickets – as a symbol of good luck.

The global theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge, “We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.”

Celebrating the Women of SK hynix

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Anna Martinovskaya
Team: DV
Time at SK hynix: 6 years
Location: Belarus, Minsk

What are you most proud of in your work? “Being part of SK hynix’s global R&D team, which is at the forefront of one of the most innovative areas – NAND – is a great point of pride for me. Working every day on certain tasks, I understand that I also contribute to the common cause of the company. Together we can improve the lives of people around the world, build a new efficient and intelligent future.”

Have you noticed an increase in women entering the industry in recent years? “When I started working in the SKHMS E DV team, I was the only lady in our team. Now there are four females in our team, which makes me very happy. Thus, I think the number of women in the semiconductor industry is growing permanently.”

What makes women so valuable in this industry? “Many studies prove that “innovative discoveries,” creative and non-standard solutions and products occur more often in companies with gender balance. In short, women can bring a new perspective, experience or expertise to a men’s team, which will generally have a positive effect on the development of the industry.”

How does the company encourage and support women? “In my opinion, the company sets the standard in creating a good working environment and provides great support for its Members equally regardless of gender.”

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Ty Chatchaidech
Team: Sales
Time at SK hynix: 2 years
Location: San Jose, California

What makes women so valuable in this industry? “I believe we bring the soft side to the otherwise quite a stringent industry. I cannot speak for every woman as each and every one is unique. As for me, I find that I excel at resolving tensions and finding agreeable middle grounds that both parties can agree on so that we can move through difficult situations.”

What is the biggest issue facing women in the semiconductor industry? “We lack female executives and familiar role models for young girls to look up to. I think we need to change that.”

Who or what encouraged you to pursue your career? “My mother. She has always been the biggest supporter of mine. She herself received a PhD at 60 years of age. Her determination and aspirations have been and always will be my inspiration.”

What essential elements must a workplace have to create this positive environment? “Workplaces must appoint more female executives and more females in leadership roles, calibrate matching male/female wage scale, match maternity and paternity leave standards, and expand inclusion initiatives such as highlighting female vendors or donating to female-related causes.”

Liu Hanli
Team: CQ Purchasing
Time at SK hynix: 7 years
Location: Chongqing, China

What are you most proud of in your work? “What I am proud most of my time at work is that I solve my own problems one by one, even if I have a hundred times at a difficult time.”

How can SK hynix continue to encourage and support women? “To further create an equal working environment for men and women, I think that in addition to the big environmental and hardware efforts, each individual needs to work at the level of equal consciousness. If we build an equal and friendly working environment, the big environment naturally takes shape.”

What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women at work? “I think the biggest problem is still the contradiction between professional role and family role. Although today’s society has been more tolerant of working women, we still hope to have more understanding, to treat individual cases objectively, and not to generalize, to evaluate and judge with negative preconceptions and partial generalizations.”

What message do you have to women on International Women’s Day? “I wish women all over the world, those who want to ride the wind and waves in the workplace can set sail, and those who want to give consideration to both family and career can get what they want. The existence of women makes the world a better place.”

Wang Jing
Team: FAB QC
Time at SK hynix: 15 years
Location: Wuxi, China

Tell us about your career at SK hynix. “In the past 15 years, I have been working frequently in various factories of our company, inspecting and controlling tens of thousands of raw materials. Day after day, year after year, I have grown from a clueless new employee to an old employee who is proficient with the incoming inspection business.”

What is the biggest challenge facing women in the semiconductor industry? “There are more men than women at the middle and high levels of leadership – which has an impact on women’s rights and interests. Companies should give more platforms and opportunities to female employees so that they can give full power to women’s advantages and make a career.”

Who has been your biggest inspiration while growing your career? “Lin Lanying, who is the founder and pioneer of China’s semiconductor materials science. At first, she worked hard in a foreign country, and then returned home to make contributions to the motherland. Her hard work, perseverance and patriotism are all values worth learning.”

How does SK hynix encourage and support women? How can they improve? “Our company has made great efforts to create a friendly working environment for women. We have set up a staff lounge for pregnant women and a nursing room, and the women’s Working Committee of the trade union has menstrual vacation every quarter. But in creating equality between men and women, I think fair competition and job restrictions still need to be improved.”

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Hui-Chun Wu
Team: SoC SSD IP
Time at SK hynix: 4.5 years
Location: San Jose, California

What makes women so valuable in the semiconductor industry? “I think that women are valuable in every industry, not only in the semiconductor industry. If I had to name a few traits that make the biggest difference, I would say women are equally smart but more patient, generally excel in communication, and are generally uninterested in participating in workplace politics.”

Is there a strong female leader in your life? “My grandma. She used to own a printing factory and raised children with the income of her factory. Fast-forward 50 years, I realized that I am also “printing” something on to the chip. She is 90 and surrounded by family.”

What message would you deliver to women pursuing a career in the semiconductor industry? “Here are a few principles that inspired me and saved me when I hit obstacles: Lean in when opportunities arise and believe in what you do; Recruit support and allocate time for yourself; Do one’s own homework and do not assume gender privilege even if you are lucky to have it; Pay the goodwill forward and help others.”

What needs to happen to encourage more women to join the field? “The work culture should respect family hours for employees with family. If childcare and family duties are shared and/or can be outsourced, women can remain in the workforce and continue to contribute their talent. When long-term career is possible, more women will join the field.”

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HeeEun Choi
Team: DRAM PPNE
Time at SK hynix: 6 years
Location: Icheon, South Korea

How has your career at SK hynix evolved over the years? “I joined the company as a DRAM circuit design engineer and since the beginning, I have always considered PPNE as my future career path. After 5 years of building my knowledge in the circuit design team, I finally transferred to my current position – and the skills that I learned in early stages of my career have become great assets for my job today.”

Have you seen an increase in women entering the semiconductor industry in recent years? “I think that the semiconductor industry is getting more and more popular amongst female students especially in the past few years. This is probably because we are having more female students in engineering fields and so I think it is important encouraging more female students to entering engineering fields.”

What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women at work? “When coronavirus hit globally, the responsibilities of taking care of children and the elderly have disproportionally fallen on the shoulders of women. This proves that in any kind of similar situations, it is likely that a woman’s career will be the first to cut-off.”

What needs to happen to encourage more women to join the field? “To attract more women to join the field, we should introduce and advertise STEM field to female teenagers to let them peek into the women’s roles here. It is going to be a long haul and therefore I think it is important to do such jobs consistently.”

Continuing the Momentum

We know that the contributions of women don’t stop at the end of the month, and at SK hynix, we believe that this environment of recognition should continue throughout the year. In keeping with our values of community well-being, we strive to elevate the voices of our female employees every day across every one of our teams.

The post SK hynix Celebrates International Women’s Day 2021 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.