POSCO has multiple branches abroad all throughout the globe. We hire local employees as well as those who wish to work at a foreign location. Job offers are not only limited or favored to Koreans, but everyone who are willing to meet our demands and want to work with POSCO on our future outlook and vision.
Here we’ve gathered information from interviews of actual employees who are working abroad. Here’s the insight to hands-on experience in working for POSCO.
Here are the profiles of our employees and branches who thankfully participated in quick Q&A session. Mr. Seung Dae Park and Mr. Ill Chul Shin are both Sr. Managers from PT Krakatau POSCO, Indonesia. Mr. Seung Dae Park is in charge of Human Resources and Mr. Ill Chul Shin is a Training and Assessment head manager. Their main duties include training new employees, offering seminars to help employees. The next interviewed employee was Mr. Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, who is an executive officer in the corporate relation department at POSCO India. His main tasks are to handle the liaison with Govt offices and keep good PR relationships with the media. Last but not the least, we asked our employee located at POSCO Australia (POSA), Mr. Yong Park, who is a sales and marketing manager.
POSCO Abroad in a Nutshell
POSCO, as you know, is a large corporate firm. That’s indeed a success story, but sometimes it can be hard for individuals to get to know us personally, or ask questions right away. So here we have put together some questions that you might be curious. Oh, and of course, we paid particular attention to the departed employees at foreign locations of POSCO and our local foreign employees.
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Q1. Where can potential employees find information for recruitment?
For all three locations, they answered that Job Portals, Company Websites, News Papers and Man power Consultant Agencies are good methods to look for a job offer from POSCO. Also, you can find detailed information on each branch’s website or the official POSCO website.
Q2. The proportion of employees abroad
Currently PT Krakatau POSCO has about 1400 employees, and they plan to include an addition 2000 from combining with another branch located in Indonesia. POSCO India’s local employee’s proportion is about 40%, and they hired about 1200 employees last year, both experienced and inexperienced workers in our field. However, the process of hiring, and the number of employees listed may differ by locations. We encourage our future candidate employees to check carefully for more information from the exact branch they are wishing to be part of.
Q3. Satisfaction level of employees at abroad locations
“All employees are very much satisfied with their current job and working environment. Their satisfaction level shall further increase manifold as soon as we start Steel Manufacturing activity.” – Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, POSCO India
“We practice satisfaction surveys to all employees. The results of the surveys help us be informed about what the problems are and be able to provide effective solutions to meet our employees’ needs. For our particular branch, currently the rate of turn-over rate is below 2%, which proves that we have high satisfactory rate from the current employees.” – Seung Dae Park, POSCO Indonesia
“In my personal opinion satisfaction of employees and requirements of the company go hand-in-hand. Companies would welcome and try to retain competent, proactive and trustworthy employees who would work for the best interest of the company earnestly. All good employees, including local employees working at overseas branch should put efforts to fit the description above. We expect employees to find opportunities to develop their skills, have vision to grow their capabilities. With good results, the company will entrust them with greater responsibilities if they prove themselves loyal and capable. I believe POSCO Australia has endeavored to provide an environment where local employees are given such opportunities and long-term vision. In return, local employees at POSCO Australia exercise the best of their ability and earnestness to their work as they are proud of their job.” – Yong Park, POSCO Australia
Q4. How does daily schedule go about? What does POSCO provide?
You might not be sure about what it’s like, at working for one of POSCO branches. Especially, working abroad gives an even more vagueness to your guesses and preparations. Let’s look at how a usual day starts and goes in Indonesian branch, where dormitories are included, and how workloads are divided and assigned at POSCO India.
“At 5:30am I eat breakfast, and by 6:30am I get to work on the POSCO shuttle. I’d get to work around 7am, where I get ready for today’s work and handle necessary preparations for the day. The official work-time starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Also, there is a morning shift on every other Saturdays. We do “Visual Training” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and practice 1:1 communication within the Training Team department as well.” – Ill Chul Shin, POSCO Indonesia
“During my working time in the office, I concentrate on my assignments given by my seniors and I feel satisfied when I complete my work properly. Schedules are decided by the as per interactions with my concerned Reporting Officer.” – Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, POSCO India
“For 2 years now we’ve been working on labor-welfare-facilities service for our personnel with local employees. We create various programs and regulations to help the laborers.” – Seung Dae Park, POSCO Indonesia
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To Be Part of POSCO
Maybe now you have some general idea of how the employees at foreign locations operate. But let’s get into “how” you can join them overseas, or what kind of “YOU”s POSCO overseas branches want. It’s not just the office work you must learn, but the culture, the people, and your new surroundings. Let’s hear more from our three interviewers.
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Q1. What qualities of yours may contribute to be hired by POSCO?
“I think my confidence, truthfulness and commitment are the qualities to be hired by POSCO.” – Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, POSCO India
“I think my background in industrial engineering helped. Also, I entered POSCO right away after graduating university, as an intern. I want to be careful about saying that I am successful yet, but today I consider that I am close to the word. I am very satisfied with my work here.” – Ill Chul Shin, POSCO Indonesia
As you can tell, personality is the key, but like Ill Chul Shin from Indonesia, your background of studies can help according to what branch or department you’d be hired for. Also, beginning as an intern is a good idea as well.
Q2. The main and ideal employee we look for
It’s always easy to introduce about yourself and appeal your best qualities. However, aren’t you curious about exactly what “kind” of person or a coworker that the actual employees working at overseas? Let’s take a look and see if you can, or already possess some of the following qualities.
“We’ve gathered opinions from all our employees, and the general character we want is a person who can integrate well into a group and someone who’s hardworking indeed.” – Yong Park, POSCO Australia
“We look for an employee having MY FEELINGS towards the Company, having personal relationship with the firm, where you can develop an intimate relationship with POSCO. Also, I think a co-worker should be very much understanding and he/she should accept the foreign employees and their culture.” – Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, POSCO India
“The best character that’s fit for working overseas is out-going, optimistic and thoughtful. This is an extremely important factor you must consider when working at a foreign environment. Furthermore, generally, our branch has POSCO’s vision, mission and value as our main measurement of deciding a good employee. Also, a candidate’s commitment to POSCO and his/her creativity will be evaluated.” – Seung Dae Park, POSCO Indonesia
Q3. What difficulties and advantages working for a foreign branch/corporation should you be prepared?
Optimistic, caring, thoughtful, out-going, hard-working, friendly, are some of the characteristics the overseas branch employees claimed to be the necessary qualities of an employee they’d like to work with, and look for. If you think about it, these qualities are very personal, and have little to do with one’s background of studies or work experience. Why is that?
“Working overseas, you’ll experience both satisfactions of your hard work and agony. Here, caring for one another and understanding of each other is the most important job. One of the hardest things would be not being able to be with your loved ones, like family and friends. However, what you can expect is an astounding enhancement of your working abilities and personal improvements.” – Ill Chul Shin, POSCO Indonesia
Like the interview above, “working at POSCO abroad” is something that requires not only professional skills, but YOUR CHARACTER most of all, since you’re going to be new to not only work tasks, but the environment. There are gains and losses, but in the end, we’re sure that you’ll feel the most satisfactory of your work and become a better-rounded individual.
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On Field with POSCO
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Q1. When did you feel the most proud of your work at a foreign base?
“As I have been working with a Korean company, I have not faced much difficulties and working with POSCO is itself an advantage. I felt really proud of myself when I assessed myself after some time that I have worked with almost all the senior officials in my organization successfully and learn something from them here at POSCO.” – Shanti Swaroop Pradhan, POSCO India
“I feel the most proud and happy when local employees tell me that they’ve learned much about Korea and POSCO, maybe more so since I’m work in the Training Department for all employees. It really puts a smile on me when I hear stories of how both POSCO and Korea gave good impressions to our foreign employees.” – Ill Chul Shin, POSCO Indonesia
POSCO hopes that our employees can develop a personal relationship with us and that can be helped by feeling proud of one’s work. We try our best to adjust to our employees’ needs and wish that POSCO will always be a benefit to them both business-wise and personally.
Q2. Did you have any stereotype about working at a foreign branch? What was your first outlook?
Often times, it’s hard to ignore your basic instincts, or unconscious stereotyping of your new job, especially if it’s at a foreign place. POSCO understands that very well. However, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll get to learn and experience the new culture with a positive outlook with POSCO beside you.
Q3. If you can describe POSCO with one word, what would it be?
We’ve asked our participants of this interview to define POSCO, by one word or a phrase, based on their personal experience with us. “VALUE,” replied Shanti Swaroop Pradhan from India. Ill Chul Shin from Indonesia wrote, “POSCO is a good-spirited firm. It’s a company that has a power to change the world, but most of all, looks after the environment we live in.” We are happy that we could be such a firm the two individuals described to them, personally. POSCO wishes that we indeed become an asset and leave perhaps a warm impression to all our valuable and precious employees.
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We hope that now you have a better idea on how it’s like to work at overseas POSCO branches. One’s grades, past awards, experiences, and area of studies matter for all companies. However, POSCO looks more than that; we evaluate your personal characters too. Our doors are open wide for all candidates out there, who are willing to become our “family.” POSCO tries our best to comfort our employees and train them with necessary skills, work closely with every individual, and supporting in areas needed. To achieve this, we acknowledge communication between POSCO and employees as crucial factor. As Ill Chul Shin from Indonesia says, “I hope that every single POSCO employee can exuberantly participate in information-sharing through an effective communication channel with POSCO and amongst employees.”