Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center, poses with Samsung SDS employees in Seoul, Tuesday. Lee held meetings with working moms and freely shared his opinions and concerns over family and work amid COVID-19. This is the first time Lee visited Samsung SDS in Seoul. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea's top business leaders have been breaking tradition by holding casual, unannounced meetings with employees as they try to connect with younger, working-age Koreans, according to industry officials and experts, Wednesday.

They are aiming to break down the image of their authoritarian company cultures and establish more horizontal organizational structures to create a friendlier work atmosphere for employees. They have been seeking to listen more closely to the opinions of employees from the "MZ Generation," a group including millennials and Generation Zers, share information through social media and evaluate the value of corporations and products through these platforms.

"I see it very positively. The MZ generation is more adept at using social media than speaking. So the propagation is fast. The most important thing for chaebol leaders and companies is obtaining and securing the future talent of MZers. So, when communication with these people is strengthened, naturally, there is a lot of publicity through that generation, from word-of-mouth to social media," Kim Dae-jong, business administration professor at Sejong University said. "So, young leaders are also expanding exchanges with the MZ generation to show a new innovative image. The encounter with company chiefs and employees is very desirable as a company, and young people see it very positively as well."

According to Samsung Electronics, Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong broke formality and has been taking the time to communicate with employees. After Lee's business trip to Europe in June, he emphasized that what Samsung should do is to "bring in good people and create a flexible culture so that the organization can adapt to changes."

Lee visited Samsung SDS and held a meeting with working mothers, Tuesday. Lee freely shared his opinions with working moms about concerns over family and work as well as changes in work and home balance amid COVID-19. This is the first time Lee visited Samsung SDS in Seoul.

He met with about 10 employees there on the topic of work-life balance of working mothers and listened to their voices and concerns

Earlier this month, Lee visited Samsung Electronics' Giheung, Suwon and Samsung Engineering headquarters. After shaking hands with the staff, he personally squirted hand sanitizer on each person's palms and talked casually with them.

The vice chairman also told the employees about his summer vacation.

"I spent six days alone with my mother for the first time in my life. My mother, who is in her 80s, told me to eat lots of vitamins and not to drink too much beer," he said.

Lee and young employees also talked about various issues, including the interests and concerns of MZers, the image of Samsung to the MZ generation, new business ideas for the future, plans to spread an innovative organizational culture, career development roadmaps and difficulties caused by Samsung's corporate culture.

Lee also ate at the company cafeteria and took several selfies with staff.

SK SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, center, poses with employees making claw poses after the 'Icheon Forum 2022' on Aug. 25 / Courtesy of SK Group

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, is also enhancing communication with employees.

In the closing session of the 'Icheon Forum 2022' last week, Chey talked with executives and employees and shared his thoughts on numerous issues asked by the staff.

At a meeting with SK Telecom's artificial intelligence (AI) business team members in March, Chey requested to be addressed by his English name, "Tony," instead of "Chairman Chey."

Chey is the only one of the top four conglomerate chiefs to have a strong presence on social media, and he continues to communicate with executives and employees through planned or impromptu meetings when making site visits.

"The chairman has been emphasizing that he can communicate better with the general public only when we understand the thoughts of individual people, including the MZ generation," an official at SK Group said. "In this regard, it seems that the chairman started Instagramming, the primary communication platform for the MZ generation."

Chey also took time to have drinks and communicate with the employees at nearby restaurants that are hot spots for SK employees.

Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Euisun, center, poses for selfies with employees after the 'Heart Consultation Talk Concert' held in the auditorium of Hyundai Motor headquarters in Seoul on Aug. 16. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

In June, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun invited Oh Eun-young, a psychiatrist, to give a talk and share his concerns about how to close the gap between generations and desirable communication methods at work.

At a meeting with correspondents in the U.S. earlier, Chung answered a question about communication with the MZers, saying, "My youngest daughter is part of the MZ generation, and I also communicate with people of that generation within the company."

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo has also been delivering New Year's addresses online instead of offline starting in 2019 to better relay his messages to younger employees.