SK hynix is changing its hiring process away from specification-focused practices to a method that directly verifies AI application skills and fundamental thinking. SK hynix said on Wednesday it will accept applications for rolling entry-level hiring from Aug. 20 to Aug. 26. The openings cover design, device, R&D process and mass production technology, with work locations including Icheon, Cheongju, Bundang and Seoul.

The core of the overhaul is the introduction of a “Half-day” in-depth interview. Instead of the previous interviews that lasted about 20 to 30 minutes, candidates will complete tasks and take part in interviews over half a day. The company will comprehensively assess job expertise, AI application skills and logical thinking. Chey Tae-won (최태원), chairman of SK Group, has said, “Thinking muscles,” the power to ask and think about the essence of a problem, are important.

At the document screening stage, it will also remove existing self-introduction essay items and introduce a new form for applicants to describe “AI utilization capability” and “semiconductor job expertise.” Under its plan announced in June to fully abolish educational restrictions, applicants for this hiring round can apply regardless of age or academic background.

The company will also shift recruitment briefings from a university campus-centered model to open hub-based events. It will hold sessions in four regions—Seoul, Cheongju, Daegu and Gwangju—to provide participation opportunities to both teenagers and job seekers interested in the semiconductor industry. Applicants can check guidelines and briefing schedules and apply on SK hynix’s official recruitment website.

In the fourth quarter, it will also hold an “AI hackathon contest.” The competition challenges participants to solve difficult problems from semiconductor worksites with AI within a limited time. Outstanding participants will receive a “fast track” that exempts them from document screening and gives them a direct interview opportunity.

An SK hynix recruitment official said, “We revamped the recruitment system so we can closely verify fundamental problem-solving capabilities and practical skills,” adding, “We will actively hire AI talent with the power to think and continue our technology leadership in the global AI semiconductor market.”