Samsung Electronics promotions are so secretive that even neighboring colleagues don’t know

Samsung Electronics, one of the largest technology companies in the world, recently announced promotions for its managerial staff on the 28th of last month. However, despite the announcement being made, employees have reportedly not been informed of who among their colleagues was promoted and who was not. This is because Samsung has changed its policy in recent years to inform employees of promotions through individual notification rather than posting the promotion lists on the company intranet, as they had done in the past.

Samsung adopted this new policy to create a more equal and horizontal work environment among employees, following its initiative to unify employee titles with the honorific “nim,” meaning “professional,” in 2017. However, the change has also created a new problem. Without a company-wide announcement, employees are left in the dark about who among their colleagues was promoted, creating an environment of uncertainty and speculation.

One employee in their 30s said, “I was promoted early, and I feel like people around me are curious, but I don’t talk about it because I’m afraid of appearing boastful when my senior colleagues and peers don’t even know if they were promoted or not.”

The reason for Samsung’s new policy is to prevent employees from feeling demotivated or uncomfortable with the announcement of early promotions. In the past, employees who were promoted early would have to buy meals or drinks for their colleagues to celebrate their success, and this led to an unhealthy work environment where employees were either pressured to spend money or excluded from the celebration. To address this issue, Samsung abolished the mandatory “standard length of service” in November 2021, and as a result, many employees were promoted early, which led to the company’s decision to change its promotion notification policy.

Reactions to the new policy among Samsung employees are mixed. Some say that they like not having to worry about office politics or being judged based on their promotion status, while others express frustration over the lack of transparency and the need to know who was promoted to make informed decisions in their work.

As time passes, the company culture is changing due to the new policy. The traditional “promotion meal,” where the promoted employee would treat their colleagues to a meal, is no longer mandatory, and the congratulatory dinner that used to be held in early March has disappeared, causing nearby restaurants to feel the economic impact.

In conclusion, Samsung’s decision to inform employees of promotions through individual notification rather than publicly posting promotion lists has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it creates a more equal work environment and reduces pressure on promoted employees to buy meals or drinks for their colleagues. On the other hand, it creates a lack of transparency that can lead to confusion and speculation among employees. As with any policy change, it takes time to adapt, and Samsung will have to carefully monitor its impact on employee morale and productivity going forward.