[Start人] Like the movie 'Intern'... 'Gisuljasup' connecting talented 4050s with startups

Interview with Gong Taeyoung, CEO of Gisuljasup
Operating a Platform Connecting Middle-aged Retirees and SMEs
Providing Educational Programs to Enhance Adaptability
Matching Considering Companies and Talent with Flexible Work Arrangements

Gong Taeyoung, CEO of Gisuljasup (pictured), dreams of a workplace where middle-aged and senior generations and young people come together to form a great partnership, much like the movie "The Intern." Since 2020, he has been operating the "Gisuljasup" platform, which matches small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups with highly experienced professionals. The platform connects partner companies seeking talent with experience and know-how with middle-aged retirees who have over 20 years of experience in large corporations and specialized companies.

Since companies often request personnel on a project basis, the work period can be as short as 2 to 3 weeks, but sometimes these professionals are formally hired by the companies. CEO Gong said, "Middle-aged and senior people in Korea often experience a sharp drop in self-esteem after retirement," adding, "I feel rewarded when I see their brightened expressions and hear them say, 'I'm excited to be able to work' after being matched with a company."

Companies are overcoming difficult challenges or taking on new ventures with the help of Gisuljasup. Startup A, based in Busan, faced an emergency when their CTO (Chief Technology Officer) left just before mass production of their product, but they signed a contract with a replacement through Gisuljasup within a week. SME B, which produces products in a Chinese factory, requested an expert to serve as a link between Korea and China through Gisuljasup, and as a result, they found a retiree with experience working at a Chinese company and have been working together for four months.

Matching personnel that satisfy both companies and experts is not an easy task. Gisuljasup has a pool of 20,000 experts, including many with C-level managerial expertise. However, through actual mediation, CEO Gong found that adaptability is more important than ability. He said, "The key is how well one adapts to a new organization without friction with other members," adding, "We have been running an educational program with the Seoul Metropolitan Government for two years, through which we have discovered and trained about 300 experts."

He emphasized, "Through the training process, we stress that working with younger generations requires an open mind and readiness to accept different perspectives."

Additionally, to ensure that highly experienced professionals can fully utilize their capabilities, partner companies are limited to startups with 20 or more employees and SMEs with 50 or more employees. CEO Gong said, "Startups often push forward with youthful passion and drive but need experts when they hit their limits," adding, "We focus on scale-up stage companies that need to deliver results immediately as our main partners." To reduce the labor cost burden on companies, the working style for experts is proposed as a 'flexible work system.' CEO Gong explained, "Experienced professionals inevitably command higher wages," and "We recommend various methods such as working only 20 hours a week, telecommuting, or remote work."

In line with the non-face-to-face era, personnel managers of companies, highly experienced professionals, and Gisuljasup representatives hold online three-party meetings to discuss and sign electronic contracts to formalize employment agreements. CEO Gong said, "I hope more middle-aged and senior people can demonstrate their talents and know-how through Gisuljasup, receive fair compensation, and increase their life satisfaction," adding, "I also hope companies utilize their abilities as a driving force for business expansion."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.