"Regardless of Gender, Only Ability Matters"… Three Female Executives Talk About Hanssem

Interview with R&D Headquarters Directors Kim Hyewon, Jung Yujin, and Choi Jiyeon
One in Four Hanssem Executives Is Female... Four Times More Than Other Companies
"Gender Equality System Established... No Glass Ceiling"

Choi Ji-yeon, Head of Home Furnishing Products Department 2 (from left), Kim Hye-won, Head of Hanssem R&D Headquarters, and Jung Yoo-jin, Head of Home Furnishing Products Department 1, are being interviewed by Asia Economy.

Last year, 39% of Hansem's regular employees who joined were women. The proportion of women among all managers, including team leaders, department heads, general managers, and division heads, has steadily increased since 2020, reaching 20% this year. The percentage of female executives surged from 5% in 2019 to 25% this year. In July, a woman in her early 40s was appointed as Hansem's new CEO. What is the reason behind the growing influence of women power at Hansem? We met with three female directors in their 40s?Kim Hyewon, head of the R&D division; Jung Yujin, head of Home Furnishing Product Department 1; and Choi Jiyeon, head of Home Furnishing Product Department 2?who lead the research and development (R&D) division at Hansem’s headquarters in Sangam-dong, Seoul, to hear their stories.

Director Kim said that Hansem has a well-established culture of gender equality supported by institutional systems. She explained that the roles of women within the company naturally expanded as a result of operating a rational evaluation and compensation system without gender distinction, rather than through any special policies favoring women. She said, "In previous generations, many capable employees left the company because women often bore the full responsibility for childbirth and childcare. However, now that a culture of gender equality is well established, there is no discrimination or significant difficulty felt."

One of Hansem’s representative gender equality policies is the 'Family Care+' program. It provides support tailored to family stages such as pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, and return to work. According to current law, pregnant employees within 12 weeks or after 32 weeks of pregnancy can reduce their working hours by two hours per day. Hansem operates a two-hour reduced work schedule without wage deduction throughout the entire pregnancy period for the health of the fetus and mother. Parental leave is offered for two years to both male and female employees. To prevent disadvantageous treatment in performance evaluations due to parental leave, pregnant workers and those returning from parental leave are given absolute evaluations with at least a mid-level rating based on their length of service. Even after returning to work, flexible working hours, reduced working hours during childcare periods, and an on-site daycare center create an environment where work and family life can coexist.

Hye-won Kim, Head of R&D Division at Hanssem.

With a rational system in place within the company, employees’ concerns focus on one thing: "How can I perform well at work?" In such an environment, work concentration increases and the likelihood of better performance grows. This lays the foundation for nurturing female leaders in various fields such as sales, marketing, design, and planning. Department Head Choi said, "I often meet employees from other companies for talent recruitment, and they still express difficulties such as career breaks due to childbirth and childcare, and reputations influenced by office politics. This is why they find Hansem’s corporate culture attractive."

CEO Kim Yujin, who took office in July, has proven her abilities in a performance-oriented organization. Since her appointment, Hansem employees have reportedly become more focused on their work. Department Head Jung said, "Employees feel that evaluations are based solely on competence regardless of seniority or gender, which creates an atmosphere where they want to work harder." Department Head Choi added, "Decisions based on data are made quickly and rationally. I was surprised to see that the changes I had hoped for from a younger perspective were precisely identified and implemented." In the third quarter after CEO Kim’s appointment, Hansem achieved an operating profit of 4.9 billion KRW, turning a profit compared to the same period last year.

Some conservative companies still tend to prefer male employees, citing reasons such as men being relatively free from childbirth and childcare responsibilities and easier to manage in night shifts and after-work gatherings. However, this behavior reduces the company’s competitiveness by foregoing opportunities to hire capable female talent. Director Kim said, "In certain industries like consumer goods, it is advantageous to understand delicate needs and devise strategies from a female perspective. Companies should not avoid a particular gender but rather establish systems to compensate for any shortcomings, which will bring greater long-term benefits."

Joo Yujin, Head of Hanssem Home Furnishing Product Department 1.

Director Kim and Department Head Jung were promoted to directors in January. Department Head Choi was promoted to director in 2020 and is now in her fourth year. The three executives agreed that their perspectives on work have broadened since becoming directors. While individual performance remains important, they now feel a responsibility to lead their teams, divisions, and the entire company with the company’s overall interests in mind.

Upon becoming directors, their status changes from regular employees to one-year contract employees, so they must always remain vigilant. In such times, support from home becomes a great strength. Department Head Jung said, "There are often times when I come home late due to overtime or company dinners, but since becoming a director, my husband and child have been more understanding and considerate."

The three executives also did not hesitate to offer advice to their juniors. Director Kim emphasized, "Communication is the most important thing in our industry. Communication between departments as well as with customers is very important." Department Head Jung advised, "Whatever you do, put your heart into it and be someone who can be proud of themselves." Department Head Choi stressed, "Hansem has a strong DNA. We must maintain the fundamental direction of our efforts to improve living environments despite changes inside and outside the company."

Choi Ji-yeon, Head of Hanssem Home Furnishing Products Division 2.

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