Medtronic, which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA in 1949, has been expanding its influence in Korea for 37 years since it opened a liaison office in Korea in 1987 and established a corporation in 2000.

Medtronic is currently focusing on four areas: cardiovascular, neuroscience, medical-surgical, and diabetes, with 500 Korean employees and executives.

In particular, the company's mission statement explicitly states that it “recognizes the personal worth of all employees.” This means that the company must create an environment where its employees and the local community can grow together for the company's growth.

Medtronic conducts a biannual “Organizational Health Survey” for all Medtronic employees worldwide and then improves its organizational culture and working methods by reflecting the opinions of its employees.

Thanks to these efforts, in February, the company was honorably selected as one of the “Best Companies to Work for in Korea” for the sixth consecutive year by the global consulting firm Great Place to Work Institute (GPTW).

Medtronic Korea places an emphasis on an inclusive workplace where the best talent can grow together. Dailypharm met with Youngil Moon, HR Director of Medtronic Korea, to learn about the company's organizational culture and working environment.

- The company's HR vision emphasizes an inclusive and friendly workplace. Is there a reason for this?

=Due to our company’s characteristics, we have a wide range of stakeholders as the company carries out diverse products and conducts different businesses. For this reason, each employee needs to develop their own expertise and independence to carry out business efficiently.

One might think that a professional and inclusive workplace are two different things, but a flexible organizational culture that can accommodate various goals and directions is important for improving the competitiveness of each employee's expertise and growth.

-I am curious about what efforts the company is making to create an inclusive workplace.

=Our company has a matrix structure, and many employees work with managers in regions or globally, so rather than following what is required from above, a culture that respects various departments and jobs has naturally been formed. There are some parts that need to be abided by the organization, but we guarantee flexibility in various areas, such as working hours and workplaces, to make the most of each employee's expertise

-The company’s vision should also be reflected in your type of talent. What type of talent do you seek?

=Since the company is composed of about 15 independent business units, employees are often exposed to situations where they have to communicate directly with the business units at the headquarters level and make decisions in the necessary direction. For this reason, we value the ability to become the best expert in one's work, not just in terms of technical knowledge, but also in the ability to make quick decisions in a situation.

We also have a matrix organizational structure, so a culture and capacity to work organically with other teams and sometimes discuss different opinions, rather than receive instructions, is important. In this respect, it is also important to have talented people who are open and inclusive, who perform well and communicate well.

- It seems important to select employees who fit the talent profile. What is the hiring process like?

One of the major differences is that the organization's structure and individual job positions are planned in advance from the moment a one-year budget is set. The overall organization's job positions and hiring scale are determined by considering a series of business plans and the priorities of various businesses, rather than making decisions based on the situation as the work progresses.

However, given the company's situation, large-scale hiring does not occur on a regular basis. In order to recruit good talent, the company provides information on how to apply and how to get to know the company. The global recruitment team independently selects candidates through a fair process. After that, the actual recruitment process involves interviews with three to four key stakeholders, including managers.

- As a global company, language skills must also be important

= The level of language proficiency required varies depending on whether the job involves working more with domestic stakeholders or working with global or other countries. There is a minimum standard for language proficiency, but since English is not the native language in Korea, there are bound to be limitations, and since language proficiency can often be developed through actual work, we recommend that you actively apply.

Also, since it is a global company, you may experience unfamiliar situations due to cultural differences, etc., when working with people from other countries in addition to language differences, but the company helps you to quickly get used to these aspects.


-How does the company specifically help employees to adapt?

= Basically, we provide language skills training, such as English learning, in a similar way to what other global companies offer. Recently, we have been focusing on two programs to develop competencies in coping with cultural differences and work styles, not just English.

First, we provide opportunities to experience work in other jobs and other countries through the 'Excel with Experience Café' program. Moving jobs is not an easy decision for employees, and opportunities do not come often, so we are running a program that allows employees to experience different projects for a short period of time.

There is also a program called 'Talent Xperience' that allows employees to go to the country for a certain period of time and work with the local team. Last year, we visited Medtronic Japan to gain experience, and we also had the opportunity to invite and work with employees from Singapore and the Philippines.

-So, can these programs lead to actual overseas jobs?

=Already, many employees from Medtronic Korea are successfully working in various countries. In particular, unlike many companies that send employees to overseas branches or regions at the leadership level, Medtronic provides opportunities for young talent, by sending employees to overseas branches at mid-career.

It is true that many global companies do not have many young employees or opportunities due to their structure of training and hiring specialists for specific jobs. However, Medtronic is open to providing opportunities for young employees, and employees in their 20s to account for about 20% of the total number of employees at Medtronic.

-Your company has been selected as a 'Great Place to Work' in Korea for 6 consecutive years. What kind of employee welfare does the company pride itself on?

=We have a system called '4 Weeks from Anywhere' that allows employees to work from anywhere in the world for one month. There are systems that give long-term employees long vacations for a certain period of time, but there are pros and cons, such as in cases where no one can take over the person’s job for a short period of time.

This system provides an option that minimizes the burden by allowing employees to stay in another region and work during the day while spending their weekends and evenings with their families and having unique experiences. When the system was first implemented, I thought there might be some people who would like it and some who would not, but it has become a unique and helpful program that allows employees to go abroad together during their children's school breaks.

-Lastly, I'd like to know about the company's plans for this year.

While specific programs and one-time events are important in terms of organization, it is important to establish and implement various visions in a sustainable manner and in a form that suits individual teams and employees to ensure that they are well and palpably established. While it may sound too grand to coin it as an “organizational culture,” our plan for this year is to create and develop a good organizational culture that employees can feel through small words and actions.