Hello, this is KOWORK, a platform for hiring foreign talent.
For HR managers who may feel that hiring foreign employees is difficult or unfamiliar, we’re sharing insights from companies that have successfully done it.
Last summer, we introduced “Arbaim,” a company that achieved rapid global growth alongside their intern, Wang Jing (Chloe Wang). (Read the previous blog here →)
We recently heard that Wang Jing has now been working with the company as a full-time employee for over 10 months, so we visited them again.
This time, we spoke with Mr. Park Sun-il, HR advisor at Arbaim, to learn more about how they successfully retained a foreign employee.
💬 Hello, it’s great to meet you. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your company?
Hello, I’m Park Sun-il, and I serve as an advisor and oversee HR operations at Arbaim.
Arbaim is an influencer marketing company that operates a platform called “Grade,” which helps small and medium-sized businesses increase sales and expand into overseas markets.
💬 Last time we met in Seoul, but now we’re in Pangyo. What led to the office relocation?
Previously, our operations team was based in Seoul, while the sales team was in Pangyo.
Since the teams were physically separated, communication wasn’t always smooth, so we decided to bring both teams into one office.
💬 Was Wang Jing (Chloe) your first foreign employee? Was this your first time hiring a foreigner?
Yes, she was our first full-time foreign employee.
We had hired foreign interns twice before - Wang Jing was the first. And earlier this year, we also hired an employee from the Netherlands through a government support program.
Our CEO lived in the U.S. for a long time, so the company is very open to hiring foreign talent.
While Wang Jing was our first full-time foreign hire, hiring foreigners wasn’t seen as unusual internally.
If a company only targets the domestic market, it will eventually face limitations.
Especially for companies like ours that are actively expanding overseas, new perspectives are essential.
If a company wants to grow further, hiring foreign talent becomes a natural step.
💬 What was the most important factor in converting Wang Jing from an intern to a full-time employee?
The most important factor was her work capability.
She performed very well, and I heard she had previously run her own small business. Because of that, she had a broader perspective and strong business understanding.
Mr. Park Sun-il collaborating with Wang Jing and other colleagues
💬 How do you evaluate her performance?
We don’t evaluate performance with a strict scoring system.
In her role in operations, attention to detail and qualitative performance are more important.
Wang Jing handles coordination between the company and influencers very well. She is detail-oriented, responsive, and manages stress effectively. Overall, she has the exact capabilities needed for our operations team.
💬 What has changed the most since she joined as a full-time employee?
There hasn’t been a dramatic change, but her strong work skills and positive personality have had a great influence on the team.
She contributes positively to the company culture.
💬 From an HR perspective, do you have any tips for helping foreign employees adapt well?
At our company, we don’t treat foreign employees differently. We don’t assign them different tasks or limit their roles just because they are foreigners. What’s important is helping each individual develop their unique strengths.
💬 Lastly, do you have any advice for foreign job seekers?
Many foreign job seekers preparing for careers in Korea need one important thing - a support system.
This is important for companies as well. For an organization to function well, its members need to be in a healthy state.
When employees face personal challenges, companies have limits in how much they can support beyond work. So it’s important to have someone or a system you can rely on.
Also, if you’re interested in working at our company, feel free to reach out anytime - even if there’s no open position. (laughs)
We encourage you to make full use of platforms like KOWORK, which connect foreign talent with companies, and we hope you successfully build your career in Korea.
