Samsung Electronics has moved to secure experienced talent despite deteriorating profitability in its TV and home appliance businesses. While streamlining the operation of existing personnel, the company is accelerating external recruitment for core roles centered on TV picture quality technology, advertising platforms, and B2B (business-to-business) sales. This is interpreted as a strategy to enhance product competitiveness and diversify revenue sources.
According to the electronics industry on the 15th, Samsung Electronics' DX (Device eXperience) Division's VD (Visual Display) and DA (Digital Appliances) business units are accepting applications for experienced positions until the 23rd. This recruitment is taking place as the performance slump in these two business units deepens. Their combined operating loss expanded from 10 billion won in the second quarter of this year to 200 billion won in the third quarter. Revenue also decreased from 14.5 trillion won to 13.9 trillion won over the same period.
As profitability pressures mount, Samsung Electronics is simultaneously carrying out efforts to streamline personnel operations. Following voluntary retirement interviews with employees in key business units such as VD and DA, the VD business unit has also implemented job redesign for some employees. The company is adjusting its existing workforce structure while filling core positions necessary for securing business competitiveness through experienced hiring. This recruitment is focused on defending profitability and securing future growth areas for each business unit.
First, in response to decreased TV demand following the end of major sports events and increased costs, the VD business unit has moved to reinforce its hardware differentiation personnel. It is recruiting talent for subpixel analysis of WOLED (White Organic Light-Emitting Diode) panels, development of AI (Artificial Intelligence) color picture quality algorithms, and ultra-thin power circuit design. This reflects a plan to continue differentiating premium TVs even amid slowing demand.
Advertising and content businesses that generate revenue after TV sales are also targets for talent acquisition. The VD business unit is hiring personnel responsible for advertising data analysis and platform development for Samsung TV Plus, as well as content strategy and partnerships. This follows the trend of Samsung Electronics appointing President Lee Won-jin, an advertising and service expert, as head of the business unit in May last month and emphasizing the expansion of its advertising business during its second-quarter earnings announcement. Based on users of already distributed TVs, fixed advertising revenue can be generated, making it a key revenue source to offset sluggish hardware sales in a situation where global TV demand stagnation is expected next year.
The DA business unit is recruiting personnel for global home appliance B2B sales and technical sales for central air conditioning and system air conditioners. Despite an increase in home appliance subscriptions and B2B sales in the third quarter, profitability deteriorated due to rising raw material and logistics costs, prompting efforts to strengthen order-winning capabilities targeting corporate clients such as construction, housing, and hotels. The air conditioning business requires product configurations and technical proposals tailored to the equipment conditions of each building, making specialized sales capabilities that respond to project-specific requirements important, unlike sales to general consumers. Samsung Electronics plans to promote the sale of AI-innovative products and expand high-revenue B2B businesses in its home appliance sector next year.
The industry views this recruitment as emphasizing medium- to long-term structural improvement. Analysts note that performance recovery is possible only if execution capability follows, actually raising TV Plus advertising rates and B2B project margins based on the secured specialized talent.
An industry official said, "It is not easy to maintain margins through product sales alone for both TVs and home appliances, so there is a trend of shifting the center of gravity to B2B businesses such as advertising and commercial air conditioning," adding, "The challenge is to secure profitability sufficient to offset cost burdens, going beyond external growth, through talent acquisition."
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