K-pop, Korean entertainment/culture, Korean fans/netizens [2014~]

Ex/current SM workers talk about their work experiences

March 8, 2017 (media/promotion, ex-worker)
"You can be proud of the fact that it's the best company for the industry but the salary is a bit small..."

Advantage
- The atmosphere isn't dull since it's an entertainment business. You can see celebrities frequently.

Disadvantage
- You can't look at the celebrities
- Restrictions within the company are quite severe
- If something's successful, it's because of the artists. If something's unsuccessful, it's because of the staff.

What I wish to the management team
- Please get rid of the mindset that the artists are powerful and the workers are powerless

This company will be the same after a year

I do not recommend working for this company

=

February 23, 2017 (management/planning/consulting, ex-worker)
"This company looks OK on the outside but it's worse than small companies on the inside. You can experience the irrationality of the society."

Advantage
- You can choose to come to work and go home whenever you want (depends on the department)
- The atmosphere is free, you're free to wear what you want

Disadvantage
- The salary and benefits are absurd. The more you work for this company, the more you lose.
- If you get hired as an experienced worker, you'll be treated decently
- They especially prefer workers that have worked for major companies

What I wish to the management team
- There needs to be a rational pay and benefits. Please know that the workers are your asset, not slaves.

I do not recommend working for this company

=

February 17, 2017 (media/promotion, ex-worker)
"Military-like company culture, change of personnel is rarely done, a good place to experience irrationality."

Advantage
- They pay you $10 for night shift food. Since I worked night shifts almost everyday, I could eat freely.

Disadvantage
- A lot of night shifts because of the inefficient work and the military-like culture. There's a strict line between sunbaes and hoobaes.

What I wish to the management team
- As a company that creates contents, you should treat people importantly, not like replaceable objects

I do not recommend working for this company

=

February 17, 2017 (distribution/commerce, current worker)
"It's an OK company if you're really passionate about the entertainment industry and ready to sacrifice everything. If you're applying just because you're interested in celebrities, it's a waste of time."

Advantage
- OK atmosphere. The company's atmosphere is comfortable and nice
- It's a good company to get experiences since it's a well-known company
- Aside from your main job, you get to learn and do other tasks as well

Disadvantage
- Just like any other entertainment company, the underpayment is unimaginable. They pay you little but expect so many things. I barely go home on time. A lot of night shifts and some workers have to work on the weekend as well.

What I wish to the management team
- They know why the workers don't stay at the company for a long time and leave, but they don't even try to improve it. If you're making someone work more, you should increase their pay as well.

This company will be the same after a year.

I do not recommend working for this company

=

November 1, 2016 (marketing/market survey, ex-worker)
"If you can overlook the low salary with your passion, you'll enjoy working for this company (depends on the department)"

Advantage
- It's fun. If the department is where you work with the artists and you're passionate about the entertainment industry and celebrities, the countless night shifts won't be tiring and you'll enjoy your job. It depends on the atmosphere of the team but mostly, it's a free atmosphere of working with young workers. There's inside politics going on, of course. If the salary was at least average and if there was a chance of my salary increasing with my hardwork, I was willing to work for this company until the end despite the unpaid night shifts and weekend work.
- You can experience a lot of tasks since they try a lot of new business and you can feel yourself improving. But your salary remains the same despite how much you work more and how much you improve.

Disadvantage
- The confirm line is inefficient. The potentials for the company and the business are clear, but there's no future for the individual workers. They're said to be the best company of the industry but the salary is incredibly low and there's no chance of increasing it. If something is successful, it's thanks to the artists. If something's not, it's due to the staff. You feel a big sense of shame from seeing the fancy life and the high pay of the artists and yourself who's paid so little but has to work night shifts and weekend shifts. The management team doesn't realize how important the workers are. Most importantly, your career after this company is hopeless, so you shouldn't step into the entertainment industry unless you'll be satisfied with a small salary for the rest of your life.

What I wish to the management team
- As the #1 company of the entertainment industry and as a company that's growing with new businesses, please be the ideal model for the entertainment companies. You should treat the workers with affection and proper treatment just like you do with the artists. Please know that people are precious. Please acknowledge the importance of the workers who only work for the affection towards the company despite the demanding job they have. Please make the pay satisfied for them as well. They must know why so many workers come and leave the company. They should stop wasting time and money over changing workers and be nice to the current ones.

(Recommendation not indicated)

=

June 6, 2016 (design, current worker)
"This company is the best if you have passion and dream for this industry. They expand your path."

Advantage
- Regardless of your age, you're free to give opinions. The sense of pride coming from #1 company.

Disadvantage
- The amount of work is ridiculous. You have to give up your personal life. The treatments of the artists and the workers are way too different.

What I wish to the management team
- Artists are not the only ones who run this company. Please care for all the members of the company.

This company will be improving after a year

I do not recommend working for this company

=

May 19, 2016 (design, ex-worker)
"A company where you transform into a component from a human. You can survive if you have passion for this industry."

Advantage
- People will you treat as a major company worker. You can experience various jobs. You'll improve quickly since you'll have a huge amount of work to do at once. The company card is pretty. They provide you taxi fees.

Disadvantage
- Your own life disappears. An interesting company that makes you think of the average happiness. You have to look on your phone all the time. One specific boss holds too much power. It's very nerve-wracking but if you can survive through it, it can be a good chance.

What I wish to the management team
- The basic needs must be met. There's no specific structure, either. They must realize that this is a problem.

This company will be improving after a year

I do not recommend working for this company

=

April 6, 2016 (design, ex-worker)
"The department became a mess under one person's orders. The workers have to work like machines despite the mess. The upper workers leave it as it is and the rookie workers can never get through. The workers keep changing but because someone's not willing to change their mind so it'll never improve."

Advantage
- The restaurant for fans on the first floor give 50% discount to the workers. We can drink coffee from the coffee machine. (It doesn't taste good though.) If you work a night shift until late, you can come to work late on the next day. They give you taxi fees for night shifts.

Disadvantage
- There's a mid-manager but there's never clear transfer of work nor feedback to the rookie workers. It's an inefficient system where the tasks are give via Kakaotalk and the workers have to answer all of them. Even in dawn and weekends, the boss gives you work on Kakaotalk and demands feedbacks. You can choose to work for this company if you want to be emotionally stressed. And since the projects are unplanned, the draft is no different from a copy. The boss still blames the workers for everything.

This company will be similar after a year

I do not recommend working for this company

=

October 15, 2016 (design, current worker)
"The chance for learning is open to everyone. Depending on your skills, you have the advantage of learning every job."

Advantage
- The atmosphere is OK and the workers share their opinions freely. The time for coming to work and going home is decided based on the project. The atmosphere is free, not dull.

Disadvantage
- The facilities for the workers such as a restaurant are a bit lacking. There needs to be a facility for the workers' health.

What I wish to the management team
- (repeated the disadvantage above)

This company will be improving after a year

I recommend working for this company

=

Instiz: SM company from SM workers' perspective

- There's no easy job in the world but I guess this industry is indeed very tough ㅠㅠ I know someone who also worked in the industry and they quit because of depression.

- Most workers say the gap between the workers and the artists is huge... They're #1 company but they're just as rotten on the inside. The artists should treat the workers better since the workers make them shine.

- They're not raising the salary because people still apply regardless of the small pay.

- Min Hee Jin needs to resign. The old ones need to leave for the new ones to replace them but because the old ones keep taking the spots, there's no way they'd do well. Shim Jae Won is the same. One person is in charge of various artists, of course the quality will be lower. Those two need to take a vacation or something. Everybody know that last year was all about seeing SM's limits.

- I also got through the third interview for SM but I didn't choose to work there because their pay was lower than part-time jobs. I'm now working for a completely different field.

- If it's successful, it's because of the artists. If it's not, it's because of the workers. So sad...

- The design workers are talking about a certain boss... They're talking about Min Hee Jin, right?

- It's time for SM to release some refreshing stuff...

- Our country pays celebrities too much

- I was so sad when I heard that the workers even worked in Hawaii

- I know Min Hee Jin and Shim Jae won are talented and praised but they're in charge of too many things

Back To Top