Samsung is a multinational company with its headquarters in South Korea. Samsung’s mission is to create technologies and products that contribute to a better global society. To help achieve its mission, the organization recruits employees at undergraduate, graduate, and experienced hire levels.

This article explores the Samsung assessment center process, format, and the skills that as an organization Samsung recruits against. We also look at tips to help you perform at your best and help your inherent skills and abilities shine through when attending the Samsung assessment center.

Why does Samsung use assessment centers?

Samsung uses assessment centers as part of its recruitment process to ensure suitable candidates are recruited into the organization. The assessment center evaluates candidates in a practical environment enabling recruiters to gauge the skills and abilities of an individual as relevant to the role they are applying for.

The assessment center simulates the working environment that candidates can experience when working in the role.

To do this, the assessment center is split into four distinct parts, each evaluating candidates based on skills and attributes. The results are used to determine which candidates are the right fit based on their skills and abilities alone.

What skills is Samsung looking for?

Samsung looks for a variety of skills and abilities in its applicants. These skills and abilities ensure success in the role and enable employees to contribute to the success and growth of the company in fulfilling its mission and values.

These skills include:

  • Creativity and Innovation: Samsung looks for applicants who demonstrate creativity in everything they do. This enables employees to be innovative in their ideas and solutions.

  • Teamwork: Individuals need to be able to work with others effectively, collaborating and working together to drive innovation forward and devise the best solutions and technologies to make a difference to their clients.

  • Communication skills: all Samsung employees must demonstrate strong communication skills working with others and their clients. Samsung places people at the heart of its business philosophy, and communicating effectively with others ensures that all employees uphold this philosophy.

  • Driven to learn: Samsung looks for individuals who want to learn and make the most of the learning opportunities available to them to benefit themselves and the organization.

  • Integrity: Ensuring its employees demonstrate integrity in what they do, do the right things, and keep this at the core of their role is vital to Samsung.

  • Adaptable: all employees at Samsung need to adapt to changing situations, making the most of new opportunities and continuing to innovate in a changing environment.

Samsung assessment center format

Candidates successful in the early stages of the recruitment process (application, online assessments, and virtual interviews) are invited to attend the assessment center.

There are five stages to the assessment center at Samsung:

The information gained after the assessment center decides whether candidates are offered the role they have applied for.

Samsung group exercise

The group exercise is an opportunity for recruiters to evaluate individuals on their ability to work with others. Candidates are assessed on how well they communicate with others and contribute to the group reaching a consensus on the task given.

Communication skills such as active listening and building on the points of others are assessed in the group exercise, along with an individual’s contribution to the group reaching its overall conclusion.

Topics in the group exercise can vary; examples include:

Discussion-based exercises: all individuals are given the same information and asked to discuss this to reach their preferred action.

Case study exercises: all individuals are given different information and asked to play the role of a particular representative in the company. The group must decide the best way forward according to the criteria set.

Samsung case study

The Samsung case study is a timed assessment that evaluates individuals on their logical thinking and numerical and critical reasoning. Candidates are given information and asked to prepare their proposed actions and solutions according to the tasks given.

Examples of case studies that may be given include:

New technologies: candidates are given information on four new technologies that can be adopted by a fictional company. They must decide on which of the technologies is the best to invest in and further based on the information given.

Marketing strategy: candidates are given information relating to the various marketing options for launching a new product, including financials and competitor information. They must decide which of the given marketing strategies is the best approach when launching a new product.

Samsung presentation

In the presentation, exercise candidates are required to deliver a timed presentation based on the information given. Recruiters assess candidates on the way they deliver their presentation: such as their body language, tone of voice, and the pace that the presentation is delivered.

Candidates are also evaluated on the content of the presentation in relation to whether it contains the key points of the material provided.

Presentation topics can vary and may be related to the type of role applied (role dependent).

Some examples include:

  • The challenges and opportunities facing the technological world.
  • The benefits of using AI in today’s digital world

Samsung role-play exercise

Candidates are given information on a situation they are likely to encounter in their role when working at Samsung. They have 5 minutes to prepare their response to the situation, then assume an allocated role and discuss their answer with an assessor. Skills assessed include teamwork, communication, and logical thinking

Some examples of exercises include:

  • Their response to dealing with a staff member who is consistently arriving for work late. The candidate will need to assume the role of the staff member’s manager and discuss the approach they would take with a recruiter.
  • Assuming the role of an internal employee, candidates need to outline to who they would pitch a new product idea to one of the board members. They need to discuss how they would prepare the pitch and what approach they would take when in the pitch presentation.

Samsung interview

The final competency-based interview assesses candidates against the skills and competencies needed to excel in a role at Samsung.

Example questions include:

Describe a time when you worked with a group of people to achieve a task.

Can you describe the task and your role in the team?

What was the outcome, and what did you learn from this experience?

Why did you apply for this role at Samsung?

What skills can you bring to this role?

What do you know about our mission or values that attracted you to a position at Samsung?

Can you describe a time when you dealt with a challenging customer or team member?

Tips for passing the Samsung assessment center

Contribute

If you don’t contribute during the exercises in the assessment center, it makes it very difficult for the assessors to assess you against the skills and attributes needed for success in a role at Samsung. Make sure you share your views and opinions and get your perspectives across. Do so in a professional manner that is true to the way you communicate.

Be yourself

The assessors want to see you and how you deal with situations when in the workplace or a team environment. Be yourself and don’t try and be someone you think the assessors want to see. Communicate in a way that is authentic to you. In doing so, you demonstrate your skills and abilities and will enjoy the assessment center experience more.

Keep calm

If you feel that the assessment center isn’t going well, don’t panic. Keep calm, focus on the task at hand, and remember that the assessment center comprises many different tasks. If you start to panic, use calming strategies such as deep breathing. Make the most of any breaks in the assessment center to calm yourself down.

Involve others

One of Samsungs core business philosophies centers around people. If, in any group-related exercises, you notice that someone isn’t participating, then invite them to. Use their name and ask them what their views are. In doing so authentically, you demonstrate your teamwork and collaboration skills and interest in the opinions of those you work with.

Ask questions

Ensure you know what to do before starting any of the tasks. If you aren’t clear, ask questions to clarify. In doing so, you use your preparation time effectively, ensuring that you cover all of the points required and keep to the objectives and brief given for each of the exercises.