Learning and Leading at Samsung

In any organisation, building a culture of innovation begins with a culture of learning. Years of research have continuously shown that prioritising learning and development (L&D) benefits not only an individual’s fulfillment, motivation, and success at work, but an organisation’s capacity for innovation, transformation and growth.

From nurturing young talent to upskilling leaders, L&D efforts are most successful when they are consistently implemented and measured. At Samsung, we foster a culture of continuous learning by taking a 70-20-10 approach to development.?

The majority of our practices focus on experience (70%), consisting of on-the-job learning through challenging tasks, job rotations, mobility and special projects. Two years ago, for example, Samsung SEAO identified opportunities to eliminate silos across departments in the region and launched Project Reimagine , a cross-regional program to foster upskilling, communication and collaboration across the region through special projects. Now in its second year, the program has improved our ability to find creative solutions across geographies by learning on the job together.?

Exposure is the second major focus area (20%), relying on knowledge sharing through coaching, mentorship, feedback and communities. Creating a coaching culture is key – starting with the Leader as Coach (LAC) program where we certify our first line people managers as internal Samsung coaches, and with plans to further expand this to all managers.

A final but crucial area is education (10%), which focuses on more formal education programs such as internal and external training.

Education practices at Samsung begin at onboarding and evolve with every employee through their stages of growth. Here are some of the key educational initiatives that keep us learning and growing:

Individual Development Plans

All employees at Samsung create a personalised Individual Development Plan (IDP) in discussion with their managers. Each plan comprises a gap analysis to identify learning areas and actions that can help employees drive self-development, accompanied by on-going feedback and coaching. IDPs help employees establish their career aspirations, get access to the right resources and take ownership for their growth.

Leadership Learning Programs

Leadership at Samsung is developed through global and regional programs that are accessible at all levels. The Samsung Electronics Leadership Centre (SELC), for example, focuses on global leadership programs such as the Global Leaders Course, which provides opportunities for leaders to develop by networking with and learning from their global counterparts. Both self-paced and synchronous learning resources are provided in partnership with global counterparts for leaders to close the gaps through self-reflection and exchange of best practices.

Leaders and people managers at Samsung are continuously increasing their ability to develop their team members and build a culture of coaching, empowerment, and innovation - creating a virtuous cycle that supports our focus of social learning and knowledge sharing.

Expertise Building

Developing role-specific expertise is critical to individual and business success at Samsung. Every year, programs are rolled out to help employees and leaders across various functions increase their technical knowledge and stay ahead of the latest industry practices and trends.

The Samsung Marketing Academy (SMA), for example, is dedicated to identifying and implementing e-learning programs for sales and marketing professionals at Samsung. Last year, the SMA focused its programs on Digital Marketing Skills, rolling out a year-long plan that included training, certifications and a digital marketing camp.

The Samsung Marketing Academy held a digital marketing camp for Sales and Marketing professionals to build their knowledge and expertise

Internal and External Training

In-house training sessions are conducted throughout the year, with subjects ranging from Presentation and Data Analytics skills to wellness and coaching. Samsung also sponsors external training opportunities of an employee’s choosing, which are counted towards their L&D performance indicators.

Learning and Measurement Platform

All L&D activities are supported by Samsung U, a platform that acts as a learning portal for self-paced learning, as well as a dashboard that measures IDP progress, training hours and course completion status. Samsung U helps managers stay updated on their team’s development while also providing tools for feedback and knowledge sharing.?

Even with a robust L&D system in place, organisations always have room to improve and grow. At Samsung, sentiments around L&D are measured via our annual engagement survey that help us assess our corporate culture, eliminate redundant processes, go beyond conventional practices and create a respectful workplace that inspires trust.

As opportunities for development continue to present themselves in the ever-changing and complex world of work, Samsung remains committed to transforming, growing and supporting the potential of our most important assets - our people.

Your Samsung SEAO Team