The Hidden Talents Leading Chaum: The General Affairs Team

Here, there, and everywhere!

If you see busy footsteps echoing throughout the hospital, you are likely looking at the General Affairs Team.

Moving between the office and the hospital floor several times a day, they take care of everything from the smallest details to essential operations—the department that reliably supports the hospital’s daily life from behind the scenes. Today, we interviewed the General Affairs Team.

Q1. Please introduce yourselves briefly. (Part Leader Jeong Kyeong-sik, Manager Choi Kang-seok, Assistant Manager Bang Jae-yun)

｜Jeong Kyeong-sik｜ Hello, I am Jeong Kyeong-sik, the Part Leader overseeing the General Affairs Team.

｜Choi Kang-seok｜ Nice to meet you. I am Choi Kang-seok, the second-in-command of the General Affairs Team. Are you sure you are really interviewing our team?

｜Bang Jae-yun｜🖐 I am Bang Jae-yun, the youngest member of the team. I have always watched other departments do this, so I am a bit nervous to be interviewed myself!

Q2. What kind of work does the General Affairs Team do?

｜Jeong Kyeong-sik｜ You can think of the General Affairs Team as the department that supports the stability and efficiency of hospital operations. We handle a wide range of tasks, including facility, asset, and environment management; external administration such as contracts and licensing; operational support like event protocol and business trips; management of costs and insurance; and even administrative support for clinical research. Personally, I manage utility costs, vehicle management, hosting and supporting internal events, and domestic/overseas business trip support. Manager Choi Kang-seok is in charge of clinical research administrative support, various contracts and licenses, insurance, and managing outsourced services. Assistant Manager Bang Jae-yun handles internal and external document management, as well as communication, security, family events, and staff cafeteria management. While our work is not always visible, we perform the essential tasks required for the hospital to run smoothly. Besides what I mentioned, since we are an all-male team, we also step in to help other departments when physical strength is needed.💪

Q3. Are there any difficulties in general affairs, or anything you pay special attention to?

｜Bang Jae-yun｜ In my case, I used to handle hardware and IT repair work before moving to the General Affairs Team. The scope of general affairs is much wider than I expected, and the diversity of tasks is quite large. There is a lot of support work for hospital operations. Currently, I am in charge of security, communications (phone, internet), and employee welfare through the cafeteria service. Recently, I have been experiencing a variety of tasks, including licensing, facility processes, and various contracts. I have been with the General Affairs Team for about four years now. At first, I did not know how to review contracts or what points were important, but as I tackled them one by one and learned from my seniors, I feel that I have grown a lot. The skills I learned at work have even been a big help in my daily life. (Laughs) Also, because the nature of general affairs involves a lot of communication with other departments and external vendors, I naturally feel the great importance of communication. Actually, General Affairs is a department that works for all employees of our hospital, but it is not easy to satisfy everyone, which gives me a lot to think about. Especially regarding the cafeteria service, there are many details to look after, from the vendor to the menu. As I receive many inquiries to accommodate individual needs, I try to work carefully while considering equity, believing it is important to respond flexibly while maintaining standards.

Q4. What do you like about working at our hospital, or do you have any suggestions?

｜Choi Kang-seok｜ Looking back, our hospital’s ‘job rotation system’ was an important opportunity that turned my last seven years at CHA Hospital into a time of growth. I started in the Foundation’s Finance Team, moved through the HR & Education Part of Chaum’s Management Support Team, and am now working in the General Affairs Team. In the Finance Team, I could indirectly understand the work of each department through costs and numbers, but there were clear limits to understanding their work through numbers alone. I wanted to increase my understanding of various departments within the hospital, so I naturally challenged myself to rotate to other departments. Actually, when you work in one department for a long time, it is often difficult to feel the working methods or hardships of other departments, which can lead to frustration. However, after experiencing several departments firsthand, I naturally came to understand what difficulties each part faces and with what intentions and processes the work is carried out. I also realized in the process that the three departments—Finance, HR, and General Affairs—which seemed to do completely different things, are closely connected. Thanks to those experiences, my perspective on the hospital has widened, and the process of collaborating with other departments has become much easier. I think this is the greatest advantage of job rotation. Of course, since it takes some time to fully understand and become familiar with a department, I personally recommend working in one department for at least 2 to 3 years. Since I experienced several departments quickly, I also have some regrets about tasks I could not fully master. Nevertheless, these experiences were valuable assets that made me who I am today and were meaningful times in that they allowed me to look at work from various perspectives.

Q5. Do you have any important work plans or personal goals for the New Year?

｜Bang Jae-yun｜ It looks like it will be a busy year-end and New Year with many things to take care of, such as the renewal reopening of the Shinsegae business on the B1 to 1st floors, the Sky Garden construction on the 5th and 6th floors, and the administrative office relocation. Because I have been working so hard, I haven’t found a partner yet. Next year, I plan to challenge myself in dating as passionately as I do in my work! If you know someone good, please contact me~🙋‍♂️

｜Choi Kang-seok｜ It sounds like a joke, but finding a match for our youngest member is a big task for us. (Laughs) In the New Year, I want to take care of the health of my family and colleagues, and personally, I plan to recharge my energy through exercise and sufficient rest, which I had neglected due to being busy.

｜Jeong Kyeong-sik｜ As the two mentioned, December will be a hectic month with many tasks to handle at the department level. Personally, I am a camper who enjoys camping except during the very cold winter and very hot summer. Weekend camping alone, with family, or with like-minded people becomes the driving force for another week. This year, I went with my team members as well as the Logistics and PR teams, which served as an opportunity to understand each other better and become closer. Next year, if any employees interested in camping have the chance, let’s go together!

Q6. Finally, what is your resolution as the Part Leader?

As the blog editor interviews various departments, I realize once again how important the role of the Part Leader is. This is because their thoughts and direction as middle managers directly lead to the atmosphere of the department. In that sense, the flexible and youthful perspective of the General Affairs Part Leader I met this time was particularly impressive.

｜Jeong Kyeong-sik｜ I believe the most important principle in managing a part is the ‘guarantee of autonomy.’ Work done only by instruction is easy to forget over time, and because it doesn’t provide self-motivation, sustainability can drop. Therefore, to strengthen the capabilities of my team members, I focus on creating an environment where they can think for themselves and move proactively regarding their assigned tasks. My role is to share the experiences I have accumulated by working a few years longer than them at the necessary moments. Even if I only provide a small amount of support based on my experience, the team members show their abilities and grow in their respective positions. Watching that, trust and respect for each individual naturally became the basis for operating the General Affairs Team. I believe that for any department in any organization to move smoothly, the autonomy of its members must be guaranteed, and appropriate support must be added to back up that autonomy. Of course, every department needs some level of baseline for autonomy. Also, I believe that what is commonly called ‘work-life balance’ is not just a story for a specific generation, but an important factor for all office workers regardless of age. I believe that just by creating a small ‘gap’ in daily life away from work, team members can think more creatively, and as a result, the entire department can develop in a better direction than in the past. I plan to continue doing my best to create such a working environment.

During the interview, I could feel a strong sense of teamwork, like a tight-knit friendship formed by three men.

The unique synergy of the General Affairs Team was impressive. The blog editor will also cheer for the future of these three individuals as they continue to perform wonderfully in their respective roles.

To our neighbors, have a wonderful year-end and a Merry Christmas in advance!🎄