Working hours over annual salary, work-life balance over brand recognition. The criteria for what makes a “company people want to work for” are changing. An increasing number of Gen Z and Millennials are citing “employee benefits” as their top priority when choosing a company. Many mid-sized companies, small businesses, and startups—not just large corporations—offer excellent benefits. “Welfare-Goodso” (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises with Great Benefits) introduces such companies. <Editor’s Note>

[Edaily Reporter KIM EUNG-TAE ] There is a company that actively encourages its employees to participate in in-house clubs. At this company, 66% of all employees have voluntarily joined a club. Popular clubs even have waiting lists due to high demand. This is “Gradiant,” a company guided by the philosophy that close communication among colleagues is essential for the company’s growth.

Gradiant(035080), a sci-tech company, operates an in-house club system. The company provides a monthly activity allowance of 40,000 won per person, and the clubs are formed and run autonomously by employees. Currently, employees have come together to form and run four clubs: GPGA (golf), Grait (exploring restaurants), Granola (one-day class experiences), and Graphic (visiting art exhibitions).

The flexibility in how employees participate in these clubs is another reason they are so popular. To accommodate employees who find it difficult to participate in after-work activities due to childcare responsibilities or other commitments, it is possible to use lunch breaks for club activities. Employees can also choose their work hours flexibly to accommodate club activities. Employees can choose their arrival time in 30-minute increments between 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.; on days when club activities are scheduled, members can coordinate or adjust their arrival times by mutual agreement.

Gradiant provides such extensive support for club activities based on the belief that fostering active communication among employees leads to collaboration, which in turn drives the company’s growth. Yoon Hye-rin, a senior at Gradiant and president of the “Granola” one-day class club, said, “Through club activities, I was able to naturally interact with employees from other departments I wouldn’t normally have contact with and expand my network.” She added, “As we’ve come to understand each other better, we can now share opinions without hesitation even in situations requiring collaboration, and it’s also a positive aspect that I can easily find the right person when I need help with work.”

Gradiant’s emphasis on employee collaboration stems largely from the diversification of its business portfolio. Gradiant’s predecessor, “Interpark,” was South Korea’s first e-commerce platform, established in 1996. In April 2022, Interpark spun off its e-commerce division and sold it to Yanolja, while the surviving entity was relaunched under the new name Gradiant. Gradiant has expanded beyond its existing e-commerce business into science and technology-based sectors, including biotechnology and healthcare. As a result, talent from diverse backgrounds has joined the company, and with the growing importance of collaboration within the organization, Gradiant has established welfare programs designed to encourage active communication.

The “Relationship-Building Allowance Program” is also cited as one of the key welfare policies designed to strengthen communication among employees. All employees receive a monthly allowance of 200,000 to 300,000 won per person from the company, which they can use to enjoy meals without financial burden—not only with teammates but also with employees from other departments.

In addition, Gradiant allows employees to attend job-related external training sessions and conferences without any financial limits and supports job-related training to help all members grow into their best possible versions of themselves. A Gradiant spokesperson stated, “Trust and camaraderie among members are paramount for the newly transformed organization to continue growing,” adding, “We plan to further strengthen an organic culture of collaboration through various programs that support autonomous communication and interaction.”