The time invested in the recruiting process has been reduced by over 85%.
Although it may be a company that some are encountering for the first time, CLO has a solid presence in the industry. It has been utilized in the production of numerous films such as Avengers, Black Panther, John Wick, Avatar, Doctor Strange, and Frozen, and is actively used by global fashion brands like Hugo Boss, Adidas, Mango, Levi's, Carhartt, and Arc'teryx. It is hard to find a place in the realms of film, gaming, VFX, and fashion that hasn't been touched by CLO's expertise in creating digital garments.
Building on this technological prowess, CLO has users across the globe, extending beyond North America, Europe, and Asia. Curious about how CLO conducts talent acquisition with such global influence, I met with two of CLO's recruitment officers to discuss the matter.
Introduction to CLO Virtual Fashion and Representatives
Hello. Nice to meet you.
Hello, I am Garam (Robyn Han), the People Operations Manager. I am primarily responsible for recruitment in Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, and I handle tasks related to recruitment branding, organizational culture, and training.
Hello, I am Do-Hyun Jeon (Derek Jeon), the Talent Acquisition Manager. I am primarily responsible for recruiting for development-related positions and oversee recruitment in Korea and India. Additionally, I collaborate with Garam on recruitment branding, external activities, onboarding for new employees, and HR operations alongside the People Operations Managers.
What kind of company is CLO Virtual Fashion?
CLO was established in 2009 and has rapidly grown into a global fashion tech company based on 3D simulation technology. CLO offers a variety of products that support clothing design in a digital environment, including the clothing design software CLO, Marvelous Designer, and Jinny, as well as the clothing production collaboration platform CLO-SET and CONNECT, an open marketplace for digital assets and a community for creators. CLO is building an ecosystem where all processes related to clothing—design, creation, communication, and consumption—can be accomplished within its services.
This effort has led to many rewarding moments, particularly this year when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized CLO's product, Marvelous Designer, with the Scientific and Technical Awards, acknowledging its technological prowess.
Marvelous Designer has been utilized in the production of character costumes, backgrounds, and props in many Hollywood films, including those from Marvel. Our efforts and achievements have been rewarded with the Academy's Scientific and Technical Award.
CLO Members and Organizational Culture
Academy, it feels more real to be on a global stage.
With a global environment, I imagine the employees are quite diverse.
Yes, we currently operate 13 offices in 11 countries, with approximately 380 employees. We established our offices with the strategy of 'going where the users are,' and we plan to continue expanding our offices to support and communicate closely with users around the world.
With such diverse offices, how do you cultivate your organizational culture?
We recognize the diversity in office size, policies, languages, and cultures, and we are developing our organizational culture by understanding each other.
Even in smaller offices, there is at least one member from the P&C (People & Culture) team responsible for that office. We hold a global meeting once a month to share each other's issues and insights. We also discuss matters that need to be decided together.
Even though it can sometimes feel challenging to consider the situations of other offices while managing our own workload, the culture of sharing various issues allows us to create our own unique culture.
What are some ways to encourage many members to pursue a common goal or value?
I believe that sharing a clear vision and mission and continuously communicating it in a way that everyone can understand is essential for encouraging members to pursue a common goal and value.
To create such an environment, we also operate a review system with the P&C team members in each office to ensure that the culture of our company is well-integrated for everyone.
Additionally, our company often has team members working in different locations. For example, a leader may be in the United States while team members are in South Korea. We encourage team leaders to take the time and effort to engage and communicate with team members when visiting offices in different regions, spreading the company's vision and culture, and working together to establish common goals.
It seems that you are pursuing active communication in various aspects.
We have individuals who possess a mindset that allows for active communication with various countries, teams, and people. Many are attracted to CLO's vision and technology and are eager to gain experience in global operations. Therefore, the ability to communicate and collaborate closely with multiple teams is essential. It is not a system where reporting to just one person is sufficient; we prefer individuals who have a proactive attitude towards smoothly exchanging information and opinions with various collaborators.
Recruitment Process and Scale
Are there any specific aspects you pay special attention to in the recruitment process?
We strive to communicate actively with both the practitioners and the applicants.
Throughout the recruitment process, we focus on understanding what kind of talent the practitioners want to recruit, the technical competencies required, cultural fit, and the expectations for the applicants. This process helps us clarify the criteria for evaluating candidates and accurately assess how well the applicants meet these criteria.
Additionally, by communicating with the applicants, we clearly convey the company's mission, vision, organizational culture, and expectations, allowing the applicants to assess whether their values align with our company. We are committed to fostering a recruitment process that satisfies both the company and the applicants through continuous communication.
What is the scale of recruitment in a year, and what are the main job categories for recruiting?
The recruiting scale varies depending on the situation, but in South Korea, we have averaged around 40 recruitings over the past two years. Including overseas offices, the number increases.
In South Korea, we primarily recruit Software Engineers, and we are currently conducting a global recruitment for the position of 3D Design & Implementation Specialist, which helps users utilize our software more easily and efficiently.
👉 CLO Virtual Fashion Recruitment
Implementation of Reference Check Process
You are conducting a reference check, and I am curious about the reasons for its implementation in the process.
It seems that there can be significant differences between how candidates present themselves in interviews and their actual performance in the workplace, which poses risks for both the company and the applicants, as their expectations may differ.
For this reason, I thought it would be beneficial to gain insight into how candidates perform in real work situations, leading to the implementation of the reference check process.
Have you ever had an experience where your thoughts and judgments about a candidate changed through a reference check?
Rather than changing my judgment, I have had experiences where reference checks helped solidify my thoughts about a candidate. There was a candidate who gave the impression that they would take responsibility for their role and quietly perform their tasks during the interview. I wanted to verify whether this demeanor was reflected in their actual work, and through a reference check, I was able to validate their work attitude and disposition from their previous job, confirming the impressions I had during the interview.
Additionally, I was able to gather positive information from colleagues who had worked with the candidate, which deepened my confidence in my assessment of them.
Status of Reference Check by Global Office
You mentioned that you are operating a global office.
I'm curious about how you conduct reference checks by country.
Each office has different policies regarding the implementation of reference checks, and if they have been implemented, the timing of these checks also varies. For instance, the Hong Kong office conducts reference checks after the final interview. This is sometimes necessary for comparing candidates, and there are occasions when we wait a bit longer for the next candidate, so we prefer to conduct reference checks after the final interviews when we have narrowed down the candidates to a certain extent. In the United States, reference checks are conducted just before recruiting, while in Europe, the implementation is currently under review.
It seems that both Hong Kong and the United States view reference checks as a natural part of the recruiting process. As a result, there have been instances where candidates submit reference letters directly when applying.
Overseas, reference checks related to personal information, such as ID checks and criminal record inquiries, are typically conducted as a standard procedure. In South Korea, a reference check is carried out when coordinating the final interview.
Steps for conducting reference checks in South Korea
In the past, we conducted reference checks just before making an offer in South Korea. However, we changed our procedure by using Specter.
The advantage of Specter is that it allows us to understand the characteristics of candidates from their previous workplaces and gain insights about them through practical examples. This enabled us to prepare and conduct interview questions with a better understanding of the candidates. We determined that the reference check reports could serve as indicators to help us find more suitable talent, which is why we were able to change our process
Concerns and Reasons for Choosing Specter
Did you have any concerns when implementing Specter?
I was worried that when candidates choose their referees, they might only ask people with whom they have a good relationship, leading to biased results.
However, I found that Specter is well aware of these concerns and has implemented several updates to maintain the objectivity of the referees, such as the ‘Secret Comment’ feature, ‘Referee Bias Measurement,’ and the launch of the ‘Designated Referee Service.’ Thanks to these updates, I was able to obtain a balanced reference without leaning towards one side.
I'm curious about the reasons for choosing Specter despite the initial concerns.
With Specter, I was able to check the candidate's references in less than 2-3 days, which was a significant advantage as it prevented delays in the recruiting process.
Previously, I used other reference check services, and it took an average of 2 weeks to receive the results. Waiting for the reference check results for 2 weeks naturally extended the time required for recruiting decisions, so I only conducted reference checks for specific positions.
However, with Specter, the time from the request for a reference check to receiving the results is very short, so I felt it wouldn't burden the recruiting process. When recruiting good talent, speed is also important, which is why I chose Specter.
If you could share your experience of trying out Specter with HR professionals who are considering implementing reference checks, what would you say?
I would say, "It's simple and fast!" You only need to enter the applicant's name and phone number, and the process of checking and requesting the applicant's reference is very straightforward. The entire process, from requesting the reference to sharing the results, takes just three days, allowing for a swift recruitment process. If you are in the process of selecting a reference check service, I would definitely recommend Specter.
Please provide the last words for the interview.
(Jeon Do-Hyun) It was a valuable time to discuss our company and recruitment during this interview. If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at career@clo3d.com.
(Han Ga-ram) It was great to have the opportunity to organize my thoughts about the company and recruitment while preparing for the interview. Even though we are not currently recruiting for certain positions, we are maintaining a talent pool, so we appreciate your interest. Thank you.
