Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Telecom Co. have been chosen as the best workplaces among businesses in Korea in a recent survey.

The two companies scored top in their respective sectors of manufacturing and service in the survey of 4,204 workers and human resource experts conducted by the Korean Management Association Consulting for three months starting March.

Samsung Electronics has come first four years in a row, and SK Telecom for five consecutive years in the annual KMAC survey.

In the manufacturing sector, the electronics giant was followed by POSCO, Yuhan-Kimberly, Yuhan Corp., Hyundai Heavy Industries, SK Innovation, Hyundai Motor, LG Chem, GS Caltex, 3M Korea, LG Electronics, CJ CheilJedang, Woongjin Coway, S-Oil and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction.

In the service sector, the nation’s largest mobile carrier was followed by Korean Air, Shinhan Bank, AhnLab Inc., Samsung Everland, E-Mart, KB Kookmin Bank, Samsung Life Insurance, Asiana Airlines, KT Corp., Shinhan Card, Samsung SDS, Hyundai Card-Hyundai Capital, Samsung C&T and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

The companies were assessed in a number of categories including clear vision and sharing of information, fair evaluation and compensation, voluntary and creative work atmosphere, and staff members’ efforts to achieve targets.

“We expect this year’s survey results to help the companies build on their competitiveness and strategies to seek sustainable development,” said Kim Ik-sung, head of the KMAC’s human resources management division. The levels of immersion and happiness among employees were also taken into consideration.

The average annual sales growth over the past three years of firms that were picked as good workplaces was nearly double that of companies that were not.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)