A South Korean government program that pairs small businesses with specialized workforce consultants has helped companies raise productivity, automate work with AI, and in one case introduce a four-and-a-half-day workweek.
The Korea Human Resources Development Service held its "Dedicated Workforce Development Consultant Best Practice Competition" on Thursday in Seoul, showcasing five companies that used the program to drive business improvements. The program, informally called the "workforce doctor" service, has been running since 2023. This year, 330 consultants provided customized training to more than 12,000 companies through July.
The service covers AI-assisted training program development and performance analysis, as well as business improvement recommendations linked to government policy information. It supports small and medium-sized enterprises that struggle with vocational training by diagnosing their needs and connecting them with tailored programs.
How companies used the program
Taehwa Industries had been dealing with delivery delays, rising defect rates, declining efficiency, and growing inventory as its production environment changed rapidly. A consultant from the agency's South Gyeongsang Province branch conducted step-by-step diagnoses of on-site problems and connected the company with support including a capability development clinic, employer-led in-house training, structured on-the-job training, and AI job skills training.
Per-worker output at Taehwa rose from 35.9 to 50. The company also established an AI-centered learning culture and a medium- to long-term AI training roadmap, which the agency said laid the groundwork for an AI transformation.
Probal provides a direct link between AI work automation and improved working conditions. The company had invested heavily in smart factory construction and R&D, but productivity gains hadn't kept pace, and it struggled to recruit workers.
After consulting from a workforce doctor at the agency's western Gyeonggi Province branch, Probal shifted from a hiring-focused strategy to developing existing staff. The company worked to strengthen employees' AI capabilities and built a production automation system that internal staff could operate independently. Work performance improved by 37.5%, and by cutting inefficient tasks the company introduced a four-and-a-half-day workweek starting in May.
What the program covers
The dedicated workforce development consultant program supports companies through the full cycle: customized vocational training consultations, business diagnostics, training program development, and performance analysis. The agency also runs a "capability development clinic" offering up to three years of support to help firms build their own in-house vocational skills development systems.
"We hope that through the diverse outstanding cases from this competition, more small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to work with dedicated workforce development consultants," said Lee Byong-hoon, president of the Korea Human Resources Development Service. "We will continue to work to provide the capability development services that industry needs."
Five companies were named outstanding cases at the competition: Ihwa Techone, CoAsia Semi, Taehwa Industries, Probal, and Habdong Electronics Industry. Each participated as a team alongside a regional branch of the agency, going through document screening and presentation reviews.
Why this matters for HR professionals
For HR professionals at small and medium-sized businesses, this program shows a practical template: structured consulting can diagnose skill gaps, align AI training with operational bottlenecks, and deliver measurable outcomes like a four-day workweek without cutting pay. The shift from hiring-focused to development-focused strategy at Probal mirrors what many firms face when talent pipelines shrink. Workforce development programs like the "workforce doctor" service offer AI for Human Resources that can be replicated through dedicated consultants who pair capability clinics with AI Learning Paths for HR Managers, turning training investment into schedule changes and productivity gains that matter to the bottom line.
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