Kakao Reveals New Developer Onboarding Process: Enhancing Practical Skills with 3-Week Technical Training and Team Projects

Kakao has revealed its onboarding process for new developers. This program spans a total of two months, with the first three weeks dedicated to technical training. The technical training covers knowledge essential for practical work, including modern web technologies, large-scale data operation case studies, cloud platforms, and monitoring tools.

Following the technical training, teams of 3–4 members carry out a project for one month. Teams autonomously select their project topics, with real-world examples including a deep learning-based recommendation app, a mutual monitoring-based study service, and an internal book rental chatbot. The core values of this process are 'self-direction' and 'collaboration.' Through mentoring, participants receive code reviews and technical advice from current developers, and progress is checked through meetings and retrospectives held at least once a week.

Kakao plans to use this onboarding process to ensure new developers acquire the competencies needed for practical work and to establish a foundation for growth in their respective areas of expertise (backend, mobile, data scientist, etc.).