POV Olivia
The afternoon interviews turned out to be even more challenging than the morning ones. The candidates seemed to lack personality, and nervousness hung in the air like a heavy cloud.
They rarely made eye contact with me, and as I observed each one, I couldn't find a single person who made me think, "Yes, this is the one who should be my manager."
To make matters worse, we had a second-to-last interviewee who didn't show up, despite sending an email confirming their attendance.
With a half-hour break on our hands, I decided to take a brief respite and visit the practice room to watch the members for a few minutes.
Navigating the expansive office building proved to be a challenge. While I knew I was on the right floor, it seemed I had taken a different set of elevators the last time I was there.
As I walked down the seemingly endless hallway of identical doors, none of them appeared to lead to the practice rooms.
I hesitated to knock on any doors, feeling a bit shy, and eventually retraced my steps to the elevator, opting to return to the interview room.
As I walked back, I could hear the rapid clicking of high heels approaching from behind me. A young woman, perhaps a bit younger than me, caught up to me and expressed her frustration.
"Hey, I wanted to talk to you," she began in perfect English, her tone tinged with frustration. "I don't think it's fair that I didn't even get an interview. I just don't understand why you need to go to Harvard to be a manager. I graduated from a university that's in the top 100, and I believe it's one of the top universities globally. The fact that you wouldn't even consider me is beyond my understanding. Not giving me a chance is really unfair," she passionately expressed.
I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh at her unexpected outburst. "I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked with a bemused smile. "Is that a British accent I'm hearing, or is it a Singaporean accent?"
My comment about her accent caught her off guard, and she dropped her defensive stance. "How can you tell my accent? I grew up in Singapore but went to school in England," she explained.
"That explains it," I replied with a smile. "So, can we start again? What's your name, and what are you talking about?"
"I'm Willa, Willa Li, an assistant manager here," she began. "I applied for the position as your manager, but I was told I didn't have the educational credentials you were looking for."
"Just to let you know," I began, "I didn't see any of the resumes or CVs, and educational background is not important to me at all. But if you help me find the rehearsal studio, I've got some time right now where I can interview you."
With her assistance, we walked away from the elevators and retraced my earlier steps down the same corridor I had explored before.
Willa pushed open double doors, three doors down, revealing the studio where BTS was practicing. We entered quietly, and I gave a friendly wave to the group as they were in the midst of a routine. I found a corner with a couple of chairs, and I could see that about 20 people were already watching them.
Taking a second to size up Willa, I noticed she was petite, standing at around 5 feet tall, with a short, chic jet-black bob haircut. Her designer suit, which I suspected was Chanel, exuded sophistication. She balanced on at least 5-inch stiletto heels with red soles, and her appearance gave her an ethereal quality, resembling a cross between a pixie and a fairy. She was undeniably beautiful.
In hushed tones, I began to inquire about her background and why she was so frustrated about not getting the job. I wanted to understand what would make her the best choice among the candidates.
When she referred to one of the other candidates as "the robot," I knew I had found my manager.
It seemed that Namjoon understood the significance of our conversation, as he nodded at me before resuming practice. One of the individuals in the audience approached and informed me that my ride home would be available around 5 p.m., which I interpreted as a subtle hint that Namjoon would be available at that time.
Now, the task ahead was to convince Manager Kang that Willa was the right fit for the role of my manager.
Our final candidate was a man, Officer Chong, a security officer working 7 years at Hybe. I had asked for female candidates. I found him rude. Not looking at me and when he did it was with disdain. I felt like a bug there bothering him.
In answering one question he spoke "how he would keep me in line." As if I was a bad child. His body language was off. It was hard to describe. His employment as my manager was a hard no.
Surprisingly, Manager Kang appeared to be quite taken with this individual. About 20 minutes into the interview, I felt compelled to interrupt and bring things to a close.
Officer Chong walked out of the interview as if he knew the job was his.
"I need to tell you, I've already made my choice for my manager," I announced.
Manager Kang raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning on conducting second interviews?" he asked.
"No, I've found the exact person I want to work with," I affirmed.
"Well, that's wonderful," he said, handing me the pile of CVs/resumes. "All the best candidates are in this stack."
I took a moment to respond firmly. "I had a conversation with someone in the hallway, and after that conversation, I firmly believe she's the perfect fit to be my manager."
Manager Kang, still clutching the CVs in his hands, seemed concerned. "Are you telling me that someone randomly approached you in the hallway and asked for an interview?"
I clarified, "No, what I'm saying is that I engaged in a conversation with someone in the hallway, and based on that conversation, I want her as my manager."
Manager Kang's skepticism was evident as he held the resumes. "I've carefully vetted the best candidates, and they're all in this pile."
I calmly responded, "I've found an assistant manager who I believe is the right choice for me. If you feel the need to interview her, you're more than welcome to do so. But I'm quite confident in my decision."
Manager Kang inquired, "What's her name?"
"It's Willa Li," I replied, causing him to roll his eyes at me.
"Absolutely not. It's not happening," he declared firmly.
Undeterred by his skepticism, I stood my ground. "Manager Kang, I really believe that Willa Li is the right choice for me as my manager. I've had a extensive conversation with her, and her qualifications go beyond what's on these resumes."
Manager Kang let out an exasperated sigh. "Olivia, this is an important decision, and I can't simply hire someone based on a hallway conversation."
I understood his concern but remained resolute. "I get that, and I appreciate your thoroughness in the hiring process. However, I genuinely believe that Willa possesses the qualities I'm looking for in a manager. She's experienced, has excellent interpersonal skills, and we just clicked during our conversation. It's not about her resume; it's about the person she is."
He pondered and then sighed once more. "I suppose I can schedule an interview with her to see if she's a suitable fit, but I can't make any promises."
"That's all I'm asking for," I replied, grateful for his willingness to consider my choice. "How about now!"
By 5 p.m., Willa Li was my manager.