The Dignity of the Chaebol

“Yes, understood.”

“But aren’t we having a team meeting today?”

“Yes, we should be having one.”

“You can do the meeting and prepare it afterward.”

“Yes.”

***

It was when the afternoon work hours began.

Deputy Manager Jeong approached me.

“Manager.”

“Yes.”

“The materials you requested before the morning meeting…”

“Yes, are they ready?”

“Preparing them isn’t difficult, but…”

What’s this?

Is there something I shouldn’t see?

“Would you like to search for them yourself?”

“Me?”

“Yes, it’s not that difficult. I’ll teach you how to find work-related materials on the computer. I thought it would be better for you to learn how to search for materials rather than just asking me to find them for you.”

“Ah…”

“Once you learn that, you won’t have to ask others to find things for you, and you’ll be able to look up what you need right away.”

It was simpler than I thought.

Or maybe it’s not normally simple, but Deputy Manager Jeong made it seem so easy.

“Deputy Manager Jeong, I’m curious about something.”

“Yes.”

“Are you this kind to me only, or are you this kind to everyone in the company?”

Deputy Manager Jeong responded like this:

“As I mentioned before, it’s the HR department’s, and specifically our HRM team’s role to listen to employees’ workplace difficulties and issues and help solve them.”

When I smiled, Deputy Manager Jeong also smiled and finished speaking.

“I can’t be kind to every employee, but if an employee talks to me about difficulties and asks for help, it’s natural for me to consider it as my own responsibility and work to solve the problem. Even if it’s not you, Manager, because I’m in HRM.”

“That’s impressive.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m sure I wasn’t someone who would easily use the word ‘impressive’.”

“……”

“If I say it’s impressive, it really is. You can believe that.”

“Thank you.”

While checking the resumes of employees who had worked for over two years and looking for common traits, I asked Deputy Manager Jeong, who was sitting right next to me.

“Did you apply to the HR department when you joined the company, or were you selected for it?”

“There’s no such thing as applying for a department when you join the company, except for special recruitment or experienced hires.”

Now I get it.

The HR problems that the company currently faces…

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, they recruit everyone through public recruitment, and based on the evaluation during training and personality tests, they assign you to a department.”

“You must have scored well in the evaluations, right? I imagine departments like strategic planning, finance, and HR have high selection standards.”

“I think I was just lucky.”

“Does HR work suit you, Deputy Manager Jeong?”

“Suit me? Well… I think I missed the timing to consider that.”

“Why?”

“At first, I was so excited and happy just to have been hired, and after two weeks, I had to spend about three months figuring out the atmosphere of the department after training ended.”

I nodded and waited for the next part.

“Each department has slight differences, but they rarely give new employees tasks right away.”

“That makes sense.”

“And after that, you get so caught up in learning your tasks. After working like that for two to three years, you get a few small promotions to assistant, senior, etc.”

“Right.”

“By then, it’s too late to think about whether the work suits me. Haha. But why are you asking about this?”

“I don’t really know you well, but for the past few days, I’ve been almost always with you in the company, right?”

“Yes, you have.”

“I think the work you’re doing suits you well.”

“Why are you flattering me so much today? I’m dizzy, haha.”

Flattering, huh? Right.

After looking through the resignation applications and the resumes of employees with more than two years of service, it seems Deputy Manager Jeong is a competent person who deserves praise.

“There’s a common trait among people who are good at their jobs, and it looks like you have it.”

“What is it?”

“They explain what they know easily to others.”

Deputy Manager Jeong nodded.

Without realizing I was talking about him.

“If you don’t completely understand the essence of a task or the details, it’s really hard to explain it easily to someone who has no idea about it. Like how you easily taught me how to search for materials on the computer.”

“……”

“My grandfather, Chairman Son Jung-Gil, used to do that. Whenever he started a new business or needed to make a big change in the company, he would first explain the business to my grandmother, who knew nothing about the company, instead of to the executives.”

“Why did he do that?”

“My grandmother has always been a housewife, never involved in any social work. If she could understand something after hearing it just once, my grandfather believed that meant the business could be understood by everyone.”

“Ah…”

“Things like KakaoTalk, social media, and using computers… they must be incredibly easy and natural for you, Deputy Manager Jeong, but they’re not for me right now. However, thanks to you, I’ve learned it all so quickly and easily. Thank you.”

I turned my gaze back to the monitor and asked Deputy Manager Jeong again.

“By the way, did I receive any special training as a new employee?”

“Manager?”

“Yes.”

“Well… no, you didn’t receive any special training.”

“I see. Alright, thank you. You can go back to your work.”

***

After going through all the resumes of employees with over two years of service, I moved beyond the HRD team’s partition.

“Manager Park.”

Manager Park Jong-Geun.

When I asked Deputy Manager Jeong, he told me that Park was 37 years old, unmarried, and lived alone.

His work skills were among the best in the HR department.

But with his exceptional abilities came a cold side to his personality, making even his own HRM team members, as well as ours, find him difficult to approach, Deputy Manager Jeong explained.

It wasn’t surprising.

When he spoke about the principles of HR during yesterday’s meeting with the department head, it was clear that he had a strong character.

“Yes, Manager. What brings you here…?”

“I have a request.”

“Yes, feel free to ask.”

“I heard from Deputy Manager Jeong that the second-half public recruitment period is coming up soon. He also mentioned that there was a meeting with the department head this morning because of it…”

“Yes, there’s about a month left.”

“So, you’ll be posting the recruitment notices from then, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. But for more detailed information, you should ask Deputy Manager Jeong. Recruitment falls under the HRM team’s responsibilities.”

“Yes, I know that. I’m not asking about the recruitment schedule, though. What I wanted to ask is to see some of the training materials used for new employee training.”

“Training materials?”

“Yes, I want to know how the training for new employees is conducted during their onboarding period, what kind of content is covered, and what topics are included. I’d like to take a look at it in advance.”

Manager Park scratched his philtrum with his finger and tilted his head.

“Employee training falls under the HRD team’s responsibilities.”

“I know that. That’s why I’m asking you, Manager.”

“Why would you want to see our materials?”

At that moment, the atmosphere in the HRD team quickly turned cold.

Is this such a request that it would be met with resistance?

The world has really changed.

I was stunned to find myself in a position where I was facing resistance from a mere department manager over such a trivial matter, after having sat in a position where my every word could move the entire group.

But when I thought about it again, Park was showing a clear sense of stance, unlike the HR department head who would always agree with me or Kim, the deputy director, who would smile in front of me but change his expression behind my back. In a way, it almost made Park seem a bit admirable.

“Is that… a problem?”

“While it might be a bit tricky since you’re the manager, according to the rules, it could be considered an issue.”

“The fact that it’s me… hmm… I understand what you mean, but I don’t really get why it would be a problem for me to look at some training materials that are intended for all employees, rather than asking to see an important financial settlement report. I’m just asking to see some general company training materials, and you’re saying that could be an issue?”

At that, Manager Park sighed slightly, turned his head to the side, and instructed Min Seok, the assistant manager, to bring the training materials.

“Ugh… Okay. Min, bring a copy of the new employee training materials.”

“…Yes.”

It’s admirable that Park is trying to stick to his principles, but… it’s a bit much, isn’t it?

I raised my hand to stop Min Seok.

Then, I spoke to Manager Park.

“Wait a moment.”

Manager Park looked at me with a confused expression, wondering why I had stopped Min Seok.

“Why is that?”

“Manager Park, do you have any feelings toward me?”

The atmosphere in the office was rapidly becoming tense.

***

I’m the chairman’s son, after all.

“No, nothing like that.”

With Manager Park’s response, the atmosphere in the office became even more strained.

It seemed like Manager Park was deliberately trying to pick a fight with me.

What’s going on? Why is this happening?

Could it be because of yesterday’s incident?

No, that can’t be it.

I’m Son Jung-Gil, after all.

Though I know he doesn’t know I’m Son Jung-Gil, he should at least recognize that I’m the grandson of the current chairman of the company.

Yet, he’s still deliberately trying to find fault with me?

Am I making a mistake without even realizing it?

Is asking to see the new employee training materials something that shouldn’t be done in this day and age?

“Is it a security issue to ask for the new employee training materials?”

That can’t be it.

How could the new employee training materials be a security issue?

Despite my question, Manager Park remained silent.

“I’m genuinely asking. If it’s a security issue and I didn’t realize, then I apologize for making an unreasonable request. But is it really a problem from a security standpoint?”

“No, it’s not.”

It’s not?

Is this guy trying to have some fun with me?

“Then why did you say it could be an issue according to the rules?”

“Well, as you told me yesterday, you’re overstepping your bounds in that area.”

“Overstepping? What do you mean by that?”

So, is this all because of yesterday’s incident?