The Bottom of a Large Company Does a Good Job - Chapter 304



Only Noblemtl

Episode 304. Small Group Meeting (1)

Shim Jun-ho was a high school graduate and a Taesung man.

The two words, “from Gojul” and “Taeseongman” actually don’t go together very well.

“Oh, how to use it? It’s all in the manual. Didn’t you read it?”

I can still clearly see him laughing as he shoved the English manual in his hand.

Shim Jun-ho, who accepted it, had a hard time figuring out how to use it using a translation app.

Why don’t you just let me know?

He embarrassed me by saying that he couldn’t even read the manual in English.

This wasn’t the first or second time something like this had happened.

“Did you do the work I gave you last time? You have to do it by today. Oh, you said you’ve never done it before? But you still have to meet the deadline. You’re a member of society.”

For employees hired through general recruitment, high school graduates hired through special recruitment were not colleagues at the same workplace.

A person who is about to break up with you because you can’t even do what you’re told.

None of them thought Shim Jun-ho would last long.

In fact, the number of high school graduates who were specially recruited has increased considerably.

The minimum set by the government is 2% of the number of public servants.

And the number of new high school graduates hired by Taesung was 3%, or 60 people.

They were assigned to production or security teams depending on their major.

And within a year, more than half of them quit.

The reason is maladaptation.

In other words, it was dirty and deadly.

It wasn’t the kind of work I had imagined when I came in with big dreams, and there was a lot of restraint from those around me.

To be exact, it was more like watching a cow and a chicken than a restraint.

There were no seniors to help me adapt, no motivation to rely on.

The same was true for Shim Jun-ho.

Whenever people around him looked at him with eyes asking, ‘When are you going to quit?’, Shim Jun-ho gritted his teeth and held on.

I have a headache.

This is a company I really wanted to join.

I couldn’t just leave like this without doing anything.

Meanwhile, Sim Jun-ho happened to see Taeseong Man, a high school graduate who was in the same situation as him, in an unexpected place.

It was right on TV and in the newspapers.

-Recently, Taesung Group’s special recruitment of high school graduates has become a hot topic. Last March, Taesung Group hired 60 high school graduates, 3% of the total number of open recruits. Despite criticisms such as high school graduates are not suitable for the job and that it is an empty promise, there is a new employee who has quietly achieved results. Taesung Group promoted the employee to team leader after only one year, under the slogan of meritocracy.

It was on the evening news.

When the name Taesung came up while eating, my ears perked up, and when I heard the words “high school graduate special recruitment,” I stopped eating.

And when I heard that I had been promoted to team leader after just one year, I was dumbfounded.

A high school graduate is the team leader?

That’s ridiculous.

Two conflicting emotions swept over me.

You ignored me because I was a high school graduate, but look at this.

Aren’t you skilled enough?

You guys who were ignoring me, look carefully.

I’m a second-year team leader who can’t even do that.

And on the other hand, I felt jealousy.

We’re both high school graduates, but why is that guy doing well and me… ?

I tried hard to swallow my negative emotions.

‘Yeah, if just one person does well, that’s fine. It’s about representing all of us.’

They felt a sense of kinship with each other as they were all high school graduates, and they even felt proud that they were fighting on their behalf.

News about him, which I thought would end with just one or two brief news stories, has been heard sporadically ever since.

Although it was not featured on the evening news again, it was often seen in the newspapers.

-Will Taesung Group’s Imoogi be able to ascend to the sky as a dragon?

-Since Taesung Group has been advocating meritocracy, a young team leader with a high school diploma has been a hot topic. Team leader Chae Kyung-joon, who was in charge of the TF team of Taesung Construction, recently pointed out the practices of the construction industry and insisted that self-correction was necessary. As part of this, he suggested that Taesung Construction should be the first to start re-construction, and Taesung Construction’s CEO Kim Heung-min accepted this. As a result, Taesung Construction could not avoid huge losses. However, the economic value created by the image of a solid and clean company is enormous.

The rumor seemed to have spread quite a bit among business people.

It also had a nickname that seemed to come from the proverb, “A dragon rises from a stream.”

It’s a snake.

I thought it was a nickname that contained the wishes of high school graduates who were specially recruited.

‘Show us that we can fly. Show us that there is hope for us too.’

Strictly speaking, it was closer to vicarious satisfaction than cheering for Chae Kyung-jun.

More precisely, he hoped to show that he too could become like that.

Also, there probably aren’t as many people who look down on people just because they graduated from high school.

I went to work with that thought and a little bit of anticipation.

“Did you see the news? I heard that Taesung Construction has a second-year team leader.”

“I was wondering why the news was reporting on some amazing team leader, but it turns out he was a high school graduate who was specially hired.”

Rumors were spreading through the mouths of several employees who had seen the news.

Look at this, even a high school graduate can do it.

Shim Jun-ho’s expectations were shattered.

“Why is it so big that it’s on the news?”

“It’s impressive that a team leader has been in the position for two years. As far as I know, there’s no one in the entire Taesung Group who has been a team leader for two years.”

“That’s not it. I heard the story behind that.”

Shim Jun-ho perked up his ears.

Didn’t you say you knew a senior at headquarters?

The employee spoke with a show-off tone, without even lowering his voice.

“The special recruitment of high school graduates was originally a policy that this government ambitiously pursued.”

“That’s right. Other large companies besides us also hired high school graduates. At least 3%.”

“That’s why it’s for show. This is how our company evaluates its capabilities. This is how good our company is. That’s what it is.”

“Is that all? I guess he was trying to look good to the government. He’s a high school graduate who adapts well and does well in school. This is a model policy case. It’s perfect for showing off.”

“Aha. Then maybe he pushed it on purpose.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Honestly, does it make sense to become a team leader in your second year? It’s impossible unless there are some circumstances behind it.”

The staff nodded.

Even if everything else is dismissed as a conspiracy theory, this is the only thing we can agree on.

A high school graduate can become a team leader.

If you work hard, even a high school graduate can be successful.

But team leader in the second year?

Even though I started working in March, it hasn’t even been a full year.

The speed of promotion was almost on par with that of children from wealthy families.

I couldn’t help but think that there was something inside him.

“Isn’t this reverse discrimination?”

Someone vented his anger.

A moment of silence fell.

With a glance, his eyes rolled.

Everyone was looking at one person without realizing it.

Shim Jun-ho felt the gaze, but tried to lower his head.

I didn’t have the confidence to look into their accusing eyes.

Perhaps because they were conscious of Shim Jun-ho, the employees’ voices became much quieter.

It was almost like a whisper.

But it’s still the same office.

A voice full of complaints was heard from Sim Jun-ho.

“Honestly, this is so unfair. Some people study hard and build up their qualifications, spending all their money and time to get in here. Others come in easily because their timing is right.”

The reason the employees disliked Shim Jun-ho all this time was not just because of his work skills.

It may not be possible.

You just have to teach them so they can do it properly.

But no one told Shim Jun-ho about the matter.

Shim Jun-ho was the only one who headed the ball to the bare ground.

So, efficiency did not increase and the employees’ contempt only grew.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Even knowing that, why do the employees dislike Shim Jun-ho?

Because I think Shim Jun-ho ate it raw.

They studied hard and even did internships to build up their qualifications.

People with only a high school diploma are doing the same job in the same space as us.

‘You’re worse than me, but you got in by luck.’

There shouldn’t be anything that Shim Jun-ho does better than them.

If they do that, it means their efforts will be in vain.

‘Shouldn’t you be rewarded for your efforts?’

Shim Jun-ho is being treated excessively even though he didn’t put in any effort.

Although it was the management support office of a subsidiary of a remote company, I thought the name Taesung itself was too much for Shim Jun-ho.

That’s why I wanted to get out quickly.

Shim Jun-ho gritted his teeth.

Because their thoughts were so clear that they seemed within reach.

‘I also had a hard time getting in.’

It was the standard presented by Taesung.

Then you should ask Taesung why you are taking your anger out on yourself.

Isn’t this just prejudice?

The conversation among the employees continued.

“That team leader would be the same. Honestly, what did we do in our first year? There’s nothing we can do. We have no authority and no work to do. So, how much great achievements can we have made in our first year?”

“They just push me.”

The employees were disparaging Chae Kyung-jun.

Not only them, but most of the employees who heard the news about him did the same.

That’s ridiculous, it’s a position you can’t get into with just skill.

There’s definitely something going on.

It was a natural reaction since I hadn’t seen Chae Kyung-jun in person.

And that envy and jealousy was directed at a nearby high school graduate recruiter.

In a way, it was a vicious cycle.

High school graduate recruiters see Chae Kyung-jun as a beacon of hope.

The more Chae Kyung-jun does well, the more the general employees reject the high school graduates.

High school graduates became more and more isolated over time.

‘Should I really quit?’

Even when he held on tenaciously because he was wronged, at a time when even Shim Jun-ho was shaken, a noble person came to visit him.

“Hello, Mr. Sim Jun-ho. Are you interested in a club meeting?”

She was the secretary of Taesung Fashion’s managing director, Chae On-ik.

He calmly spoke to Shim Jun-ho, who was in a panic after hearing the name Chae On-ik, saying, “Really Chae On-ik? The Chae On-ik I know?”

It was a mechanical tone, as if he had repeated it dozens of times, but it was a great temptation for Shim Jun-ho.

“This is a club that only high school graduates can join. You can join regardless of your affiliated company. It was created with the intention of helping each other since no one else is helping us.”

“No, why did Director Chae On-ik do that… … .”

The secretary spoke with a look of genuine regret in her eyes.

“Just because he graduated from high school, he was not given a chance to demonstrate his abilities and was held back. Managing Director Chae On-ik is in the same situation. He was born the third son of a conglomerate family and on the outside, he seemed to have everything, but in reality, he had nothing. Just because he was the third son, he was never given any opportunities from the beginning.”

I’ve never thought of it this way.

Shim Jun-ho looked at his secretary as if he was possessed.

“You also know the loneliness of not having anyone to help you. But if we come together and help each other, wouldn’t it provide some support for our company life?”

Shim Jun-ho asked cautiously, with a hint of anticipation.

“Is Director Chae On-ik holding a small gathering… … .”

“I will support you.”

For a moment, I doubted my ears, wondering if I had misheard.

You’re not just creating a club, you’re supporting it?

“The managing director is personally applying?”

“Yes. That’s the purpose of this group. To give opportunities to those who don’t have them for reasons unrelated to their abilities. That’s the purpose of this group.”

Shim Jun-ho felt his heart beating.

Chae Kyung-jun, the hope of a successful high school graduate recruiter, also said that he became successful because someone pushed him to do so.

I’ve thought about it many times now.

If it were me.

If only I had had that opportunity.

I think I would have become a team leader by now and would be walking around with my shoulders held high.

Wouldn’t it have made the employees who gossiped behind his back nod their heads?

Chae On-ik said he would make it happen.

Although Taesung’s successor is Chae Tae-ik, Chae On-ik is also a member of the owner’s family.

With his support, you can fly.

It can flatten their noses.

Shim Jun-ho’s heart swelled with anticipation.

“Would you like to join?”

“Of course. I’ll sign up.”

Shim Jun-ho’s answer was practically a given.

This is the rope I’ve been wanting so badly.

I caught it with the determination that I would never miss it.

Of course, the owner family would not create such a gathering without any benefit.

But even if I was used and abandoned, I had no choice but to hold on to this line.

The secretary said with a big smile.

“Actually, I am also a high school graduate. Managing Director Chae On-ik is the one who opened the way for me. Mr. Shim Jun-ho will also get a chance.”

The secretary, who had not been with Chae On-ik for long, wrote the group chat room address on her business card and handed it to him.

There was also a password written on it to prevent anyone from entering.

As I was looking at the business card as if I was dreaming, the secretary spoke as if she knew what I was thinking.

“We can be like that too. We will be like that.”

Like Chae Kyung-jun.

I could tell without even hearing the aftermath.

Shim Jun-ho nodded without hesitation.

It was the moment when about 30 high school graduates who had been scattered across each company fell into Chae On-ik’s hands.