Decoupled • KTH ✔

Chapter 19

Maya

"Yeah, Kim Taehyung. The interview was conducted on the 24th," I speak over the phone to Jae-Eun, the HR manager of Arctic Healthcare, leaning back in my swivel chair and scrolling through Taehyung's profile that had been uploaded earlier in the recruitments database.

"Oh, right! I remember, Miss. Harris. He was shortlisted along with Miss. Kwon..." he exhales sharply. "But she was selected," he adds remorsefully.

"And why was Mr. Kim rejected? May I know the reasons?" I demand quite sternly since the entire talent acquisition team of the two companies—Azure Insurance which is the company that I work for, and Arctic Healthcare which is the recently acquired Healthcare partner company—report to me. Although I am not expected to keep track of all the interviews and recruitments, the team is answerable when I demand explanations about their activities.

"Miss. Harris," he breathes out, his voice lowering. "Miss. Kwon is our senior process manager's daughter, and there was a lot of pressure on me to get her placed in this job. But, in all honesty, Mr. Kim was definitely the better candidate, and he would have easily swept this off if not for her. I'm extremely sorry about what has happened," his tone is laced with regret.

"This is unacceptable, Jae-Eun. You can't just say that he could have got the job if not for her, when, in all honesty, he really was the better candidate. I am sure to escalate this issue at a higher management level. Who is this senior process manager?" The tone of my voice is strict, strong with anger and frustration.

"Mrs. Kwon Ye-Byeol. Please do not mention that I was involved in this. I really didn't do it for any personal benefits. It was just that she was constantly breathing down on my neck and irritating me beyond my limits," he speaks in a tense tone, evidently showing his nervousness and fear of being exposed.

"Do you want me to believe that?" I roll my eyes, laughing sarcastically as I drag my chair closer to my desk and open up my e-mail.

There's a short pause on the line after which he speaks again.

"Miss. Harris, let's make a deal and keep it internal. I can do something about Mr. Kim's placement," the way he speaks confidently, clearly says that he already has a plan sorted out, and I want to give it a try and see what he has in mind.

"Meet me at my office in ten minutes," I end the call, knowing fully well that there is always a possibility of the security team tapping into random internal calls, and I would definitely not want to ruin my hard-earned reputation by allowing them to overhear me discussing a recruitment deal with the HR team.

In exactly five minutes, Jae-Eun, the HR manager of Arctic Healthcare, enters my office, carefully closing the door behind him.

"Sit down," I point to the chair at the other end of the desk from me and lean forward resting my elbows on the table, my hands linked together.

"Miss. Harris, I'm terribly sorry about the mishap. But there is something we can do internally," he arrives straight at the point of discussion and speaks in an enthusiastic manner.

"Explain"

"There was a resignation this morning, and it was totally unexpected. It is a crtical vacancy for the post of senior healthcare claims assessment manager, the same one that Mr. Kim had applied for and got rejected. We haven't yet posted an interview call for this post, and I can make arrangements to take in Mr. Kim for this vacancy," Jae-Eun sounds eager to cover up his mistake with this offer.

"His profile has been rejected. How do you think you will explain it if he's selected now out of nowhere?" I lean back in my seat and quirk a brow at him, twirling a bunch of hair between my fingers.