Chapter 130: Second Interview (2)

Chapter 130: Second Interview (2)The interview continued for hours.

By noon, the room had already seen four different people come and go.

Each interview felt distinct. Every candidate brought their own energy into the room. Some were louder, while some were calmer and cautious. But all of them had come prepared.

After Diana came Lionel. He spoke as if he had practiced each line that he was about to say. It slightly turned off Gray and the others because it felt like he was giving textbook answers rather than real ones.

The third one was Ando. His tone was steady, as always. His answers were short but thoughtful, and when asked about conflict management, he offered a story about a miscommunication between two teams and how he resolved it without choosing sides.

Then came Clarisse.

She walked in with the same bright eyes from before, but this time, there was a quiet confidence to her. She didn’t speak the fastest, but her words were sincere. When asked about leadership, she talked about her work in the restaurant.

It wasn’t a flashy story, but Gray found himself relating to her.

Now, there was only one left.

Marcus looked down at the list in front of him, crossing out the fourth name.

"That’s four," he said, stretching his neck slightly. "The last one’s Joel."

"Ah, the funny one," Caesar muttered. "Let’s see if he can still keep us entertained."

Gray smirked at that. He didn’t say it out loud, but he had been curious about Joel the whole morning. There was something raw about him. He was witty on top of that.

And true enough, when the door opened and Joel stepped in, the room’s mood shifted yet again.

He was slightly underdressed compared to the others, but it was still formal and nice. He had a confident smile on his face and greeted the room with the same natural charm from before.

"Good afternoon, sirs," Joel lightly said as he bowed slightly. "Thank you again for calling me back."

"Good afternoon," Gray replied, gesturing for him to take a seat. "I hope you had a nice weekend."

Joel settled into the chair with a relaxed air; his fingers were together as he rested them on the table.

"I did, Sir," he replied easily and formally. "I was really happy when I received the invite."

Gray offered a small nod. "We’re glad you could make it."

"Before we begin with the main questions, we’d like to ask—how did you feel after the first interview?" Caesar leaned slightly forward, folding his hands together.

Joel straightened just slightly.

"I was surprised, to be honest. I knew I tried to be genuine during the group session, but I wasn’t sure if that translated well. The environment felt competitive, but also... constructive. So, after it ended, I kept thinking of the things I said, wondering if what I did was enough. So, when I got the call back, I was really relieved, Sir."

Marcus gave a small nod as he scribbled something into his notes.

"You mentioned trying to be genuine. What made you approach the first interview that way?"

Joel hesitated just a second before answering.

"Because I don’t think pretending helps anyone. I wanted to show who I am. If that wasn’t what the team was looking for, then I’d rather know early. But if it was, then that means there’s a real fit."

Gray exchanged a glance with Marcus, then looked back at Joel.

"That’s a fair point. Thank you," he said.

Caesar, who was always composed, gave the faintest of nods.

"Let’s talk about the position itself. What do you think would be your biggest strength if placed in this role?"

Joel didn’t rush to answer. He paused to think, then replied with a tone that was clear and firm.

"My biggest strength would be how hands-on I am," he began. "For the past ten years, I managed a small convenience store in our town. In there, I handled almost everything. Inventory, staffing, scheduling, customer complaints, delivery delays. I had to learn each part because there was no one else who would."

He paused, glancing briefly at each of them before continuing.

"So I guess what I’m saying is... I don’t mind learning and moving. I understand how important moving is in running a business. If something needs to be done, I’ll figure out how to do it."

Caesar’s eyes lifted slightly at that.

Gray leaned back in his chair, silently noting the way Joel had delivered that. There was no arrogance in the way he spoke. No attempt to oversell. Just a quiet confidence rooted in experience.

"And what about areas you think you still need to improve on?" Marcus asked, resting his pen against his notebook.

Joel nodded slowly.

"I think working in a bigger environment is one of them," he said honestly. "Most of my past work was in a small space with a small number of people. I haven’t had to deal with corporate structures, formal chains of command, or large team dynamics."

He met their eyes again.

"But that’s why I’m here. I know I have a lot to learn, and I also know that I can learn it."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Gray’s lips before he masked it again.

"That’s fair," Caesar said after a moment. "Let’s move to something more situational."

He laced his fingers together on the table. His tone remained calm, but his posture straightened a little.

"Imagine this: You’re handling a team assigned to restock during a major sales weekend. Two of your staff call in sick last minute, and another is overwhelmed managing customer inquiries. You’re short-staffed, the store is packed, and you still need to report inventory status to your supervisor by the end of the shift. What do you prioritize, and how do you manage the chaos?"

Joel let out a breath through his nose, thoughtful.

"First, I’d rotate myself onto the floor," he answered. "Delegate what can be delayed—like the reporting—until the end of the day or early next morning. The store comes first, especially during peak hours. If we can’t serve customers well during a sale, we lose trust—and that’s harder to recover than a late report."

There was a moment of silence before Caesar leaned back slightly in his seat.

"Good," he said, simply.

The situational questions followed even more. And for the last one, Gray asked it.

Gray looked down at the final note on his sheet and glanced back up.

"Last question for me," he said. "Why here? Why apply to us?"

Joel blinked once, then smiled.

"I think because this place reminds me of where I started," he said. "Your company may be bigger, but from what I saw during the last interview, the people here care. They listen. Even in a short panel session, it didn’t feel like I was just another person."

He looked directly at Gray.

"Honestly, Sir. I miss working somewhere that feels like people matter. If I could be part of that again, even if it means starting over, I’d take it."

Gray didn’t say anything at first.

Marcus quietly capped his pen.

Caesar nodded once, slowly, before offering the faintest smile.

"Well then," he said, "That’s all our questions."

Joel stood and bowed once more.

"Thank you again for your time, sirs. I’m grateful for the opportunity."

"Thank you too, Joel."

Slowly, they watched him exit the room. And as the door clicked softly shut behind him, Gray felt the atmosphere settle.

The final interview was done.