The interview location was in the same conference room as the last time. However, this time there was only Li Yu, the mustachioed man and the sleep-deprived woman were both absent.
Taking advantage of the fact that the interviewer hadn't entered the room yet, Li Yu straightened up his suit.
Although judging by appearance isn't ideal, first impressions are still very important in the workplace.
The first-round interview might have been negligible, usually conducted by HR, but the interviewer in the second round could likely be your direct supervisor in the future. If they had a bad impression of you, you would probably be eliminated.
Even if the company was desperately short of staff at the moment and recruited you, your future promotions and evaluations would also be affected.
Of course, impressions can be changed, but the most hassle-free approach is to establish a good image from the start.
Li Yu made sure his tie was straight, his shirt tucked into his pants, and his zipper was closed before he picked up a bottle of mineral water beside him and took a small sip.
It was just to moisten his throat; to avoid wanting to go to the bathroom during the interview, Li Yu did not drink much.
After returning home yesterday, Li Yu had gathered some more information about the Third Era, and the more he read, the deeper his doubts became.
The company had been established for almost three years and its scale had hardly changed.
They had recruited in a few rounds before, but each time only a few people were recruited, one or two at a time. There was no expansion when the economic conditions were good and no activity from the Third Era when everyone was trying to cut expenses during bad economic conditions.
In fact, after scouring through various sources, Li Yu found no news related to layoffs under the Third Era.
The general response was that the company offered good benefits, no overtime, and daily work that was interesting and not monotonous.
Li Yu didn't know whether the PR department was very efficient or if there was some other reason.
Besides, when Li Yu came for the interview last time, he noticed an electronic clock on the wall behind the reception.
Unlike typical electronic clocks used to check the time, that clock displayed a countdown...
Li Yu did not think further because the door to the conference room had already been pushed open.
A woman around the same age as Li Yu, wearing khaki-colored linen shirt, cropped wide-leg pants, and vintage penny loafers, walked briskly into the room.
She casually placed a folder and a can of zero-degree Coke mini on the long table of the conference room and then extended her right hand, "Sorry to keep you waiting, HR department, Xu Mengyuan."
Li Yu stood up and politely shook hands with her, and then Xu Mengyuan pulled out a chair beside the square table and they sat down in turn.
"First of all, congratulations on passing our company's written test."
"Thank you."
"Out of a hundred questions, you answered seventy-five, of which thirty-two were correct."
"Uh…"
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I am commending you. That's quite an impressive score because about forty of those questions don't have known correct answers according to our record. Some say the biggest difference between science and theology is the willingness to admit ignorance."
"......"
Li Yu didn't know what to say.
The conference room fell into a brief silence, and after about a minute, it was Li Yu who spoke up first, "Shall I start with a self-introduction?"
"No need," Xu Mengyuan said with a smile. "Don't underestimate the work of our HR department. We have already collected almost all the necessary information about you."
"Background check? Isn't that supposed to start after a candidate is confirmed?" Li Yu raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
"Well… our company's process is indeed a bit different from other companies," Xu Mengyuan smiled, while she opened the folder in front of her and tapped the neutral pen on the conference table, popping out the pen tip.
She then leaned forward slightly, her expression becoming serious, "Mr. Li Yu… the company is very satisfied with your test scores and basic information, but I have a few additional questions to confirm further, and I hope you can answer them truthfully."
Li Yu nodded.
"Do you have any religious beliefs?"
"What?"
"Are you a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Taoist, or do you have any ancestral worship?"
"No, I am a materialist."
"Very well," Xu Mengyuan doodled on the paper, "Don't get me wrong, the Third Era respects each employee's freedom of belief, but if you had a belief, it could indeed affect your upcoming work. The company must make a comprehensive assessment of this situation. However, if you don't have any belief, we can skip this part and save me a lot of trouble."
Without waiting for Li Yu to speak again, Xu Mengyuan continued, "Second question, how much do you know about God?"
"Sorry, how is this related to the position I am applying for?" Li Yu frowned. "The job description you posted was for a Junior Analyst, primarily responsible for gathering and analyzing information, providing clients with strategic planning, organizational restructuring, and other solutions..."
"That's correct, those are your tasks, no doubt about it, but your understanding of God will also greatly influence your work progress." Xu Mengyuan smiled at Li Yu.
"I still don't quite understand. Are we serving the Pope at the Vatican?"
"Of course not. However, the experiences of predecessors can provide you with valuable experience when you find yourself in difficulties. You wrote on your resume that you have strong learning abilities, which is also the quality the company values most."
Seeing Li Yu silently, Xu Mengyuan took the initiative to lighten the mood, "How about this, let's put the questions aside for now, and I will tell you about the basic salary benefits you can enjoy after joining."
"Thank you." Li Yu said.
"The company has classified your position as P1, and every newcomer, no matter how impressive their past resume may have been, starts at the very basic level. But this is only temporary; your performance will lead to future adjustments."
"Our promotion system is very transparent, just like playing a game, with an experience bar. Once the bar is full, you can move up to the next level, without any human intervention. You won't need to please anyone."
"Okay," Li Yu, though somewhat surprised, nodded his head.
But what surprised him even more came later.
"Your current base salary before taxes is 1w7, with a 13th month salary. Complete benefits, all at the highest tier, and bonuses depend on the project's earnings. Don't worry; as long as you aren't always slacking off, this part of your income will be on top of your base salary.
"Besides that, the company strictly adheres to labor laws, providing annual health checks and vacation days. There are also gifts during the holidays. Your annual leave starts at ten days, increasing by two days for each year worked. Oh, right, almost forgot to mention, our entire company, regardless of the department, does not have overtime work, not even a single day. So, if you have extremely urgent work, it's best to get it done during office hours."
"Can't it be taken home?"
"Um... I'm afraid not," Xu Mengyuan maintained a smile, "Also, the company grants each employee the greatest autonomy. You don't need to submit regular work plans or progress reports to anyone, and actually, as long as you do not violate the company's basic rules, you can do whatever you want, and the company also encourages employees to solve various problems encountered in work in the way they are most skilled."
"......"
Li Yu didn for a moment he didn't know what to say, although every single benefit laid out by the Third Era was only the rights a worker should have, the combination of them all sounded a bit magical.
If not for Xu Mengyuan's serious expression and sincere tone from start to finish, without any hint of jest, Li Yu would definitely think this was some large-scale social experiment, or a prank reality TV show.
The cameras might be hidden somewhere he couldn't see, while the celebrities in the studio were probably eagerly discussing his behavior and expression."
Xu Mengyuan was not surprised by Li Yu's reaction, and gave him some time to digest before continuing, "If you're not assured, I can include all these terms I mentioned earlier in the contract."
"Why?" Li Yu countered, "Don't your shareholders have requirements for profit margins?"
"Of course, they do. We are a company, not a charity; our inherent purpose is to pursue profits. But our business is quite special, and the board believes that a good working environment and reasonable income distribution will help enhance employee motivation and generate higher returns for the company." Xu Mengyuan explained patiently.
"That's all well and good to say, but right now, there's an excess supply of labor, and the large economic environment is not good. It's clear you could recruit people at a lower cost, so why spend this extra money?"
Li Yu still couldn't believe there was a company out there that would offer this kind of kindness.
"Because we require unique talents, and for such talents, we always provide the utmost respect," replied Xu Mengyuan. "Mr. Li Yu, the HR department has had you on their watchlist for a long time."
"I know, you've conducted a background check on me."
"No, no, we've been observing you much longer than that. Believe it or not, the recruitment information you received over a month ago was not sent randomly," Xu Mengyuan said meaningfully.
"What do you mean by that?" Li Yu frowned.