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The video stopped, and Jeremy, hearing the closing music, stood up from his desk and gestured for the tablet. I handed it to him with a smile.
“So, what year was the company founded?” he asked.
I felt like I’d swallowed my shoe. I couldn’t remember. I hadn’t been paying close enough attention because I wasn’t expecting to be quizzed.
He flashed me a grin and a subtle look of disappointment as he reset the video to its first frame.
“You need to pay attention,” he said sternly.
“I’m so sorry…I’ll rewatch it and pay better attention. I got… distracted.”
He nodded. “I do these orientations myself because I worry that the people we reach out to and recruit aren’t as passionate about working here as the ones who have sought the opportunity for themselves.”
“I understand. Please know that I am fully excited about the opportunity. I am very thankful that you chose to bring me on board! I can’t imagine working anywhere else now that I’m here.”
“Well, I will need you to show me what you got in these first few weeks since they're a trial period. If you really put in the effort and show your commitment to the work, then you'll be in the running for a permanent spot here. If I feel like you aren’t taking things seriously, though, I may choose to let you go at any time. I only keep people on board if I feel like they share in the vision, and right now, you don’t even know what that vision is because your eyes were on the fish tank, the furniture, and… everywhere else except the video I was showing you.”
I blushed, knowing I was caught.
“It’s a very nice office,” I said, admitting my guilt. “I have never been in an office this nice before.”
He nodded. “Thank you. There’s no margin for error here, though. This will be the last of your warnings. I’ll inform you if I need you to steer in one direction, but I won’t remind you that you need to focus on your work here again. I have very high standards for my team here. I don’t say that because I am afraid you aren’t a good fit. I say that because you should feel honored that you were offered a place on the team. That means my associates and I see something special in you. Please don’t let us down.”
I held my hands out, reaching to take the iPad back, and nodded. “I understand. And I do feel honored that you offered me a place. I’ll rewatch the video, and I’ll listen this time. You can quiz me again when it’s done.”
I watched the video again, this time hanging on to every word. At the end of the video, he pulled up a short questionnaire to quiz me about the video information. “Here’s the real test,” he said with a smirk.
I smiled. “So why not let me just fail it the first time?” I asked.
“Because I’d have had to send you home if you did,” he chuckled.
I smirked, realizing that behind his cracking, hard-ass facade, there was somewhat of a lenient sweetheart underneath.
I completed the quiz, answered every question correctly, and sat the iPad down, smiling at Jeremy.
“You pass it?”
“Got every one of the questions right,” I answered.
“That’s why I let you watch the video a second time,” he said, hurrying back from his desk. He reached for the iPad. He pulled up a long checklist and then gave it back to me.
“Now we go on the tour. As we talk about things, I want you to pay attention and cross them off that list. This is how I track if you’re listening and how we make sure no information gets missed.”
I nodded, excited to be up and moving.
As Jeremy walked me through the offices and explained every department and its purpose for the company, I paid close attention to my list, carefully checking off each item as it came up. At the same time, though, I was in awe of how efficient the company’s departments were when working together. MIM was a well-oiled machine, and it was clear that Jeremy took a lot of pride in his accomplishments in building the company up.
The tour lasted over two hours as Jeremy filled me with all the information he could about the company benefits, my new co-workers, and my expectations. By the time we made it through the tour, I was overloaded with information, exhausted from navigating the giant building in new heels, and starved.
“You ready to eat?” he asked.
Only then did it occur to me that I had completely forgotten to pack a lunch. Mortified, I stared at him blankly. “I forgot to pack anything! Is there somewhere close by that’s good?”
He smiled, “Don’t worry! I always take new employees to lunch on their first day. I like to go to a restaurant right down the street. I’m sure you’ll love it!”
I was relieved, if not slightly embarrassed. “That’s amazing! I appreciate it!”
He gestured for me to follow him as we exited the lobby onto the busy sidewalk. Shoulder to shoulder, everyone from the surrounding offices was grabbing a bite to eat before returning to work. I had never been in such a crowd before and was surprised by how thick it was.
