One board member asked:
“If a division misses its annual target because its leader prioritizes employee retention over short-term revenue, what would you do?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether keeping those employees protects long-term value.”
“What if investors demand cuts?”
“Then explain the cost of losing institutional knowledge.”
“What if they don’t care?”
“Then they’re not investing. They’re extracting.”
The board member stared at me.
Then smiled.
Another asked:
“What is your biggest weakness?”
“I occasionally stop for strangers.”
Nobody laughed for two seconds.
Then the whole room did.
By late afternoon, Eleanor entered.
“How did it go?”
“I believe three people hate me.”
“Only three? Excellent.”
She sat across from me.
“I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“The position you interviewed for isn’t available.”
My stomach sank.
“Oh.”
Eleanor folded her hands.
“I lied.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“There was never an opening for Director of Human Capital Strategy.”
