The Start of Our First Hiring Round
The structure of the video was extremely simple.
All we did was film interview clips for each team member and, between them, show them working hard at their main jobs or side gigs.
We also filmed content in which each of us talked through the history of the product’s development from our own perspective, but even that wasn’t difficult.
Making the card news was even simpler, since all we had to do was capture those cuts.
"Isn't this a little boring?"
"It’s fine if it’s a little boring. As long as the quality comes out well."
"This is less of a big deal than I expected."
"Updating the hiring page is the big deal."
One of the videos we made was used to update the hiring page.
We added all kinds of content elements, the way you would with a well-made product detail page.
Instead of stiffly listing only the job duties and working conditions, we wanted it to stand out as much as possible and make an impact.
That was another part of a startup’s appeal.
"Will this really increase the number of applicants?"
"Even if the number of applicants stays the same, a slightly better pool will apply."
I boldly posted the new job listing.
Then I uploaded the posting to the other hiring sites in the same format.
"So starting today, we're finally going to get some proper resumes?"
"Let’s check them slowly starting tomorrow. We should give applicants time to look over the content."
"The video on our posting is only five minutes long, though?"
"There are a lot of careful people out there. Let’s wait until tomorrow."
I tried to sound indifferent, but the truth was that I wanted nothing more than to keep refreshing the inbox.
I was only managing to hold out because Badugi had brainwashed me from the moment we started writing the hiring post.
[Stop wasting time and effort on useless things and focus on the business.]
I really needed to show Badugi to the people who went around saying AI was just like future engineering students.
So they could see how merciless AI really was.
"Oh! Hey, we really got a resume!"
"Really?!"
But before we could stop her, Yoo Jiwon hit refresh.
And naturally, the rest of us swarmed over to her the instant we heard it.
"It’s a normal resume. A normal one."
"He even has experience as office support part-time."
"Wow, we actually got a resume!!"
Everyone was going crazy with excitement.
I was excited too, but I kept my face as neutral as I could and opened my laptop to check the resume in the shared inbox.
"It’s real."
The resume I opened calmly was, in fact, completely normal.
Name, date of birth, school and major, and all the rest of the usual details.
"Should we call right away? Ask them to set up an interview date?"
"It hasn’t even been ten minutes since the email came in. Let’s wait ten more minutes before we send anything."
"Right. Let’s wait at least ten minutes so we don't look too desperate."
[What on earth are you idiots doing? Stop holding back and just say we’ll contact them tomorrow.]
[Can’t we wait twenty minutes?]
[Don’t act like you’re disappointed, you dimwits.]
[]
I wanted to contact them immediately, but I had no choice but to endure thanks to Badugi’s very serious struggle.
"Guys, let's contact them tomorrow so we don't seem too disappointed."
"Wow, look at Kim Siwon acting all calm by himself."
No, guys. I’m not calm either.
"Guys. Another resume just came in."
"Really? This is insane. Let me see."
Fortunately, as another resume came in, our impatience settled down a little.
With time, we also began to feel confident that more resumes would come in soon.
As for the post we had made on the school community board, it drew quite a few questions in the comments.
We replied to those as quickly as possible.
The response was very different from before.
"I'm glad our school is one that pushes startups so hard."
"Yeah. A lot of people from our school applied. I thought everyone would just be aiming for conglomerates, but a lot of them are interested in startups too."
"But there’s also someone who says they want to handle HR in addition to general management support."
"We don’t need a full HR team right now, but I suppose we can work that out depending on the discussion."
"There’s someone who wants to do marketing too?"
After just one day, the resumes we reviewed were all over the map.
Some people had applied only for the management support position we posted, while others were aiming for broader roles because they wanted to grow with us.
So before we could even reach out to the applicants, we had to hold an urgent meeting.
It wasn’t that dozens of people had rushed in all at once, but our options had become so broad that we needed to establish our own criteria first.
"Once we contact them, some might ghost us or not show up on interview day. Let's not take it personally when that happens."
"Surely people like that can't be that common."
"They're very common, so get your heart ready."
I was saying all the things I wanted to say to myself.
The hardships of the hiring process, which were as much a part of startup life as breathing.
I had to keep reminding myself that once those hardships started hitting my mental state, it really never ended.
Since this was something we would be dealing with for a while, we needed to get used to it quickly.
"Oh, hey. They really aren't answering the phone."
"Send a text, and if they don't reply, just move on."
"Move on?! We don't have to call again?"
"We don't need to create an obsessive image."
After going through a few stages that required us to act cool, interviews were set up with eight people.
In the end, five of them actually came in for the interview.
Fortunately, all five people who showed up were perfectly ordinary, good people.
Only one of them wanted management support alone, and the rest all wanted to take on one other kind of work as well.
So even going into this final interview, I had the vague feeling that this person might also want to handle another role alongside it.
But in this case, the interviewee was different from the very beginning.
"Hello. My name is Park Jaeyun, and I applied for management support at TA Medical because I want to handle sales."
I had never seen someone say they wanted a different role right from the self-introduction.
I didn’t even remember anything like this from my previous life.
"Sales?"
"Yes. Right now, it seems like you need management support staff more than sales staff, so I’d like to join TA Medical in management support first and, once you do need salespeople, be the first to get hired."
While I was trying to figure out how to take that in, the applicant suddenly thrust a piece of paper toward us.
"I know this is a completely out-of-the-blue proposal. But could you hear out my plan just once?"
What we needed right now was management support, or someone in a medical specialty field.
Not sales.
We didn’t even have a product ready for market yet, and if necessary, we could handle sales ourselves.
So to come right out and say, "I'll do management support, so let me do sales later!" was completely unprecedented.
"Hmm."
It was a pretty brazen proposal, but I was curious.
A business major graduating from a respectable four-year university, willing to join our company for their first job as management support just so they could eventually work in sales.
"Yes. What is your plan?"
We looked at Park Jaeyun with clearly piqued interest.
She continued her answer with complete confidence.
"First, I understand that you currently need management support more than sales in order to carry out the various support programs and secure investment. On the other hand, you don't actually need direct sales right now."
"That’s correct."
"But by the time I’m actually able to go out and do sales, the company’s value will have risen compared to now, which means you’ll be able to hire a better candidate for a management support role. Until then, I’ll faithfully handle management support."
There had already been people who wanted to take on other duties like marketing or HR alongside their main role.
But this was the first time someone had brought up the vacancy in a position that would appear in the future before anything else.
"I see. Understood."
As I nodded and jotted the details down in my laptop’s notepad, Badugi suddenly popped up a speech bubble.
[You should be asking why she wants to do sales here.]
[Probably because she wants to.]
[Practice thinking in terms of ‘why?’ for once. Is it normal for a business major to start their career in management support just so they can become a salesperson for a company that doesn't even have anything to sell?]
Once again, I blinked at Badugi’s speech bubble, which was full of nothing but sharp, accurate remarks.
"Hmm. But couldn't you just start your career in sales at another company? As a graduating student, you could probably join somewhere else just fine."
At my question, Park Jaeyun’s eyes lit up as she answered firmly.
"Because this is an investment!"
An investment?
"Even if I gain experience somewhere else, I don’t think I’d be able to catch up to TA Medical’s growth rate. I mean that the company will become a place I won’t be able to transfer into with only one or two years of experience. So for a few months, I’d like to support you in management work, and then work as your very first salesperson!"
That meant she really saw our company’s growth potential as very high, didn’t it?
I barely managed to keep the corners of my mouth from lifting.
The others around me had definitely failed miserably at keeping a straight face.
You could tell from the triumphant expression on Park Jaeyun’s face in front of us.
"Honestly, if a startup is hiring for sales, it’s true that we’d prefer someone with experience."
"Yes. But while handling management support, I’m confident I can accompany your sales efforts in the field and learn quickly."
In response to my cautious words, Park Jaeyun kept answering with the same bold confidence.
Her determination to join our company seemed stronger than that of any applicant we had seen so far.
"How did you hear about us, by the way?"
"I found out through the articles about the dispute with JH Medical."
"I see."
"I don't think a single thing the CEO said on that talk show was a mistake or a coincidence. In fact, because your company is led by someone who knows how to use the public well, I became convinced that TA Medical would grow too."
That answer was pretty novel.
I had thought she was just bold, but once I realized she had a sharp side too, she began to look different as a person.
"All right. Does anyone else have questions?"
"Ah, I do."
Even when the other club members asked questions, Park Jaeyun answered without shrinking back.
Because she seemed suspiciously eager to hold us in such high regard, we had no choice but to ask tougher questions, and the way she handled every one of them was impressive.
"How would you feel about working in management support for six months and then moving into sales?"
"That would be wonderful!"
So even though it was only the first round of interviews, we couldn’t help but make a fairly specific proposal, or rather, ask a fairly specific question.
"Finally, is there anything you're curious about regarding our company?"
"I’d like to know the current product launch schedule."
"It’s confidential, so I can’t give you specifics, but I can say it should launch before any role change would happen."
"Yes, thank you!"
"All right. Thank you for coming."
With Park Jaeyun’s lively answer, the interview came to an end.
Until she left, we kept quietly staring at the door, and the moment it closed, everyone started flapping with excitement.
"Hey, why does this applicant like our company so much?!"
"I like her too much. Her vibe is good!"
"A lot of people froze up when they realized they were being interviewed in the club room, but she didn’t!"
"Should we call her right away and tell her she’s in?!"
It really was the kind of situation where we couldn’t help but feel good.
And she was, by any measure, an overwhelmingly attractive candidate.
I looked at the laptop screen with an expectant expression.
I was waiting for Badugi to give the final approval.
[If you want her, hire her. The hiring decision is yours.]
Okay, Badugi’s approval is complete too.