The Job Offer - By Eleanor Webb Page 0,8
back into the front lobby where she was directed by the reception desk to the Human Resources department. There she took a seat in a light blue colored contemporary accent chair and looked around as she waited. The lobby of the HR department, like the main reception area, was tastefully decorated with a mixture of blues and greens with white painted woodwork. The overall color scheme gave the room a sophisticated beach house look that helped calm her nerves. A painting of racing sailboats hung behind the HR reception desk complimenting the decor. She liked that the room was not too formal.
After a few minutes, a tall middle-aged African American woman, with short silvery white, came out to greet her. The woman was dressed professionally in a multicolored floral print blouse, black dress pants, and colorful earrings. Her short hair emphasized her striking looks, her good bone structure, her warm brown eyes, and her smile. "Dr. Conner. It is a pleasure to meet you, finally. I am Ms. Tomlinson, our Human Resources Director. Can I get you anything before we go to the conference room?" She shook Anne's hand while she spoke then began leading her down a wide, well lit hallway until they came to a conference room that also reflected the beach house theme.
"No. Thank you, Ms. Tomlinson. I'm fine."
"Good. I hope your flight was alright. I always hate to fly, myself." She ushered Anne inside to a chair at the table. Two men were already waiting inside and were seated at the oblong cherry wood table across from Anne. Each of them had a notebook and several papers on the table in front of them. After Anne's assurance that the flight went well, Anne was introduced to the men. Mr. Winfield was a tall distinguished looking man of about sixty who came across, to Anne, as someone who could be formal and standoffish until he had a chance to get to know you. Dr. Rudolph, in contrast, was a short balding man with a shaved haircut who wore black framed glasses over his brown eyes. He appeared to be somewhere in his late forties, had a wiry build, and looked like he wanted to jump out of his seat and move around. Anne's first impression of him was that he was like a Jack Russell terrier that had boundless energy. His smile was warm and friendly. If she was hired, he would be her boss.
Anne made herself comfortable as Ms. Tomlinson sat down next to Dr. Rudolph then began answering their seemingly "small talk" questions. Anne knew from experience that the questions were merely "feeler" questions that were asked to see what her personality was like and how she would fit into the company culture. They spent a few minutes with those seemingly unimportant questions, and once that portion of the interview was completed, they proceeded to the portion of the interview where they asked specific questions about her work experiences, education, and ideas. The butterflies in Anne's stomach at the beginning of the interview left her as she began to talk about her work. They spoke for almost fifty-five minutes discussing Anne’s work experience. Anne was ready with her replies for each question. The verbal and nonverbal responses she received from the three of them were encouraging. Anne noticed small smiles, their bodies leaning in, a few slight head nods, and silent communications that took place between the interviewers.
After their line of questioning was completed, Anne had the opportunity to ask them specific questions related to the job and the company, things she could not learn from the company website and business journals. This took several more minutes, and before she knew it, the interview was over. The hour and a half long interview flew by. Anne’s good feeling about how it went increased when she saw that the three interviewers were all smiling sincerely as the meeting broke up. Then, after shaking the hands of the men, she was shown out of the room by Ms. Tomlinson for a quick tour of the facility.
The position was for a biochemical research scientist working as part of the Marine Biochemical R & D department, and Anne and Ms. Tomlinson began their tour there. The department focus was on marine water cleanup solutions, an area of research right up Anne's alley. The R & D department was located in the front of Building Two directly behind the main building and was connected by a glass enclosed walkway. As