“He’s worked for me for five years. That makes him five-star in my book. And since my book is the only book that counts, get it done.”
Mike realized he had crossed a line. “Yes sir,” he said apologetically. Then he looked at Cory. “Perhaps on your lunch break--”
“Do it now,” said William. “Call one of the secretaries upstairs to man this reception desk until you can get somebody in here permanently.”
Joy’s eyes went big. Perhaps she could be the new receptionist? But Gramps always told her to wait and see. Her big mouth might cause her to lose a bigger blessing.
“Yes sir,” Mike said to William. “Come with me, please,” he said to Cory and Cory happily grabbed his phone and backpack, hugged Joy, shook William’s hand vigorously while thanking him, and then he and Mike left.
But Joy looked concerned.
“What is it?” William asked her.
“That Mike guy is gonna make sure Cory fails.”
William frowned. “Why on earth would you think that, Joynetta?”
“He doesn’t believe a black man should be in that program. None of them believe it.”
“That’s utter nonsense. It’s my program.”
“I’ll bet you there’s never been a black admitted in your program.”
William frowned again. “Why would you say that?”
“Look around, William. Your company doesn’t hire black people. I mean you have Cory and you have that chief of staff Bobby, but I’ll bet my skirt suit that they’re all you have. When I sat in this lobby waiting for you, I was looking around. I never once saw one black face except for Cory and for Bobby when he walked in with you. That’s it. They don’t hire black people here.”
William knew that Bobby had a black secretary, but could she be correct?
“Come with me,” he said and they hurried over to Human Relations. Everybody stood to their feet when William walked in. But William, with Joy behind him, went into the Personnel Director’s office.
He stood up too as if he was as shocked as the others in his office to see the big boss in their orbit. William didn’t dealwith personnel issues at all. “Mr. Skeffington, good morning!” the director said.
“I want you to pull up hiring stats for me.”
“Absolutely sir,” the director said as he sat back down and went into his desk computer. “What specifically do you need, sir?”
“How many African Americans have we hired over the last three years?” William knew Bobby and Cory both worked here longer than that.
The director pulled up the stat. Then he looked at William. “None, sir.”
Joy already knew that. But William was surprised. “None?”
“No sir.”
Now William was frowning. “How many have we hired since the formation of this corporation?”
“I’ll get that for you as well, sir.”
Joy looked at William. “You don’t interview people for jobs?”
“Only for my executive secretary, chief of staff, and private secretary,” William said to her. “I leave everything else to Personnel.”
“So you hired Bobby?”
William nodded.“Yes.”
“That explains it then,” said Joy.
