The Overly Competent Junior Employee

“Dokyung-ssi.”

Two weeks later, as Dokyung was preparing for an early morning meeting at the Seongnam branch, he looked up at the sound of his name and smiled when he saw who was calling him.

“Assistant Manager Woojin.”

“Starting work today?”

“Yes. I received approval to officially start from today.”

After his job transfer, Dokyung had been shuttling between headquarters and the main branch, receiving training as a PB.

If he had been hired directly as a PB, he would have spent a certain period assisting PBs at the branch to learn about the job. However, due to his position transfer, which was akin to a special appointment, this was replaced with a short training period.

“Junior, right?”

Choi Woojin, whom Dokyung hadn’t seen in a while, approached and started helping with the meeting preparations.

“Yes. Junior PB.”

“You won the mock investment competition, so if they were going to transfer you anyway, they should have started you as a senior right off the bat.”

Junior PBs worked at each branch and were required to attend seminars and training sessions held at headquarters during specific periods.

Usually, first and second-year PBs were junior PBs, colloquially known as “baby PBs.” This period was particularly challenging because all their actions were subject to evaluation by headquarters.

“Still, I got a shortened training period.”

“That is a big benefit. It’s because you’re so good at trading. These days, when new employees come in, they all have the necessary certifications, but they lack stock trading experience, so we spend all our time teaching them that.”

As PBs were in a position to recommend investments, they needed many certifications.

Dokyung had already obtained all the relevant certifications during his long job-seeking period, and his stock trading experience was recognized through the mock investment competition, resulting in a significantly shortened training period.

“Why did you come in so early?”

“Come on, how could I, as the immediate senior, come in late when our junior arrived early?”

Dokyung smiled at Woojin’s words and began helping with the meeting preparations.

As the meeting preparations were nearly complete, PBs assigned to the branch started entering the conference room one by one. Finally, when the deputy branch manager and Branch Manager Ryu Tae-hwa took their seats, the meeting officially began.

“Before we start the meeting, we have a welcome face joining sales operations from today. Dokyung-ssi?”

At Ryu Tae-hwa’s words, Dokyung stood up and bowed.

“Hello, I’m Yoon Dokyung, starting work as a junior PB from today.”

As Dokyung greeted everyone, they all smiled and applauded as if welcoming back a familiar face.

“I will approach this with a learning attitude from my seniors. I look forward to working with you all.”

Dokyung bowed once more and sat down.

“Good. Yoon Dokyung-ssi will be directly assigned to sales operations from today. He will be taking over some of the small-scale clients that Choi Woojin daeri has been handling so far.”

Branch Manager Ryu Tae-hwa explained Dokyung’s duties to everyone and then looked at Dokyung.

“Shall we begin then?”

At Ryu Tae-hwa’s words, Dokyung touched the laptop in front of him, displaying today’s market conditions on the screen in the center of the conference room.

The PB team arrived at work earlier than the operations team members that Dokyung had previously been part of.

They usually arrived by 7 AM and spent about 20 minutes reading the previous day’s market conditions and published reports. Then they participated in the meeting to get an overall grasp of the market conditions once more and receive any important notices.

“Alright. Today, I’m afraid I have to say something that might be a bit uncomfortable for you all to hear.”

After exchanging opinions on how to deal with today’s market, Ryu Tae-hwa looked at the employees and began to speak.

“Due to the recent unfavorable market conditions, all branches are struggling with fund outflows and attracting new funds. It seems headquarters is worried.”

With the global stock market performing poorly, investment sentiment for risky assets had been dampened.

Derivatives like funds and ELS weren’t selling, and moreover, the number of clients withdrawing money they had deposited at branches was increasing.

“Recently, the pressure for performance from the headquarters on each branch has been intensifying.”

While Yuseong Investment Securities had been operating as a securities firm for a long time, it was essentially a late entrant to the field.

Having long been in a position of merely representing the securities operations of its affiliates, it had gained a reputation in the industry as an incompetent securities firm prone to all sorts of mishaps.

As a result, since it started functioning properly as a securities firm, it had been conducting aggressive sales campaigns to catch up with the top 1 and 2 securities firms. This translated into achievements squeezed out of each branch.

“Instructions have come down to strive to meet the monthly BEP (break-even point) for branches and individual PBs, but…”

The monthly BEP was an allocation given to branches or individual PBs.

Typically, those at the assistant manager level needed to generate personal revenue in the upper 100 million won range, while those above that needed to bring in around 250 million won.

“As long as I’m in this position, I’ll try to shield you from such pressures. As I always say, let’s focus on sales that prioritize our clients’ interests.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Then, let’s all work hard today.”

As Ryu Tae-hwa concluded the meeting, everyone stood up with their notepads where they had jotted down the meeting contents.

“Dokyung-ssi. Can we have a quick chat?”

As everyone was filing out of the conference room and Dokyung was about to start cleaning up, Ryu Tae-hwa called him over to sit down.

“You know that as a junior starting work today, you’re free from performance pressures for six months, right?”

Dokyung nodded at Ryu Tae-hwa’s words.

New hires like Dokyung weren’t immediately assigned sales performance targets.

“Thinking back on our conversations, I feel I can worry a little less, but this isn’t a job where it’s easy to maintain your personal convictions.”

Ryu Tae-hwa looked at Dokyung with concern.

“Because you’re under the management of headquarters, please be especially mindful not to prioritize performance over clients due to impatience.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. I hope you don’t take these words of caution too heavily.”

“Not at all. I’ll take your advice to heart.”

As Dokyung replied, Ryu Tae-hwa smiled, stood up, and patted Dokyung’s shoulder.

“You’ve received training, but if there’s anything you don’t understand, make sure to ask.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Then, let’s work hard.”

As Ryu Tae-hwa said this and left, Dokyung bowed.

“This is tough.”

He hadn’t thought it would be an easy position, but from the very first day of work, the atmosphere at the branch was heavy.

For the company, PBs were just employees who needed to bring in profits.

While this Seongnam branch didn’t face pressure regarding performance thanks to Ryu Tae-hwa’s presence, ultimately, for a PB to look after their own interests, they needed to accompany it with performance.

“Let’s trust Branch Manager Ryu and give it a shot.”

Dokyung thought he was fortunate to have Ryu Tae-hwa as an umbrella, tidied up the conference room, and returned to his office.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

“Which branch had the worst performance this month?”

Two weeks later, during the WM Support Department meeting of Yuseong Investment Securities’ WM Division, the team members were visibly cowed.

This was because the expression of Jeon Seung-jae, the head of the Support Department leading them, was sharp.

“Looking at this month’s performance alone, Seongnam Branch and East Daegu Branch are performing the worst.”

Yuseong Investment Securities’ WM Division operated with 3 departments and 9 teams, of which the WM Support Department was responsible for overseeing 49 branches across 10 regions.

Their job was to assist in product development for each branch and set branch forecasts, but the most important task was managing the performance allocated to each branch.

“Seongnam?”

At the management team leader’s report, WM Support Department Head Jeon Seung-jae shook his head in disbelief.

“Why is a branch that should be in the top ranks every month languishing at the bottom? The branch manager there is…”

Jeon Seung-jae, who was about to ask who the branch manager was, trailed off as if remembering something.

“It’s Ryu Tae-hwa, right?”

“Yes, it’s Branch Manager Ryu Tae-hwa.”

“Did you contact him?”

“…Yes, I did.”

“You probably kowtowed to Ryu Tae-hwa again because he’s your senior, didn’t you?”

At Jeon Seung-jae’s words, the management team leader kept his mouth shut.

“Hey, Team Leader Kim. Your job is to pressure the branch managers, so do you need to kowtow to Ryu Tae-hwa just because he’s your senior? You don’t do that to other branch managers, do you?”

The WM Support Department’s meeting time always looked the same.

Jeon Seung-jae would nag at his subordinates as if catching mice, and the employees attending the meeting would just stare at the documents in front of them, as if used to it by now.

They could get caught in the crossfire if they made eye contact unnecessarily.

“Is Ryu Tae-hwa still part of the Strategic Business Department or something?”

Jeon Seung-jae’s voice was gradually rising in octave, as if he was in a bad mood.

Jeon Seung-jae knew that only if he pressured his employees like this would they, in turn, pressure the branches.

The branches’ performance ultimately depended on how loudly the Support Department could raise its voice.

“Team Leader Kim. You bastard, are you not afraid of me but afraid of Ryu Tae-hwa?”

“That’s not it…”

“Seongnam Branch is in such a good location, how can its performance be like this? A place that was always in the top ranks is now stuck at the bottom just because Ryu Tae-hwa went there, whose fault is that?”

“It’s Branch Manager Ryu Tae-hwa’s fault.”

“Is it only Ryu Tae-hwa’s fault? It’s your fault too, you bastard.”

Jeon Seung-jae didn’t like that the team leader in front of him was hanging his head.

These days, everyone seemed to lack fighting spirit.

The branch’s poor performance directly translated to the Support Department’s lack of performance. His subordinates didn’t seem to understand this sense of crisis.

“Listen up, everyone. From this moment on, if anyone wants to prioritize personal relationships over their work, submit your resignation or request a transfer.”

At Jeon Seung-jae’s words, all employees bowed their heads. The collateral damage they had been worried about was finally hitting them.

“And, I’ll personally manage the underperforming branches, Seongnam and East Daegu. Team Leader Kim.”

“Yes, Department Head.”

“Prepare the materials as soon as possible. If the performance is still like this next month, we’ll have to conduct an on-site inspection starting with Seongnam Branch.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll prepare it in time for next month’s performance report.”

As the team leader replied, Jeon Seung-jae sighed and looked at his employees.

“Let me make this clear. The branches’ performance is our performance, and we all need to perform well to receive bonuses. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes, understood.”

“You may go now.”

Jeon Seung-jae gestured for everyone to leave with an irritated expression and stood up to walk to the window.

“That bastard Ryu Tae-hwa still thinks he’s under the Vice President’s wing.”

Although he had pressured his subordinate, he guessed that the subordinate would have said all he could to Ryu Tae-hwa, but Ryu Tae-hwa’s attitude was too stubborn to be persuaded.

“I need to make him realize his place.”

Jeon Seung-jae chewed his lip as he looked out the window, as if he thought that disrespecting his employee was tantamount to disrespecting him.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

“Yes, client. I’m Yoon Dokyung, and I’ll be in charge of managing your funds starting from today.”

Meanwhile, Dokyung had been so busy over the past two weeks that he barely noticed how time had passed.

Due to the severe shortage of PBs at the branch, it took two weeks just to take over the work from Choi Woojin, who had been the best performer but was also handling small-scale clients.

-Has Assistant Manager Choi Woojin gone somewhere else?

“No, that’s not it. I’ve become your dedicated PB now…”

-Is it because the amount is small?

When he contacted the clients he would be responsible for to introduce himself, some clients reacted like this.

“Client, that’s absolutely not the case. I’ve been assigned to you to provide more definitive asset management. I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

-I see…

The client’s response seemed rather displeased, but there was nothing Dokyung could do about it.

He couldn’t tell the whole truth, after all.

“I will show you that Yuseong Investment Securities, and I personally, are sincerely working for your assets.”

-Alright, I understand. Please contact me if any issues arise.

“Yes, I will. If you need anything, please feel free to call this number anytime or let me know, and I’ll visit you personally.”

-It would be better if there’s no need to contact you. I’m counting on you.

“Yes, understood. Take care.”

After hanging up, Dokyung leaned his head back in his chair and sighed.

While no job in the world was easy, dealing with people was always draining.

“Let’s see… The next client is…”

Knock knock-

As Dokyung was looking at the list of clients he still needed to contact, he looked up at the sound of knocking.

“Yes?”

As soon as Dokyung answered, the door opened and a familiar face entered the room.

“Well, well, you became a PB, but why haven’t you contacted me? I’ve been waiting for your call and decided to come here myself.”

Seeing the visitor who entered the room speaking loudly, Dokyung stood up with a gentle smile.