It hit me. Last month, there had been a solid veteran employee transferred from marketing to the warehouse. I'd thought it was strange at the time and asked why someone that capable was being moved to a warehouse. The Vice President told me the employee had requested the transfer himself, said he wanted a change of pace. I figured he was burned out from the grind in marketing and signed off on it.
Turns out it was Maureen's cousin pulling the strings all along.
I drew a slow breath and said, my voice low, "Your cousin really knows how to work the system."
Maureen completely missed the edge in my words. She preened.
"You're only figuring that out now?"
"My cousin says in a few months, he's going to bring our whole family into the company. Every last one of them, men, women, young, old, planted across every department. Once that's done, the entire company answers to us."
What an HR Director indeed.
Quite the ambition.
The corner of my mouth curled. "Isn't your cousin worried the boss might find out?"
Maureen scoffed, utterly certain of herself.