The higher-ups have perfected silence as a tool — smile, nod, and then ignore the questions that might peel back the curtain on what’s really happening with these cognitive tests.
Privileges like flexible hours or access to new projects seem to hinge on puzzle scores; it’s an unbalanced game where the rules rarely get spelled out.
Things have escalated since the tests became mandatory. First, the app appeared without much explanation last quarter.
Then came subtle hints during performance reviews, encouraging ‘improvement’ in puzzle results.
Two months ago, a few colleagues who struggled quietly left; no one mentioned why, but the air felt heavier.
Just last week, I overheard Jordan mentioning a ‘select group’ meeting to discuss ‘top cognitive performers,’ making it clear that this challenge was more than a game — it’s a filter screening out people corporately deemed expendable.
Now, a meeting looms. The email came in this morning: a one-on-one performance review scheduled for Friday with HR and Jordan.
I’m bracing for a discussion I’ve been delaying mentally — what my latest puzzle score means for my future here and whether I still fit into this elite 1% the company is so obsessed with identifying.
I’m not even sure what I want from it anymore.
The quiet pressure is building, and as the next challenge loads on my screen, I can’t shake the feeling that this small moment of spotting three chameleons is about to widen into a much larger, more unsettling story.
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