Everything worked. That was exactly the problem. By 2036, no one at Novaris makes a decision entirely on their own anymore. IRTI, the system that keeps the whole organization running, plans the days, predicts risks, optimizes workforce planning, and resolves problems before they even arise. Fast, efficient, almost silent. And to be fair: it works.

When Eva van Rijn joins People Strategy & Analytics, everything inside Novaris looks perfectly organized. Until she notices that people are quietly disappearing from teams, that meetings are becoming more and more predictable, and that behavior outside the norm is gently steered back into line. Not by managers. By systems.

The deeper Eva digs, the more uncomfortable the question becomes: is she resisting the system — or doing exactly what it predicted she would?

The Unoptimized is a disturbingly believable business novel about AI, work, and the blurring line between steering people and supporting them.

Irma Doze advises organizations on HR data, analytics, and AI, and is the author of several books on People Analytics and Strategic Workforce Planning. The Unoptimized is her first business novel.