Employee Performance Evaluation: Holly Flax

Last night, my television was playing a marathon of “Office” repeats, leaving us without new catastrophes to dissect. So in an attempt to find something to share with you folks, I contacted my mole in Sabre’s corporate human resources department to see what’s new down in Tallahassee. As it turns out, I have a special treat for you: Holly Flax’s performance evaluation. Want to see if Sabre shares Ford & Harrison’s concerns about Holly’s effectiveness as an HR manager? Read on, friends…

Sabre

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Jo Bennet
FROM: Gabe Lewis
CC: Michael G. Scott, Holly Flax
RE: Performance Appraisal — Holly Flax
DATE: March 4, 2011

Core Competencies

1. Technical Skills: Knowledge of Sabre’s Best Practices for Human Resources, relevant employment laws, company policies and procedures.

Employee Rating: Excellent

Comments: Holly is extremely knowledgeable in all technical aspects of her job. She is familiar with employment laws and policies that are specific to Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, as well as with national employment laws such as Title VII and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Holly attended Sabre’s introductory “Gettin’ To Know Ya” training in Tallahassee and demonstrated a strong grasp of the company’s mission and goals as well as its Best Practices for Human Resources.

2. Responsiveness: Accessibility via e-mail and telephone; thorough and prompt responses to situations in which HR expertise is required.

Employee Rating: Satisfactory

Comments: For the most part, Holly is responsive to inquiries from employees and from Sabre’s corporate officers. However, there are times when Holly does not respond because she is distracted or away from her desk. For example, several weeks ago, Holly left the office for several hours to search for Michael Scott. While it is admirable that Holly was concerned about Michael, she (as the HR pro) needs to be in the office to respond to work-related situations. For example, during Holly’s absence, Meredith Palmer’s foot became lodged in a ladies room sink. Holly’s presence would have been helpful during the crisis. Additionally, Holly occasionally responds to questions in an inappropriate manner. For instance, during a conference call with Gloria Abbott and Richard Costello of our Tallahassee headquarters, Holly recited the entire script of “Who’s On First?” Ms. Abbott and Mr. Costello were understandably off-put by this display of “comedy.”

3. Empathy: Provides a safe process for employees to present problems and discuss issues; displays empathy toward colleagues.

Employee Rating: Excellent

Comments: Holly is extremely empathetic. She presents a calm and caring demeanor and is always willing to listen to employees’ concerns. To share one example, Holly is helping Kelly Kapoor through relationship difficulties and is providing Ms. Kapoor with advice on balancing work and social life. Holly has shown a great affinity for Kevin Malone and has come to his defense numerous times when other employees question his intelligence and accounting skills.

4. Professionalism: Understands and abides by Sabre’s standards for Human Resources professionals in behavior, working relationships, integrity, and demeanor.

Employee Rating: Unacceptable

Comments: Holly must improve on her professionalism immediately or risk her future with Sabre. She has shown questionable judgment on numerous occasions, particularly in her relationships with co-workers. Specifically, Holly was transferred to Nashua by Dunder Mifflin after it became clear that she had started a romantic relationship with Michael Scott. While in Nashua, Holly pursued a relationship with a salesman in the branch, endangering her appearance of impartiality and confidentiality in both relationships. After Holly was transferred back to Scranton, she rekindled her romantic relationship with Mr. Scott. This relationship has caused Holly to make some questionable decisions, most notably the approval of Todd Packer’s application to return to a desk sales job. The approval of Mr. Packer’s transfer could have placed the company in serious legal jeopardy, as Mr. Packer committed numerous offensive acts during his brief time with the branch, before departing for a new opportunity (and, Jo, if I find out where he’s gone, I will certainly let you know). This is but one example of Holly’s inability to be unbiased when dealing with Mr. Scott. Holly’s tendency to engage in romantic relationships with co-workers, and her ongoing social relationship with Mr. Scott, call into serious question her effectiveness as an HR professional. It is my recommendation that Holly be spoken to immediately about this issue.

/s/ Gabe Lewis

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Note: After receiving this evaluation, Jo called Gabe and told him not to be such a stick-in-the-mud, and to let Erin pick their movie selections once in awhile.

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  Jaclyn West