Page 64 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

7

The performance evaluation interview

Practical example

At Dinner Ltd each employee has an annual performance evaluation interview. The
general goal of such an evaluation interview is to attune the interests of the organization
and the employees in an optimal manner. Not only is the performance of an employee
discussed, but the employee can also bring the functioning of a manager or colleague into
the discussion. So there is a two-way traffic. This interview does not have any direct
consequences for a potential promotion or on wages.
Every other year the employees at Dinner Ltd have an appraisal interview. In contrast
to the performance evaluation we have here a one-way interview: the manager now
evaluates the performance of the employee, which can have consequences for a
promotion and salary increase.
At Dinner Ltd the performance evaluation interviews are held in December. Each
department head has these interviews with their respective employees. For Managing
Director Freddy Fortune, this means he will have interviews with Jenny Jacobson, the
Secretary, with Charlotte Cohen from Finance and Administration, with Chef Bert
Berman and with F&B Manager Harry Haddock. The dates when the interviews are to be
held are arranged about a month in advance. Both parties involved are asked to suggest
several points for the agenda.
In particular the interview with Charlotte Cohen seems as if it may be a difficult one.
While Freddy believes that Charlotte puts much effort into her work, he also has some
points of criticism: he feels that Charlotte takes too long to prepare proposals and that she
often leaves off some essential elements from the final bills. For example, with the last
catering assignment, a New Year’s reception for the Ministry of Justice, she had
estimated the number of necessary part-time personnel too low, with the result that the
extra costs for personnel could not be billed. This is only one example of many similar
instances: in general Charlotte is not accurate enough.
Charlotte also has some points that she want to discuss. In the first place it has been a
while since she has been able to take a course in order to improve her own skills. In the
second place she thinks that lately there has been too little consultation regarding several
new assignments. Freddy is constantly on the road and hardly ever reachable. Because of
this she is often responsible for making some very important decisions, which takes up so
much of her energy that she therefore makes mistakes with the proposals.