This was one of the most involved and most fun tasks I've done yet. What a treat this was.

First off, I collaborated with a co-worker and non-SF0 Tod. He actually was the catalyst that sparked the idea: After a co-worker left our company a few weeks ago, Tod jokingly decided to put a fake plant in the chair where she sat. I talked with him a bit later after people were complacent to not do anything about it. I figured that we could make a full employee out of him and he wanted to run with that idea as well. He's a designer, I'm in IT, so we could easily have our bases covered in terms of fleshing him out to be a full employee forgery.

In looking over the task description, I realized that in a 41 employee firm, there was almost no chance that I was able to fool people into thinking someone new got hired. We do not have any employees that worked remotely and all new employees end up having some type of fanfare including mention at an all-staff meeting, numerous emails about it, inclusion in the company newsletter and an hour of introductions the first day they're here.

We could still completely fulfill the task requirements: flesh out this fake "plant" as far as legally possible -- to the point where some people may actually start to wonder if he might be real or not. At the same time, Tod and I did not want to jeopardize our employment here by creating situations that would ultimately be negative due to our new employee. There is nothing in the task description against people finding out if he was fake or not - the requirement was to have him interact with other employees. So we set him up to interact with all employees, and in the best and most positive way possible.

After a long discussion, we agreed that his name would be "Robert F. Plant." The "F" stands for "Fake." We knew there might be some Led Zeppelin jokes, but that was okay. We gave him email, an account on our calendaring system and a server account with a public shared folder with actual job-related material in it. He had Inclusion on our intranet time-off calendar, inclusion in our printed phone lists (which I secretly replaced in many people's work areas), a telephone, direct phone line, extension, voicemail, local instant messaging and a computer (a lower-end G4 workstation). He had a shared iTunes library. He had a desk assigned to him with a printed name plate along with the needed utensils that everyone else has. Essentially, he had every single thing a real employee has minus payroll - which could have potentially caused problems. He also did not have a specific job title, which was required to build ambiguity as to who his direct report was.

Once we laid all of these seeds, we did not tell anyone about it. We just wanted to see how people would react. We knew that within a couple days, people would start to wonder why Robert Plant would show up on their buddy lists, as being available for meetings and showing up on their printed phone lists.

Surprisingly, Tod and I never got approached much in the first couple days. Some people would send some random instant messages to him asking who he was, but he wouldn't respond. I would hear rumors of people saying, "look, he's got a folder on [the server] too."

Tod and I were very careful to not have Robert attempt to initiate interaction with employees. We made him complete enough where people would end up initiating the interaction themselves, we figured. We were right.

Things started getting weird when he actually started getting invited to meetings. Tod and I did not provoke this. Some people that were inviting large numbers of staff to meeting either were mistakenly including him or not realizing that he wasn't really an employee. From a system-sense, he was blending in with everyone else and started getting meeting requests. He was also invited to an all-staff party.

Many, many times during this process, Tod and I would instant message each other about something new that someone would do to or with Robert Plant and we would start laughing our asses off at our respective desks.

We also invited some friends that were not involved with the company to test out the voicemail and email that we gave Robert Plant. I guess people started to wonder more when he started receiving phone calls at his desk.

For fun, Tod and some of Tod's friends decided to have Robert Plant apply for another job - even though the company he was applying to were in on the secret. Here's an example email:

Mr. Plant -

Thank you for your inquiry about employment at [removed] Associates.

Your qualifications are impressive and in-line with an opening here.

We’re very interested in scheduling a date to meet you here at our offices in Denver to negotiate compensation and determine on what day you’ll become a member of the [removed] “family”. We may even be able to accommodate your specific request for an office with plenty of sunshine, although you will most likely have to supply your own misting bottle.

Sincerely,


Matt [removed]
Managing Director
[removed] Associates | Corporate Identity and Brand Management

...another one followed later:

Robert Plant,

Congratulations! We would like to offer you the Brand Strategy Coordinator position at [removed] Associates.

We are hoping that you will be able to start working this next Monday, July 24th. We have provided airfare and living accommodations while you are seeking permanent housing.

Please contact Human Resources or Matt [removed] regarding detailed job questions.

Sincerely,

Nathan [removed]
[removed]
[removed] Associates | Corporate Identity and Brand Management

Granted, this wasn't doing much to directly accomplish the task, but it was really testing the viability of this fake employee.

On July 21, 2006, Tod and I made a mistake. We caused Robert Plant to initiate a conversation with someone. We had Robert Plant email a new employee, Carrie, who we guessed wouldn't have remembered if she had met Robert or not. The email looked like this:

Am I crazy or did I read that you went to [college]? I can't seem to find where I read that. True?

Robert

--
Robert Plant
651-[removed]
[company name removed]
www.[removed].com

She replied within 2 minutes:

It's true! Did you go there?
--
Carrie [removed] - Business Development Manager
651-[removed]
612-[removed] Mobile
[company name removed]
www.[removed].com

At this point we simultaneously knew that we both succeeded in this task and also crossed an ethical line. Neither of us felt good about it. We talked about this immediately and decided not to cause Robert to initiate any further communication.

Still, nobody knew for sure who was really behind "Robert Plant," and they seemed intrigued with the mystery of interacting with a "fake" employee. Only a few, such as Carrie, probably believed that Robert Plant was a real person.

The next week, we realized that it would probably be in everyone's best interest if we caused Robert to get another job and leave our company. Hopefully, the process would cause everyone to have no question that he was indeed fake. This was the best decision we could have ever made.

After drafting an email, Tod and I decided to tell one of the owners of the company about the situation and to ask him if he'd "play along." The benefit to him would be that this "fake plant business" would be done on Friday as he would have "left the company." Surprisingly, he agreed and announced to the entire company his resignation:

Bob F. Plant has decided to leave [removed]. He has accepted a position with an environmental non-profit in Denver to be closer to family and to continue working to improve air quality through the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. His bright personality, low maintenance, bendable stems and stylish wicker basket will be missed. His last day will be Friday, July 28. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.

-Ric and Tim

Seven minutes later, "that one guy who always has to respond to everything" (every company has one, right?) replied:

I think we should have a happy hour to see him off. Who's with me on this?

Paul

The other owner of the company, who was not in on the joke, decided the situation was funny and replied to all a few minutes later:

Nick is already on the Patio... looking at all the other blooming plants. Who needs Bob anyway?

He enclosed a photo of Nick on the patio with an alcoholic drink looking at foliage. We were laughing our asses off.

What I realized had happened, is that our personification of Robert F. Plant became embraced by most of the entire company. It was well beyond my expectations. People either loved the fact that he "existed" or loved to hate him - as if he was the employee you could bitch about without getting in trouble.

One of our two creative directors sent out an email to all staff regarding Robert Plant's departure:

Who is making the card? I hope it is on recycled paper!

At this point, I immediately made a quick going away card. It's tradition around here when someone willingly leaves the company to make a card that's signed by everyone. It's generally put in a confidential envelope with a copy of the phone list on it - everyone crosses their name off when they've signed it.

I made a card, got the envelope and put one of the "new" phone lists on it and crossed Robert Plant's name off.

This was the biggest hit. People were writing hilarious notes such as "Robert Fake Plant- I'm jealous I've always wanted to live in Colorado. I look up to you - going where you want to go. I'm stuck in MN with the humidity. - Nicole" and "Bob- If you ever wish to re-pot here, we will welcome you with open gloves! Give peas a chance. Carol." Take time to look at the photos of his going away card. It truly shows how our company blindly embraced our employee forgery.

To the company, with the exception of two people, nobody really knows who was really behind Robert Plant although they knew Tod and I were involved. Honestly, I felt it got to the point that many people in their own way by participating and talking about him -- all contributed to making Robert Plant a reality.

Today was his last day. He has left and his work area is now bare. We will miss you, Mr. Plant.