#pip

15 percent of high performers across all band levels are be rated as low performers to reduce bonus pay outs. This is the next move on attrition. Next steps may be pips and subsequent layoffs. You would think a company as large as IBM would be able to handle this differently. Hopefully people who know they are high performers that get a low performance review know this has nothing to do with them and everything to do with the dysfunctional management team at IBM.

I was placed on a formal coaching plan and, despite making progress, did not reach the final performance threshold. Now waiting to see what comes next, hopeful for an extension to continue building momentum. Anyone else have feedback on how coaching plans pan out if you don’t meet all of the requirements?

With a pip. What a horrible company

My coworker got a performance plan and he's treating it like a notice to leave. He's not trying to improve, just looking for a new job. Is that the standard outcome?

No big changes

The first flakes drifted down over the city, soft and silent, promising a weekend of snowdrifts, frozen driveways, and the kind of cold that makes you grateful for firewood and LED candles. Neighbors huddled indoors, swapping soup recipes and checking weather apps like fortune tellers.

But inside the office buildings, another kind of storm brewed. HR invites fell like icy pellets: “We regret to inform you…” As those words echoed, the blizzard outside was matched by a blizzard of layoffs and PIPs inside. Cubicles emptied of cheer faster than sidewalks, and the chill wasn’t just in the air — it was in the morale.

Employees joked darkly: “Winter is coming.”Some meant the snowstorm barreling toward the city. Others meant the quarterly layoffs and PIPs barreling toward their careers. Both were inevitable, both demanded preparation.

So, just as families stocked up on groceries and salt for the driveway, workers stocked up on résumés and LinkedIn updates. The fireplace crackled at home, while leadership churned out performance metrics and “action plans.”

And in the end, everyone learned the same lesson: whether it’s snowflakes or layoffs and PIPs, winter always comes — and the only way through is to be prepared, keep warm, and remember that spring eventually follows.

Heads up that off cycle PIPs do happen at Exxon. I was put on one this week outside the usual review window after generally positive feedback. Posting so others are not caught off guard. Document everything and ask for clear expectations.

Ebrahim Poonawala (Bank of America) asked about the sustainability of revenue growth and margin targets if the environment worsens; CEO Robin Vince highlighted BNY’s agility and ability to adjust expenses, emphasizing their diversified revenue engine and reduced macro sensitivity.

Is it true that upstream, downstream, and EmTech have different PIP percentages, and which one has the lowest?

one google search of forced distribution and differentiated performance gives you thousands of articles about why it doesn’t work and why it’s terrible for morale and collaboration. yet now we’re forcing people to be ranked and PIPed just to fill a quota. its nonsensical. why am i coming into the office four days a week to “collaborate” with my peers and help them outshine me? why would i bother trying to meet my goals when a percentage of my team has to be ranked low just because it’s required? if you want to let people go just let them go. why do they put us through these humiliation rituals?

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/employment-law/ibm-faces-age-bias-lawsuit-alleging-impossible-performance-improvement-plan/561411

The news comes just in time when 15% low performers would potentially be put on PIP

My manager told me directly today that the entire company is forcing managers to give employees low ratings.
Time to leave, guys. They’re trying to get rid of everyone in the U.S. Leave this sh*thole, and for anyone considering coming here—please don’t.

Did this same scenario happen to anyone else? I was put on a performance plan for 30 days sept 24th with a list of things to get completed. I had arguments of course of what was written on it. All bullsh-t of course. Even still I did all the things and in a meeting my boss even said I was working towards improving and looking better. Blah blah blah
30 days come and get a meeting invite and told to stay home. Literally got let go exactly 30 days later Oct 24th after my so called performance was improving.
My boss was literally reading from a script telling me I’m let go and I will receive a letter via email to sign. About a week later I received the email I had to sign it or I wouldn’t get my sh---y 60 day pay.
I see others got let go in a different way. Either way this can’t be legal. What do we do? Can we fight this?

The automatic rank everyone lower…
The place people on PIPs…..
The lack luster severance…..

Its all done to run off people to avoid any severance payouts AND it’s all designed to recoup money.

1.2 billion $ Russia mistake…the AI promise of cost savings….all black eyes and recouping money any way they can is the make up to cover it up.

So, use this as motivational fuel for later. The job market will get better. Trust me, there are jobs out there that pay more money than Citi, even more so since Citi is not giving up any $ for bonus’s or raises. Citi would have you believe that you’ve got a better deal “here” but at best Citi is average on pay and perks. This…all of this….that Citi is doing is a well rounded snapshot of what Citi thinks of you and your worth.

Take the hint and when things turn around, start seeking jobs outside of Citi even look beyond the financial sector. Use all of what Citi is doing to sharpen your focus on leaving. Use it as motivational fuel to leave once you find something comparable. As far as the return to office jargon…..you might as well work somewhere else for more money and go in the office there instead of here for less $.

The first batch of Performance Improvement Plans goes out next week. HR defined the Performance Improvement Plans, and they have been standardized and nearly impossible to pass.
If you have a feeling you are going to get a Performance Improvement Plan next week, your hunch is probably right. Your not likely going to pass your PiP, because Microsoft HR defined them for employees to fail. The best thing you can start doing next week after being handed your Performance Improvement Plan. Is to so stop preforming any work and focus on updating your resume. On your Resume, you want to give yourself a fake Microsoft job title that makes you sound like you are really important, in fact using your Microsoft manager's job title as your own is a great idea, On your resume write boasting about all the important work you have done, knowing its total bs. Then start applying to jobs, in between watching Hulu movies while at work.

I had a call with my manager who mentioned that the stakeholders are not happy with my knowledge and that got me a 4 and he's going to 'help' me with that in this year with that..but now how to know whether there's a pip or not? Nothing was mentioned in the call, but in the comment it's mentioned he would help me with a development plan ..does that mean it's a pip?

Performance Improvement Plans recently. We think it was due to a Customer interaction with the two. The customer probably called Starbucks Corp. This is the first time I’ve heard that Starbucks can give employees Performance Improvement Plans.

It went to someone in our group. The person was told what they were being paid to actually do at Ford did not include being a Social Media Influencer all day long while on the clock while working from home the past two years.

Surprising the person got off with a Performance Improvement Plan handed to them and not fired and walked out the building for everyone to see. Like a Perp walk.

We're all excited for $6 chickens and looking forward to a protein-packed new year.
Spy cameras have been installed in working areas.
PIPs on the table, get ready for another inconsistent.
5-day RTO seems to be the biggest circulating rumor?
Anyone think there's a real possibility of leg irons at the desks?

The combined total of 75,000 full time employees with 50,000 at c1 and 25,000 at discover will lead to a 20% quota of employees to be fired in stack rankings, a total of 15,000 employees out in PIPs for termination with low or no severance.

I’m definitely betting on more PIPs, setting up for it by completely unrealistic expectations, and most likely RTO as the now well-tested way to push people out.

I have hit all my goals and performance metrics, and still receive a partial meets. Which put me on a PIP. Is a PIP just a way for the company to let someone go without giving them a package, like they did in the past when it was a layoff?

Has anyone used a lawyer in Florida to fight this when it has happened?

After the several rounds of layoffs and Intel using performance management to reach their final HC:

If you get put on a PIP, consider it a paid interview process… don’t even bother with burning yourself out at a company who is trying to wear out good employees.

How many people placed on PIPs were truly underperforming? From what I have seen, the number is close to zero.

Got put on a PIP that was never designed to be completed.
It started with a vague “needs improvement” label and daily „coachings“ with my managet. Th quickly escalated into a four-week PIP loaded with moving targets, heavy process work, and constant check-ins.
When you actually do the math, it would’ve taken roughly 75–80 hours a week just to keep up not to improve, just to comply. All within a standard contract.
If they do it to you don’t just nod and sign. Push back. Ask for an HR re-review of the PIP. Don’t give consent. Document everything.
HR is not your buddy but forcing a review buys time, creates a record, and gives you space to think.
In my case it was never about performance. It was about process, optics, and a clean exit.

With the high degree of managerial incompetence that is plaguing this company how does one mange to let himself be PIPed out ?
Proving that someone is incompetent and is not performing well requires some degree of technical sophistication that MOST of the managers we have are not capable of.
I have seen this a lot around here, oh they put me on a PIP. Technically it is very difficult to fake prove that someone is incompetent unless the person is indeed incompetent. The performance factor will always be arguable and no judge in this world will grant Cisco reasonable grounds for termination with the current workload level most of us have. Adding more to that to push you out is practically impossible. The current workload as is it is already border line, medically and from legal perspective.

So my opinion is that when I see that people are complaining about being PIPed out, is that they really needed to be

So I received a lovely needs improvement fir my year end review, I was shock, I guess I was the target of that 5-10% percentage that a manager needs to give for needs improvement… so what’s next, 1-3 or 3-6 min til Termination??? So don’t need to pay Severance?? Is that the plan? Hope is not backfire, cause no one left to work LOL.. cheers, Happy Holidays to all, until next year

Pivot assignment: make Amazon stock price reach $350/share in the middle of 2026 without doing further layoffs (forced or RTO/silent).

Sales org is continuing to lay out PIPs or "Plan For Success" to hide from mass layoff announcements. Really unfortunate timing as my cohort of AE's and Account Directors from April 2025 are getting the short end of the stick. This industry isn't going to turn itself around anytime soon and has a long uphill battle against AI that is a free or minimal spend for clients.

If you receive a PIP, just focus on a new job. PIP = Paid Interview Program

Since when does ‘meets expectations’ require significant achievement? To me this sounds like giving management the green card to start PIP-ing those still left. Anyone on the bottom 10% of who is left after 40% have been cut. Anyone with a real performance issue would not have survived all the recent mass layoffs.

Is it just me, or are PIPs specifically designed so employees can’t succeed, and the end result is always termination? I'm starting to feel like this is the case, but it could be just me.

Another year, another Excellent ranking, 0% last year and 3% this year. I think the only motivation is to getting PIPd and really I don’t think that’s too hard. Just be friendly. I’m going to try doing the bare minimum next year but remaining friendly and see what happens. Hard work clearly isn’t being rewarded so I’m done with that.

They almost never say the quiet part out loud. They build a “paper trail” that makes it look like performance… even when the numbers don’t line up.

Common plays:

Inflate quotas to levels nobody in the territory has ever hit.

Move accounts or shrink territory potential, then blame you for lower output.

Suddenly start documenting “issues” after years of no issues.

Switch you from retention-heavy to acquisition-heavy segments with no rationale.

Push older reps into PIPs, even when metrics are objectively normal for the segment.

Put you under a manager who’s “resetting the team culture” code for turnover.

Replace you quietly with someone 20 years younger at half the comp.

On paper it’s “performance.” In reality it’s engineered.

Where PIPs lurk in the halls… waiting to swipe your livelihood.

I was told that I can be on PIP next q. If I am on PIP, does it stay on my history incase of looking for another job or for anything in future? Also, can I use my PTO while in PIP?

This shady a-s company is looking to reduce headcount more and will find any reason to force people out. Look out for yourself and keep your eyes peeled for a new gig if you are able.

Heard over 300 more stores will be sold off to agents in the coming year. Polish your resume and get out while you can. They'll either pip you out with these high quotas or you'll be working for an agent.

You’re seeing more and more AEs talking about PIPs on the rise. Not because performance suddenly tanked, but because targets quietly drifted into fantasy-land and Dell doesn’t want to pay severance.

Good luck to anyone who was force rated with below expectations. There is no PIP this time based on what im hearing . Its straight to termination