Sometimes, the work environment becomes poisoned in a firm feels compelled to put someone a performance improvement plan. Here’s the question, “Realistically, if you are put on a performance improvement plan should you start looking for another job or try to improve your performance? Can you really recover?”
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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a career and leadership coach who worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 1600 episodes and his newest show, “No BS Coaching Advice” and is a member of The Forbes Coaches Council.
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agree to the response, at my old company, if you were put on a formal written pip, there was NO coming back from it. I had a boss who put me on notice that i needed to improve my relationship with a branch person, or it would be a larger problem. She said I could move to another team and no one would think otherwise. Now this was after I had been at the company 9-10 years…. so yeah, suddenly i’m a problem. Me, being a stubborn person, said, I know my job, I do it well, I’ll be damned if this is how it ends. 3 months later I have a discussion with my boss, oh um, the people who originally thought I was the problem, now see it’s the other person who is the problem. The field person who talked to my boss originally called me 6 months after the original complaint to say, um, he was wrong and he’ was glad i was able to turn it around. and my supervisor at the time, in time got moved to a different team, and demoted.(for various other reasons-including poor mgmt skills/decision making)
In the attempt to improve effort, managers may be right and may be wrong. I wonder how often poor management is the real issue. No way to ever know AND thanks for sharing your story.
@Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter Poor management puts a worker on a PIP without giving that worker a chance to not get on it in the first place. There are “gotcha” bosses who make themselves feel important by writing up workers in areas they need for improvement without informing them about it until the PIP is written up. The sad part is the law is usually on the bosses side so it is normally best to move on.
@JobSearchTV Poor management puts a worker on a PIP without giving that worker a chance to not get on it in the first place. There are “gotcha” bosses who make themselves feel important by writing up workers in areas they need for improvement without informing them about it until the PIP is written up. The sad part is the law is usually on the bosses side so it is normally best to move on.
@bluebo1212 I don’t know everyone’s circumstances however my experience with most people put on a PIP is that they have usually been spoken with more than once by the time the PIP has been issued
If previous employer is releasing more than dates of employment….. That is a problem. If they are releasing that you got a plan that is grounds for lawsuit…. When leaving a job make sure to negotiate that they only give dates of employment…. But you bring to light a good point, if you are in this situation don’t keep doing the same exact thing!.. Something needs to be different.. Also document when you are successful and when they aren’t providing you help or info.. It may turn into a memo documentation war with a boss but you need to win the documentation game..
I was forced to go through the PIP process and was dismissed, it absolutely destroyed my career and years of hard work. Do not fall for the improvement lies you will never improve enough, it is about gathering evidence to fire you. In my personal opinion, you have two options to get a job elsewhere and leave before you are sacked or find valid evidence to quit and claim constructive dismissal.
You are right about this topic. PIP’s are meant to mainly gather evidence to fire you down the road, especially when your boss does not like you as a worker or person. Get out before you have to check YES on the job application under Asked to Resign.
1 – Factor in Relationship with your Supervisor or Manager
2 – Look for a job while on PIP
3 – If possible Resign before you are fired
4 – Understand if you do improve will still decide to terminate you
PIPs are used by unethical bosses to justify getting rid of competent employees. When I asked for specifics, I was denied. How do you improve performance if you do not know what you did wrong? If I ask for evidence and do not get it, then I know it is made up.
If there is evidence, I want to see it. Instead, PIPs are used by bad managers to unlawfully fire competent employees.
Companies that use PIPs might as well hang up a sign saying “We do not know how to manage our employees.”
One firm that PIPped me ended up losing the entire division of the firm.
A city that did one to me ended up losing big time in a wrongful death lawsuit. That PIP was used to demonstrate that the city makes up anything they want and cannot be trusted.
A firm that used one got angry when I recorded them for admitting to wage theft. That firm had to pay the state of CA for committing wage theft against me. Also, 1/3 of the firm quit. And the HR guy who implemented it got fired.
My boss at my most recent job placed me on one after working only a year. When I asked for specifics in writing, I was denied. So I recorded him and now he is mad because everyone has seen him act like an asshole.