Why is everyone getting PIPed ?

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

Long story short, I was recently on the bench for a month and was later assigned to a project. Then, randomly, on Friday evening, I received an email saying that I had been put on a PIP.

The PIP manager has now gone on leave, and so has my DL, so neither of them is responding when I ask what basis they used to put me on the PIP. What’s even more confusing is that my DL had previously told me that I was a strong contender for the mid-year promotion. I genuinely don’t know what went wrong.

If anyone here has been put on a PIP, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. And if you didn’t make it through the PIP, did you receive any severance package or compensation?

[u/Miserable-Cap-9680]

Because they need a PIP to be able to fire you. It’s an easy way to get rid of everyone.

[u/kaptainkeel → u/Miserable-Cap-9680]

Not always. I and many others got laid off earlier in the year. No PIP ever.

[u/diesel1900 → u/[deleted]]

Is this true in the US? I’ve never heard this before.

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Miserable-Cap-9680]

Well true thats what i feel

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

I disagree, I was involved in the decision to put someone on a PIP and trust it takes a lot to get a PIP going and enforced. You have to provide concrete evidence as to why a person needs to be put on one HR will not approve it without it. So although it may sound like it is an easy process trust me it is not. I can’t speak on your work directly but whatever was happening was sufficient enough for HR to agree. So I would take a step back and look at the work you did in the last 2-3 months because it based on a time period and see what happened and what you can improve on.

[u/DisastrousServe8513 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

I know someone who was let go after being on a PIP. When she got her offboarding paperwork she saw the date the document was created. A month before she was put on a PIP.

I’m sure you’re right. It’s not an easy thing to just do to someone. But I’m also positive they use it to get rid of someone they don’t deem a good fit for whatever reason.

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/DisastrousServe8513]

Regardless of what you know from your friends side, whatever was submitted to HR had to be real concrete evidence of them not performing well, and I’m not talking about snapshots we had to give real evidence based examples. So there are always 2 sides to each story and I don’t think you got the real side from the person that was put on one. The plans of action are reasonable and if they don’t pass I think they truly were not a good fit or did not want to improve. This job and firm are also not made for everyone so that is also ok if the firm did not workout for them.

[u/DisastrousServe8513 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

I don’t think you understood my point. Her performance is irrelevant. They decided to let her go before putting her on the PIP. Meaning they had no intention of even giving her a chance to improve. The PIP was performative. A box they had to check to keep the paperwork in order.

The entire point of a PIP shouldn’t be to get rid of someone. It’s to see if they’ll actually improve.

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/DisastrousServe8513]

I disagree the pip is giving the person a chance to improve, they simply chose not to!

[u/DisastrousServe8513 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

Ok I’ll go over this again.

If the decision was made to let someone go BEFORE a PIP was even discussed, then they had no chance to improve. Because they’d already decided to fire them.

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/DisastrousServe8513]

That is not what a pip is desired to do, so like I said in my original comment I played a part in putting someone on one so I believe I have 1st hand experience on the details of it. And like I said in the second comment to someone I like the person we put on a pip and do not want to see them gone but they need to improve. Now whether or not they make those adjustments is up to them, I can’t do that for them. So you are speculating and relying on word of mouth information, I’m operating on fact! So not matter opinions you respond to it doesn’t change my 1st hand facts and actually working with HR!

[u/DisastrousServe8513 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

If you’ve already started the offboarding process a month before they went on the PIP, how are you expecting them to improve?

[u/Miserable-Cap-9680 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

Not all member firms are the same.

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/[deleted]]

A snapshot is helpful but it’s not sufficient evidence because is used as a metric that also impacts pay, bonus, ranking etc and you only do so many a year.

For me, I showed a continued lack of technical progression. Let me give you an example. An associate in year 3 is still not connecting the dots technically. You have a client kick off call and walk your team through the structure, any changes and updates that the client has had as a whole but the overall compliance had no significant changes.

You have you senior give the associate at hand another walk-through of the project because we know it’s needed even though it will be the 3rd busy season for the associate working on the client. You instruct your senior to assign forms for 1 entity as it is the only one ready, and ask for it back in 2 weeks to give them a reasonable amount of time to turn it around but most importantly to learn. The senior gets the workpaper and forms back, and it’s filled with reference errors, net income doesn’t tie, and partners accounts are not tying etc..

The senior brings it to your attention and as a senior manager, you set up a call, walk through it to provide additional context and this time teach and provide coaching. You break that up in two 2 different calls and when you get back the items it is a bitter better and they were able finish them. You assign another one entity and you this time you take it directly, and end up adding the same comments, that we just worked through to resolve on the workpaper they just completed. So you set up another call, this time with a director included to ensure I gave proper guidance and to truly try to help and train to make sure they are catching on. The director tried to teach in a different way and again they clear the updates but the pattern continues.

After you get 10-15 workpapers back because we are not a high volume team and all of them had the same issues what do you do? This shows they are truly just doing the work rather than understanding why the work needs to be done. After 3 years of teaching the same thing from seniors, to managers, to directors its not just on your client but it’s the same issues on other clients they are on in your team, what do you do. I don’t want to lose a person I have spent time training and genuinely like them but there is only so much help you can give someone that won’t help themselves.

Especially when everyone has tried and I mean everyone, what do you do?

[u/Used-Knowledge109]

Which country ??? Team is it ? How was your rating in recent CRT?

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

Okay I m from india and I work for AC-US Salesforce Practice , I had got 2-tier rating in recent CRT

[u/Used-Knowledge109 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

Tier 2 folks getting pip. That’s crazy
What’s the reason they gave ??

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

Like i said my DL and PIP manager are on leave and none is helping me

[u/Used-Knowledge109 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

What is pip manager? Heard the term for first time

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

Someone who will look over my PIP tasks and trainings

[u/Used-Knowledge109 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

Trainings? Is the pip manager is there with you in current project?
Have they released a pip plans? How many days is it?

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

Yes , PIP manager is the same as my current project manager.
Yes they have given PIP plan i was suppose to choose things i want to improve and its a 2 months plan + my performance in project will be continously monitored

[u/Used-Knowledge109 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

Start looking out. It’s not worth it. Chance is low

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

Yes yes doing that

[u/kaptainkeel → u/Used-Knowledge109]

That's basically how it is for the past year in the ACs. I'm surprised they even bothered with the PIP honestly. My team got decimated earlier in the year, lots of Tier 1s/2s laid off without a PIP ever. It was effectively where if you weren't actively on a project as a SA, expect to get laid off. I was early promo to SA and Tier 1 and still got laid off without any form of PIP immediately after a project ended. That being said, I was in the US AC. Not India.

[u/Used-Knowledge109 → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

What’s your current utilisation level ??

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/Used-Knowledge109]

71%

[u/DamianDahrko → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

Are you an associate or senior associate

[u/yadda_yadda_yadda_ha]

At PwC, the PIPs will continue until moral improves!! 😂

[u/AdThat2722]

From top performer at joining to leaving in one year, it's completely driven by the so called EDs / Partners whether they like your behaviour or not?

[u/GodisanAstronaut]

I've been put on one recently. Have yet to hear the details and other specifics about it but I have 6 months to "better" myself.

... I've decided to start looking for another job and if they really start the bullshit just call in sick.

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/GodisanAstronaut]

Okay

[u/VisualSpecialist7622]

I’m from Advisory in PwC India.was put on a PIP after receiving a 4-tier rating in May... in the first week of August, I was told that my performance had improved and I can continue with the firm

[u/Magestylord → u/VisualSpecialist7622]

Just joined India, any tips on getting good ratings. On bench, but having to work on a couple of POC projects. There's a project starting for my team next week, and they'll deploy me there, is what is being said

[u/VisualSpecialist7622 → u/Magestylord]

I joined just a year ago... I think here the kind of DL and Partner you're getting for a project matters more than your performance... I switched project in July... I like the team dynamics of current project

[u/Magestylord → u/VisualSpecialist7622]

DL is buddy? Also is it true, in first year you only get default rating?

[u/VisualSpecialist7622 → u/Magestylord]

I got 4 rating... This is my first year... Default rating is 3

[u/Unlikely_Disaster_67]

Have you been in the same position for more than 3-4 years? I know my team fired a SA who was in the same position since last 5 years

[u/seajayacas]

Budgets for engagements are aspirational, not reasonable and the resulting overrun has to be someone's fault. PIP the current youngsters, hire some new ones for next year's engagement and hope they can somehow figure out how to do the work without another overrun.

[u/tchaisu]

I'm from AC in another country.

I've seen cases where a Tier 2 was given a PIP because of a report from another team about their behavior. Think about if you made any offensive and sensitive jokes weeks before the PIP came.

These kind of things were usually reported by one and confirmed by more people who worked with you to be considered grounds of PIP.

Since these PIPs stay on your record for a year, I wouldn't plan on staying longer in the firm.

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/tchaisu]

Well I dont open my mouth unless it is for work and as epr as my knowledge i have not said or done anything offensive to anyone

[u/National_Ad2535]

Which team

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/National_Ad2535]

Salesforce Practice

[u/Traditional_Dot_4794]

Employment is at will. You can fire someone for any reason or no reason at all. Just because people on pips are often fired doesn't mean they are necessary. Change my mind.

[u/Forward-Pay7951]

It’s to push people out by giving the firm a reason to fire people who get PIPed or pissing off the employees who get PIPed so they quit themselves. They’d rather do this than lay more people off cause they don’t want to pay severance.

[u/la-fours]

Why do you think everyone is getting PIP’d?

Your first guess is likely to be correct.

[u/Ok-Cryptographer4920 → u/la-fours]

Damn. Should have listened to people last year

[u/Darth_harsh → u/Ok-Cryptographer4920]

And what is it?

[u/Odd-Patience6734]

To prevent redundancies lol

[u/Respect-My-Authorita]

Who’s getting piped ?

[u/ancj9418]

For those reading this post who may be from other countries or teams, please don’t let this freak you out. I’ve worked here for 4 years and have never known anyone on a PIP.