Recommendations for Dealing with a PIP

Recommendations for Dealing with a PIP Recommendations for Dealing with a PIP I was previously on a  performance improvement plan (PIP)  and just yesterday was given 90 days to improve or be fired. Honestly, I love my work however my boss has a low perception of me and I dont feel the situation is mendable. Still getting over it... I have a masters and BS in engineering so I am 70% sure that I can find a new job, but I had a question about severance. Do you think I should hold out for the severance pay and is there going to be any? Or, should I quit now because Im totally over it and a little concerned how future employers will see it? Human Resources’ Response: What do you stand to gain by quitting now? You wont be eligible for unemployment. You wont have a paycheck while you look for a new job. And,  having a resignation  without a new job lined up  wont make job hunting any easier. Any recruiter or hiring manager who isnt as dumb as a rock (admittedly, some are dumb as rocks), will say, Why did you leave your job without a new one lined up? And, since they will call your former employer for a reference, theyll find out the truth.  So you better tell them the truth anyway. In other words, quitting only solves your own emotional problems about having to deal with a boss who has a low perception of you.  Granted, a boss who doesnt think youre capable of performing can make performing difficult, but difficult is not the same thing as impossible. Heres my recommendation: Stay in the job, actively look for a new one, and actively try to meet the conditions of the PIP. Because your company has a formal PIP program, its highly unlikely that your boss will be able to make the decision to terminate you all on her own. How to Deal with a PIP Heres how you tackle a PIP: See the PIP as a blessing.  Its not often that a boss will spell out exactly what she expects of you. A PIP takes all the guesswork out of it. Your boss has written down all of her expectations. If you meet those, its highly unlikely that theyll fire you. You may not want to work there  anymore, regardless, but at least youll have a job while youre looking. Create a spreadsheet with everything you need to do.  Take your document and open up Excel. In one column list every single expectation from the PIP. Across the top, list each week of the PIP period. Each week, write down what you did towards that goal, along with the date and time you did it. With few exceptions, you should have something in every square every week. For instance, if one of your PIP goals is to sell $10,000 worth of product every month, write down each week how much you did sell If one of your PIP goals is to  communicate better with your coworkers, write down each face to face meeting you had. Record any problems solved via email. Or, if you followed up three times with Jane in accounting and she didnt get back to you, write it down.   The goal here is to document everything. Communication problems are often part of PIPs, but the boss doesnt see all of the communication you do when shes not standing there watching  your  every move. By writing this all down, she cant deny that youre communicating. Believe your boss.  So many people get defensive and dont believe the boss. I dont have a problem with my attitude! Shes the one with a problem! It doesnt matter if your boss is off her rocker, shes  still  the boss. So, if she says you have a problem with something, you better act as if you do. While its true that being on time or having face time isnt necessary for a lot of  exempt-level  jobs, if its important to your boss, you better make sure its important to you. Leave your house 30 minutes earlier if attendance is one of your problems. Walk across the office to talk to someone instead of sending an email if face time is important to your boss. If your attitude is labeled as a problem, ask for specific examples and then fix those things. Work isnt the place to express your individuality. Its the place where you do what your boss says so that you get paid. Meet regularly with your boss and your spreadsheet.  Bosses should want to meet with you regularly when youre on a PIP, but sometimes they forget. Make sure you schedule regular meetings if she isnt. This is absolutely critical to your success. You dont want to spend 90 days working on your communication skills by talking face to face with people only to find out that your boss really meant she wants you to work on your delivery tone when you talk with others. Yes, she should have been explicit in the PIP, but sometimes bosses arent great at communicating either. Keep HR in the loop.  Its a rare company that has a PIP program that doesnt involve the HR person. Make sure you keep her in the loop as well. Work hard.  Dont give up. I know its hard, but please dont give up. It will just damage your reputation further.   What about Severance Pay? Severance isnt required in a situation like this. Some companies will offer it to you, but many wont. After all, its your performance that is the problem. So, dont hold out for severance, but do hold out for the paycheck. Remember you can keep looking for a new job even when youre on a PIP and youre not obligated to stay once you find a new job, but quitting without a new job lined up will not make your life easier.   Note:  Talk with your boss so that you know how long your company expects a PIP to last. Current legal advice to employers is that they not state the length of time an employee has to work on a PIP.   This allows an employer to take action to fire an employee in as few as two weeks if the employer is not seeing significant progress. In your case, you need to exhibit early and significant progress.