To ask if anyone has been put on a performance improvement plan

[gibson2018]

And managed to turn it around and keep their job?

I have only seen this happen once and it was someone who had been at the company with no issue for a few years - they were going through some personal stuff we didn’t know about.
It may depend on industry but in the ones I know it generally ends badly.

If I was put on a PIP I would work with your employers and in the meantime interview aggressively with a view to jumping before pushed.

I’m not saying this to scaremonger But because I know people who were absolutely dumbfounded when they were let go. somehow they believed they had made the necessary improvements but clearly HR and management had a different view.

Having been on the other end I can hand on heart say it’s a painful process for all parties involved.

I was put on one whilst on a probationary period. I turned it around and was a top performer within 6 months.

However I had lined up another role if that one didn’t work out.

I was put on one as I was underperforming and it made me seriously reflect on my work. I put a lot of effort in to ensure I met the targets they set and I’m still at the some workplace 6 years later - have just been promoted in fact!

I think if you feel that the PIP is unfair and you’re doing your best then it’s probbky better to leave, as you and your employer obviously have different expectations. If not, use it was a catalyst for positive change!

I haven't, but working in HR I've supported managers with them a lot.

People have turned it around. It depends on whether it's a 'can't do' or 'won't do' issue though.

If an employee has the right attitude and accepts they are performing below par...that's a good thing.

If you work in private sector it can be different. I think they can use performance to push you out...especially if there are other things that they aren't happy about with you.

I've seen action plans of friends in the private sector...which wouldn't stand up in an employment tribunal.

I have put someone on a PIP and they did turn things around. Although they were obviously quite unhappy to begin with, with regular 1-2-1s and more in depth monitoring we discovered that the colleague actually had a couple of gaps in training that just needed addressing to bring him back up to speed (training he'd had, but hadn't fully understood and had not raised). Once this was identified his work got better and we've had zero issues since (this was over a year ago).

I'm slightly over simplifying the situation, but most employers don't want to use it as a means to dismiss (actually it's a bit of a convoluted process to dismiss via PIPs).

As I understand it, PIPs are a last resort, formal process. Possibly triggered after other training/mentoring/support has not been successful.

I know of one person put on a PIP and he ended up leaving the organisation. He's got a massive attitude problem though, which could be clouding my judgment.

They should provide the recipient with the time and resources to effectively do their job, with clear measurable outcomes.

I was put on one once and was so demoralised that I found another job. On reflection the first job wasn’t right for me anyway. I agree with pps that employers can use them to push employees out. Best of luck OP.

I know now that the chances of anyone ever turning a PIP around are slim-to-none.

Yes, our library system started to use PIPs as a scare tactic for "awkward" staff who were good at their jobs and that they didn't want to lose from the system or promote. While we were on PIPS we weren't allowed to apply for other council jobs and were "stuck" in a degrading, underfunded system with no support.

Obviously lots of us left and found other jobs outside of the council, but once the management were found to be abusing PIPs the system was more comprehensively monitored and miraculously we were all found to be performing perfectly.

I use them in work a lot. I've probably had about 10 employees on them in the past couple of years and only lost 3 or 4. I find it can "scare" people into really considering whether their job is for them. I enjoy putting people on them to improve.

The council then obviously didn't have to pay redundancy to those that were forced out by this method. Rotten to the core.

I used to coach people through performance plans, ours were used in a positive way to support staff

I find that only the people who accept there is an issue (be it personal that’s having more of an impact on work than they realised or professional) are able to turn it round. Those that don’t accept there is an issue don’t stay.

I think PIPs only work if you are willing to "manage up" and therefore you give yourself the tools you need to make sure you hit those targets whilst also showing how keen you are to change!

PIPs are not a death sentence but they are not great! Did you expect to receive one @gibson2018 ?

I have managed a few people through the process. Only one “failed” and chose to leave. In general, if done the right way, I found it really helped the employees focus on particular areas they were struggling in and as a manger gave me a real view into their personalities. If I can see someone is really really trying but missing the mark then we can work together to make things right again

Also I have had one and also put others on them.

My one ended with me acrimoniously leaving a prior company for a great new job... I also filed sever grievances against the manager who put me on one during the process so I had a good idea how it was going to end! But what mine came down to was there wasn't enough work in my team and they needed to find a way to make cuts without costing money.

I have only ever had one employee fail a PIP and that was because they got caught sleeping on a night shift which is gross misconduct anyway... but it was a shame as i knew their personal circumstances were terrible at the time!

Someone in my team is on one and we definitely don’t want them to leave but recognise that we all need to work together to turn it around. They seem willing so I’m quite positive that they will stay.

With previous company, the person turned it around and became our top performer. Having seen how their career progressed since then still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

IME PIPs are just a way of getting rid of people you don't want and avoiding an unfair dismissal situation.

Me. About 6 years ago. Nothing really came if it. I wasn't offered any training or anything it was all a bit odd.

Come to think of it, I've never been formally told I am no longer on a PIP!!

I’ve known some people be on a PIP (often at least partly due to ongoing personal issues impacting their job) and turn it around. It needs them to accept that there’s a problem and a good manager to work with them to improve with coaching and support. It’s no good just saying “stop getting things wrong” to someone who keeps getting it wrong. You have to find out whether they are making careless mistakes or haven’t understood something, or need more training, and help them come up with actual strategies to improve.

I’ve also known people on them eventually be managed out because they just can’t do the job to a decent standard. Most people jump before being pushed though.

I’m in the private sector but my employer is generally good, lots of people stay long term. They do use less formal targets before PIPs and most people I know, including me, have been on at least one target (usually for sickness and/or errors).

I got put on a Pip once and successfully contested it with the help of my union rep.

Long story short(ish). I had a later start time - and finish time- arranged (9:30-5:30 as opposed to 9:00-5:00).
The work was divided out at 9:00 so by the time I came in I got what was left, the team had cherry picked the best work and left me all the rubbish and complicated work, an average case should take an hour but easy cases could be 20 mins and more complicated cases could be a couple of hours or more. Most days there wasn’t enough work left for me to meet my targets in the first place (some people in the team would lift extra work -easy cases -because they took less time so be sitting on 160% productivity).

The end result was the manager divided the work out fairly at the start of the day (keeping my portion back for me) and the cherry pickers moaned like hell, my productivity returned to where it was sitting previously (for the past 8 years!) which was around the 120% mark.

I’ve put people on them, I have a team member on one now. I sincerely hope they turn it around and it’s not going to end their time with us.

I think it really depends how the employer sees a PIP. Some companies clearly use it to manage people out, for others it is a genuine effort to bring performance up to standard (but if it fails you're on your way out).

I've been on the other side of them twice. Small comfort I know but neither I nor HR liked it, there aren't that many people who enjoy seeing the worry and upset of the person placed on one. To be fair both individuals had been given huge amounts of help, support, mentoring, additional (repeat) training before we resorted to this.

One just really wasn't capable of reaching the standard required for that particular role, despite years in the industry. He eventually accepted a move to a less technical role in another team. Not great but not sacked!

The other was capable but would improve until we stepped back a bit and then take the foot off the gas. She was absolutely taking the piss though and got to written warning stage then left rather than be fired.

I know of two others in my department who came out the other side and appear to be performing well so it's not hopeless but again, it depends on what the company is aiming for.

Sorry for late reply but have to be careful when answering - didn't want to do it on work computer and have been spending the commute trying to get up to speed with work.

Am on phone so can't answer individually, sorry

As for work I haven't been given any warning. I've had some personal stuff going on which has affected my work recently. They know about this but given it was 3 months ago now, they have given me 2 months to turn it around and get up to speed or I will be dismissed.

I have to spend the time refocusing. I have been there 2.5 years and spent 1.5 years working on a big project which took my focus away from the main element of my job. So I now need to get up to speed on the stuff I have fallen behind on.

Still unsure as to whether they've done it to phase me out. I have a really good relationship with one of the bosses but not so much the other. Wish me luck 😩

It was a HR tactic to get rid where I used to work. One person had 'smile more' as a 'target' on theirs. Think they'd have got short shrift at any tribunal. Most people knew the tactic so would go off sick ('stress') & get another job. Turnover was v v high.