For Managers - DH Performance Plan at Fin Services ; quit or see process out?

[LeiLeiLeiLei]

Hi Managers of teams,

DH works in finance department for large Fin services company. There have been some deliverables which have not gone right though out of the blue he was called into a meeting with the Head of Dept (so Line Manager boss) and HR to develop a performance plan.

This is obviously a big mental strain and test of resilience though i am unsure if actually the decision has been made to manage him out and this is the start of the process or he will have a fair chance at this?

My thoughts are as it was sudden the decision has been already made as if genuinely wanted to him to succeed then it would not have escalated so quick. Even if he passes it will take some time to restablish himself.

He has worked in this company for 15months so i believe strictly speaking he could have been given notice straight away.

IABU - He has fair chance and see it out to prove his skills.
IANBU - Look for another job asap as very career limiting and damaging to mental health/confidence.

Absolutely impossible to tell unfortunately.
They might want him out so are just following a process or they might genuinely want him to improve and stay.
Even if he has less than 2 years a lot of companies don’t like to just dismiss in case of discrimination claims or similar.
It must be very stressful for both of you, what does he think?

I think this is difficult. I would see what the plan says.How the conversation goes. Pick up on language and atmosphere. Is it collaborative and supportive or distant and blaming.

What’s involved and is he getting support to achieve the outcomes. Is he able to critique what went wrong and why? I would also wonder why his bosses didn’t have a handle on the issues that went wrong in the first place. Is this a team or do they hang individuals out to dry? What’s the culture?

They could have started the process to him a chance before the 2 year deadline. I think that’s more likely. Also did he have any probation period and development in the last 15 months? What input did the company have into his development and success in the role? He should have has a performance review already so how did that go? 15 months in is a bit late to have a plan in my view.

I think he could simultaneously look for another job. See what’s out there.

Bluntly I think in my company he'd be better off moving on. It's very easy to let some one go before their 2 year service and the feeling in our company would be that if someone needed a pp so early in their role then it's not worth the risk of keeping them last 2 year mark.
Sorry if that's not what you wanted to here but there is nothing stopping him doing interviews and waiting for the right role to come along while in the pp.

I have thirty years experience in multinational financial services and as a head of department.

Even though yes somebody can be removed within the first two years without reason, it honestly isn’t something I have seen done very often and certainly not to somebody with 15 months tenure. In my last job, we dismissed somebody after a week because it was clear he did not have the skills he mentioned at interview, but as I say that was rare.

I can’t say it with certainty of course but I think there is a greater than 50% chance that this is the first step towards termination. I would definitely recommend that he starts to look for a new role and jumps before he is pushed, better for his mental well being too.

About five or six years ago my husband was put on performance management. He had an arse for a boss, he had always been very well regarded at work but this guy hated him. DH was too proud to even tell me he was on performance management but he was having so much trouble I asked if he was and he said admitted yes. We then agreed between us that the best thing he could do was leave for his mental well-being. We were lucky that he didn’t need to find a job first as I was earning well. Years down the line now and my husband has had no further problems at work and is as highly regarded as he always was.

As a manager i find this strange. Whilst i have put people on performance plans before this has never come as a shock and is used to train people up who are struggling and had involved multiple conversations beforehand, i cannot see any HR department recommending this without evidence of conversations in 1-2-1's before. If he hasnt had any conversations i would be very wary afraid

Yes i echo these comments. How did it even get so formal so soon. He told me the Head took him out for an informal lunch last month said that things need to tighten up though not too far off. Then boom , this month performance plan... also pay review this month too so most likely 0% (which is expected in these circumstances though really bad for us)

Does he work in the kind of place where a certain number of employees have to be put on a plan/let go each year? Happens in some big banks, the lowest quartile can all be at risk.

Honestly, I’d be looking to move on if it was me.

Yes, he flips flops between screw them and bide his time as he knows his abilities though there is a complicated calculation engine that takes half a day to run so any inputs / outputs that need adjusting take another day. He is only one in a team of ten and his work is at the end of the chain so i think any delays just gets attributed to him and any adjustments are more apparent to management as it is so close to deadline. It could just be wrong role or wrong company culture for him. There is regular weekend work, late nights and he has been called in during holiday to sort things out....

He past probation - think it was 6 months or a year. He got a recognition award a year ago (though obv a lot can happen in a year as demonstrated). No support as team understaffed and big cheeses obviously dont know the hard graft involved . They just see something wrong and expect it right. More i digest this the more i think he has been hung out to dry. This is not a bank nor American firm.

Thanks for your comments it sounds reassuring, my initial thoughts are what do you say to prospective new employers if have handed in notice? Candidates are not "normally" on notice period or have already left their old jobs?

Ideal scenario would be that he finds something whilst still gainfully employed.

Yes. Start looking. Go for interviews. Sometimes people are just not in the right role or company. The blame culture isn’t attractive. However he needs to suss out the vibes at the meeting. He should have had further performance appraisal after probation.

Also bosses who have worked their way up do understand hard work. Their weaknesses are usually expecting everyone to be like them!

I'd say see it through.

Even if it goes south, most times if the decision someone has to go is informally made by stakeholders, a big firm will box them employee into a corner and then offer a settlement agreement. This means the person gets some money (normally their notice period paid) and a neutral reference.

Actual sacking requires a full disciplinary process. Which takes loads of time / resource to be water right. And if they've had previous good reviews, there's a grey area.

Most times the company will offer a settle agreement as it's actually quicker and easier for them. Costs them a bit of money, but ensures they can't be pursued / challenged at a later date. Employee gets some cash / reference to get another role. Everyone moves forward and shuts the gate behind them.

Not a great situation, but it's important he just considers it as 'square peg, round hole' and moves on.

And to add, it's ok to not work sometimes. The old stereotype of 'easier to get a job whilst still in one' just isn't true any more for any decent company worth working for.

Wanted a sabbatical for family time / focus on health / did a big DIY project etc. It's ok to be honest. Last place didn't work out either due to culture / skills gap / resources to do the job / time expectations to complete tasks. We're not wage slaves. It's ok to show courage and move on from something that isn't working. To find another job under time pressure is often the quickest way to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.

@alwaysmovingforwards

Can DH just ask "Perhaps i am not the right fit (insert something suitable)... can the company consider paying notice to me so everyone can move on?

Potentially.

It gives the signal he's open to a compromise agreement which they may jump at to save time. But I'd balance it with the good things done, positive feedback received so far, structural challenges faced in the role etc. Just to 'put the marker down' that he if he's sacked he has factual evidence of positive performance and may would likely raise a grievance against them.

Personally I'd engage in the process for a bit longer, suss out the direction of travel. Bit stressful whilst going through it, but I'd get my ducks in a row and present what I have done in a factual way. To a degree they have to demonstrate they conducted a full and fair process. If an agreement is offered / taken before the process is fully concluded, they might be worried that he can come back at a later date and claim he offered this under duress and they won't have the paperwork to show it was a fair process.

Summary: I'd ride it out further, listen, keep the responses honest and factual, no point making snap decisions at this stage.

Just be mindful I'm just a random person on the internet though sharing experience that might be useful though. If he has concerns, worth digging out his contract / job spec / objectives and speaking with an employment solicitor. There are plenty of experts in this field that specialise in nothing else.

Good luck, it can be a stressful time for those involved, but when if one door closes others open. In 5 years time it'll just be a blip, everyone has them.

But yes, handing in notice is always an option if it's all too much. Just do it and then do the minimum for 3 months whilst job hunting. Nobody is forced to work.

so do both. Sounds like the start of a slippery slope and could likely see him lose his job. Definitely start looking for another job but maybe see what they say in the meeting to get a feel for the situation as it might buy him some time.

use the time to ensure he has everything in case he is let go overnight. Payslips, contact details etc remove any personal documents in his account.

What’s the company culture like? Is it supportive or more cut throat?
It could be his line manager is a bit crap, and should’ve been asking for improvements before going on a formal improvement plan. We’re told nothing should be a surprise to the employee.
But he should definitely take the opportunity to point out to HR where there is a lack of staff and delays before he gets the work to do.

Hi. Posting here as I am in a very similar position to your DH. I'm a finance manager in a big company, but in a different industry. I was called to a performance management meeting. In my case there were a number of good reasons why I was unable to complete the work that was asked (including my colleague leaving her position and me having to take on most of her work as well as mine, doing things for the first time too.)
Anyway, while I was disappointed, I trust the company culture and am confident that I can do the work, so while it's a shame I'm not too worried that I'll be terminated, but I recognise that is a possible result.

As to what your DH should do depends on the following: Does he like working there? If it's making him miserable then he had might as well look to move on.

Does he get on with his boss? My manager is the sort of person, who, when witnessing Moses part the red sea would, instead of being impressed, say "it's a bit muddy". She and I are never going to be mates but I'm clear on what is needed so it's ok.
Can he do the work to the required standard? Be honest. If yes, then do it. It's a hassle to replace someone so if he can turn it round, everybody wins.
Lastly, what were the circumstances around him leaving his last workplace? If he's always done well then moving on from this job after less than 2y is fine. If he's moved around often, with short tenure or moved on as part of a pip at his last place, then it will look like a pattern and he will want to avoid this.
Wishing you good luck.

This makes it seem not so out of the blue. Someone senior took him out, and told him that things needed to change, and then a month later he was told he was on a performance plan. Admittedly it's quick, but not completely unexpected if management didn't think there was enough of an improvement. Most of the time companies are criticised for not addressing poor performance quickly enough. What did he do in the month between that conversation and the formal meeting?

The question is whether the performance plan is deliverable. Does he think he can achieve what's on it, and if not, what is he prepared to do about that?

The fact that he was told a month before performance review suggests to me that they may be trying to cut back and looking at different ways. For him to get 0% payrise based on performance would imply that this has been going on all year rather than just in the last month which would means either they are very poor at managing people or you havent been told the whole truth. Never would my staff get 0% unless they were on the verge of getting sacked after a 3 month informal performance then 3 month official. Whole thing just seems very off for a multinational company managing in this way. If he honestly hasnt been spoken to i would recommend that he speaks to HR about going on an official performance plan which will be on his internal record of employment without any prior notification.

Terrible advice. Dragging your heels for a settlement in a job you’ve been in 15 months? Just leave. Try to negotiate a delay in the PIP and leave with a clean slate.

The company won’t need to pay any compensation via a settlement agreement as it’s under 2 years. However if it feels stressful staying, and getting another job is not too difficult, it can be easier to leave.

@TizerorFizz DH has worked the hours , weekends and holidays but all in vain. Guess they are simply result focused. I guess is they simply said its not working though here is your three months notice and good luck might have been the best. It is the mental well being as DH has to second guess what he says or what he writes as he feels he is constantly being "assessed".

@alwaysmovingforwards Thanks for the comments - DH does have professional skills and a breadth of experience so it might just be the square peg / round hole and a little bit unlucky as he ended up picking up this piece of the project which has turned into a poisoned chalice.

DH is on a good salary though a sideways move / reset would be beneficial as there are a lot of hurdles to overcome i guess to progress in current dept/ role

@TiaraBoo I think long hours and regular weekends are expected so perhaps the culture is all wrong for DH. The project he is on relates to quarterly financial reporting so after having a lunch with the Head of who ending lunch saying " we are not far off" to formal PIP is a big step. In the month inbetween there were no big deliverables so perhaps they just needed a scape goat. i guess it does happen and thats why some senior managers stay as senior managers....

@Hollowgast It sounds like you will deliver what is required. Do you feel that you'll still be behind career progression once you pass the plan?

DH can do the work though he feels effort, hours and achivements before have completely been disregarded so i guess feels bitter about that. Also feels there will be a constant hurdle to overcome in terms of future career progression.

DH last 4 jobs are averaging about 2.5 - 3years , he feels that if he isnt on the path to promotion then perhaps it is better to move. No PIPs involved in prior roles.

Is the workforce a bit more mobile these days so not necessarily seen as a red flag?