What to Do if You're Put on a PIP (2024)

No one wants to be told that they need to improve their performance at work, but that sometimes happens in the form of performance improvement plans (PIPs). If you’re put on a PIP, take time to process your emotions and understand the situation. Then, carefully review the documents and ask for a detailed plan of action that coincides with your growth at the company. It may help to seek the guidance of a mentor — either within the company or a professional career coach.

Maybe you sensed you were behind and not meeting your objectives at work. Or perhaps you were feeling stressed and overworked — but there was no indication that you were not meeting your goals or lacked key competencies. No matter which scenario resonates with you, you may be surprised to find yourself on a performance improvement plan (PIP).

The overall goal of a PIP is to give employees with performance issues the tools and an opportunity to improve before facing other actions, such as termination.

Experts suggest that regardless of how the PIP news affects you, take time to process the information, and fully understand why you were placed on a PIP in the first place.

Understand why you were placed on a PIP

Ideally, once you receive news that you are being placed on a PIP, this sets the groundwork for positive change. But before this change can happen, you need to dig into the facts and understand why your employer chose to take this course of action.

It’s okay to have questions and doubts: Write down your thoughts, questions, accomplishments and challenges that you have had since you’ve been with your company. Did your manager take time to meet with you and discuss your progress weekly or monthly leading up to the PIP — or did this come out of the blue? These are important things to ask yourself before signing any paperwork or making any rash decisions.

Take time to read all the information you are given and process your emotions: Your head is likely swimming with thoughts and emotions about being placed on a PIP. And that’s okay. Take time after that initial meeting to carefully read whatever document your manager and HR provided you with (and make sure to make your own copy). From there, you need to feel 100% comfortable with everything in that document. If not, remember that you do have the power to negotiate.

“A good PIP is well documented and detailed,” said Jessica Pharm MBA, PHR, who is a human resources professional and founder and CEO of Blackness and The Workplace. “So, when you are reviewing it, talk with your manager about any areas with which you disagree. Take your time and address any and everything that feels out of line. Don’t be defensive. Just state the facts. … Make sure the expectations and time for completion are sensible and realistic. If it's not, then ask for an extension, additional help, resources, or anything you feel would level the playing ground and promote your success. If you don’t agree with what’s in the PIP and your manager isn’t willing to negotiate or discuss, don’t sign it.”

Understand what a healthy PIP process looks like: The PIP has a bad reputation among many employees as the beginning step in a termination. However, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) clarifies that when the process is implemented correctly, a PIP is a commitment to help the employee improve and not as a way for a frustrated manager to start the termination process. It’s up to HR to assess if a structured plan with time-sensitive goals is the appropriate next step or if a PIP will be more of a detriment than an aid. And it’s never wrong for the employee who receives the PIP to question if the company is truly committed to helping them grow — or if this is a path to termination.

For you to feel comfortable moving forward with your PIP, you should have a clear vision of what lies ahead for the next 30, 60 or 90 days. There should be a “roadmap” of sorts to how you will achieve your goals, along with regular check-ins along the way.

Make sure that there are no “red flags” associated with your PIP

If you have a bad feeling about the circ*mstances surrounding the PIP, don’t push that feeling away. Ask questions, get answers and make sure that this isn’t just one more step before termination — but rather a genuine effort to help you gain the skills you need to do your job effectively.

“[With a healthy PIP,] management should indicate all the things they are going to do to get you where you need to be because they want to see you come out on the other side,” said Kelly Campana, who is a leadership and life coach who specializes in helping women leaders in Fortune 500 companies. “But if they leave it all up to you with no guidance, that's a red flag. Another red flag is if you have not been given any substantiation. So if [your manager] hasn't had HR and their upper management sign off on the document indicating that are things you need to work on or that you're falling behind and you have not been given the tools to get off the PIP — then that is a sign they're managing you out of the organization.”

Maintain a healthy attitude while completing your PIP

Your PIP is a document that was likely put in place because there was some gap in your performance. You must remember that this document is not simply a list of your “wrongdoings''. Rather, as Business Management Daily shares, it’s a document that details a challenge and subsequently should list what it takes to correct that challenge.

An increasing number of people are finding the courage to change careers thanks to some self-reflection during the pandemic. I’ve talked to several experts on my podcast — #GetHired with Andrew Seaman — about how people can change careers during that time. For the latest episode, we’re bringing together the advice of three all-star Get Hired guests: former Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno; career coach Christopher Taylor, aka “The Occupation Optimist; and coach Austin Belcak, the founder of Cultivated Culture. You can listen to the episode below or by clicking here. You can also read the transcript here.

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