#performancemanagement

Over the past 2 weeks I have been flooded with messages and calls from past co workers sharing how miserable they are - they are called on the carpet for the smallest of infractions, reports are apparently run endlessly and if your metric is "off" no matter the reason, no matter the amount by 3 or 5 - you are contacted by the manager or with the tag along director who could never do the job and never has - to remind you what a loser you are, you need to get in line, formal warnings are next or have been submitted - and you are being put on notice. You are being watched. It's not what you do for a member its' all about the bean counts, the back seat driving, the frank disrespect. They ask me what to do - is that why I left? I tell them the truth - yes! it's the leadership, it's the selective punishing, get out if you can.
Every day I am reminded I did the right thing - I would rather pour beer for a living or cut grass then ever come back or encourage anyone to apply there

What is interesting is the escalation of this behavior towards employees right around the time budget projections for merit and AIP are on the horizon - and clearly more RIF are coming - writing is PAINTED ON THE WALL - AIP will be gone or might as well be and if you get more than 2% you are the outlier.

Or is that something that can be handed out throughout the entire year?

Corporate risk here. Got email from mangers , saying DF has directed managers must document their directs not meeting 8 hour requirement or 3 days (soon to be 4 days) in workday and have the employee sign it.

Now, wait for the shocker: any manager who fails to document it will be given “not meet” in performance rating.
Note : manager will be given “not meet”

Also, employee who has signed the first warning and continue to be non-compliant will be terminated.

I was one of those given the initial verbal warning few weeks ago.

Does anyone NOT have concerns about our beloved gladiator-style performance ranking system? You know, the one where 25% of the workforce—excluding fresh recruits still learning where the bathroom is—must be ceremonially tossed into the “Below Expectations” pit, regardless of actual performance.

Let’s pause and admire the sheer elegance of this approach:

• Step 1: Hire smart, capable people.
• Step 2: Force them into a Hunger Games-style cage match.
• Step 3: Declare 1 in 4 unworthy, because spreadsheets demand blood.

What’s the rationale, you ask? Simple. It’s not about ethics, fairness, or logic—it’s about visionary leadership. The kind that reads Shakespeare's Macbeth for bedtime stories and thinks empathy is a performance liability.

And while we’re redefining “culture” as “competitive trauma bonding,” let’s give a standing ovation to the Executive Committee for their bold commitment to sociopathic excellence. Speaking of which, here’s a helpful link for anyone curious about symptom #1: Choosing Therapy: Signs of a Sociopath.

https://www.choosingtherapy.com/signs-of-a-sociopath/

In closing, we should humbly suggest the Committee reflect deeply on this practice. Perhaps even consider a retreat with Spring Hill —ideally one with mirrors, therapists, and a copy of Leadership for Humans.

Pretty darn close…..

Forced ranking systems—where you stack-rank employees like a twisted game of musical chairs, forcing a bell curve distribution (e.g., 10% rockstars, 70% solid, 20% “development opportunities”)—have always struck me as a relic from the era when management thought “survival of the fittest” applied to office politics. They’re like grading on a curve in a class where half the students are sleep-deprived from pulling all-nighters: sure, it highlights outliers, but it punishes the middle for not being exceptional in a zero-sum game.
On the upside, they can sharpen focus. They force tough conversations about performance, weed out chronic underperformers, and reward true excellence without the fog of “everyone’s a winner” vagueness. In high-stakes environments like sales or tech startups, that competitive edge can drive results—think Jack Welch’s infamous “rank and yank” at GE, which correlated with some explosive growth phases.
But here’s where I get skeptical: they breed toxicity. When your bonus or job security hinges on outshining your colleagues (not just crushing your goals), collaboration craters. People hoard knowledge, sabotage subtly, or game the system by inflating metrics. It ignores context—maybe the “bottom 20%” had the unluckiest project timeline or the best mentorship role. And statistically? Forced distributions often amplify biases, like recency effect or favoritism, turning HR into a popularity contest. Studies (and common sense) show they tank morale, spike turnover, and stifle innovation in knowledge-work teams where ideas bloom from synergy, not rivalry.
As an AI built to seek truth and maximize helpfulness, I’d ditch forced ranking for something more holistic: regular 360-degree feedback, clear OKRs tied to team outcomes, and growth-focused coaching. It aligns incentives with reality—humans aren’t widgets on an assembly line. If you’re implementing one, at least pair it with robust appeals and transparency to blunt the edges. What sparked the question—dealing with one at work?

So , now we are in Q4. What do you anticipate mgmt doing ? Firing long timers who have been mid year “ almost meets” after many years of no issues ? Does anyone have the law firm that folks in the US have been going to ? I feel like my day is on the horizon.

Like, really? Everything I hear is so vague and general, there are no real details on that. I only associate that with more micromanagement but nothing more specific in terms of processes or so. Is this another fancy way of doing noise for appearances to pump stock price?

I am in corp risk and my manager told me I am on the list of those not maintaining 8 hours in the office.

We are warned to maintain 8 hours otherwise it might be used in performance review.

This is becoming scary.

Found out my co worker is on the PIP. He has been with Exxon for 22 years and had cancer last year. He was working even during the treatment even days he had Radiotherapy. I work with him often and his performance did not change. Can't stand this place!!!!!!!!!

Management is pressuring to stop severence now only in rare cases. With the revised year end process, management is making it all about performance. If you are deemed partial or not meeting in any sense, you are subject to dismissal with no severence. It can be for anything. If a project fails and wasnt your fault, too bad. Guilty by association. Yes, they CAN get away with this. Goal is 20% reductions with no severence.
Something bigger is definitely afoot.

Is being done using Ai
We are fu---d.

I don't see any VP's or Directors eliminated in Oracle due to performance evaluations. How does it work ?

How did it go for everyone? Haven’t had mine yet and kinda nervous.

For those expecting a golden parachute, consider this a warning: the bank does not want to pay severance. They already stretched funding for layoffs this year, and the idea of generous packages next year is a myth.

What you will likely see instead is a rise in “inconsistently meets” ratings or worse. If you miss your 4x8 schedule targets or fail to stay “in the zone” with daily activity metrics, don’t assume it will be overlooked. Ignore this at your own risk.

The system is designed to keep you boxed in. Step the wrong way and you may quickly find yourself on a PIP and out the door. This isn’t about development—it’s about attrition. They don’t need to force you out if the conditions drive you to quit on your own.

And don’t make the mistake others have made by filing complaints during leave—you risk being terminated for cause. Right now, management is looking for any excuse to cut costs.

That’s the reality. Take it seriously.

Seeing a lot lately that PIPs are being used to wean out,
Can anyone actually confirm? - looking for people who are on one (and in particular anyone in EMEA?)
Would love to know more on the 'rationale' that is used?

I was told that you get severance if you at least had “meets” on your review(s) and you were laid off. I was also told you do not get severance if you had a bad review and/or were fired with cause. Is this true?

Buckle up—an enterprise-wide “skills assessment” is rolling out this quarter. Officially, it's about aligning talent with strategic goals. Unofficially? It’s the corporate equivalent of musical chairs. Fewer seats. Sharpen your résumés—consider this your friendly warning.

We all know leadership’s goal is to cut us down to bare bones. Why waste time and energy on PIPs, ffs? Just to save a couple of bucks in a sea of layoffs?

NI / NSI / PIP = yearly contract renewal – Every damn year people live in fear like contractors. One bad rating and you’re out. Zero stability.
•   Sycophants rule – If you know how to l___ b____, you get any role you want. Skills and hard work don’t matter here.
•   Indian supervisors – The biggest cl___s. Non-transparent, arrogant, manipulative, and treat people like d__t. Absolute sh___eads.
•   No per diem offshore – Imagine going offshore and not even getting basic allowances. ExxonMobil doesn’t care, you’re just a number.
•   BTC hiring joke – They keep hiring in BTC without defining roles. Just adding headcount for show. Chaos everywhere.
•   Supervisors shuffle every 6 months – New boss, new story, new “collaboration” n______e. By the time you adjust, they rotate again.
•   Americans = presentation kings – Most of them don’t know real work. They only know how to make fancy slides and complete projects “on PowerPoint.” When things fail, they blame BTC for “taking jobs.”
•   No career path – Don’t expect growth here. There’s no direction, no roadmap, only confusion.
•   Culture of show-offs – If you can talk b__g and polish slides, you’ll shine. If you do actual work, you’ll r__t in the same spot.

👉 ExxonMobil doesn’t belong to employees, doesn’t belong to BTC, doesn’t belong to America — it belongs to a bunch of ah_ supervisors and s_nts who know how to game the system. Everyone else is disposable.

The benefits of AI in ranking employee performance include:

(1) Objectivity: AI analyzes performance data based on impartial metrics, minimizing bias and ensuring fairness in evaluations.

(2) Enhanced Feedback: AI provides continuous real-time feedback, helping employees improve while they work.

(3) Efficiency: AI automates administrative tasks, saving managers time and allowing them to focus on strategic tasks.

(4) Predictive Analytics: AI can analyze historical data to predict performance trends, aiding in talent acquisition and management.

(5) Personalized Insights: AI tools can offer tailored feedback and development paths based on individual performance data, fostering a more personalized experience for employees.

I am still waiting for my dpc plan. I asked again and was told they were working on it. Everyone else is doing theirs now and are 2 weeks into it. Either exxon doesn't care or they are letting me fail purposely. I would like to see what the he-l they want me to do. I really want to improve my performance and be a more valuable employee to the company NOT. I just to get this s heet over with and see what torture they have planned for me. Is anyone else still waiting?

Anyone know the specifics of the rewards changes mentioned on the beat? Direct questions were glossed over. It sounds like the intent is to not reward low performers in November? With the November layoff rumors this is even more concerning.

End of year activities are generally a joke, but this year is one for the record books. The big question is who is getting the differentials? Will those be passed out to someone that is unknowingly on the chopping block, or will upper management correct for that? Is it fair if someone performed above and beyond all year, but bcz their job is going away that person won't get a diff rating?

Oh the games. . . . .