Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

PIP is not new. The recent rank system changes only formally acknowledges how the old system was actually applied. (it was called "clustering"). Now they group people in clusters at 90, 80, 60, 40, 20, and below 10. In good years, the company frequently did not force rank 10% of people into bottom 10 category. This meant there were fewer PIP's and involuntary terminations. They justified this on "business need", that is we need the bodies. Now Business need is to reduce expenses, so they are actually using the full 10% in the bottom 10 and 8% will be PIP. The ranking system is not changed significantly, but the business environment is forcing them to fully use the bottom 10% category.

Every company is compressing. Everyone is laying off. We are PIPing. It feels fruitless I am not PIPed this year but I don’t see an end to the cut. So 8% this year 8% next year and so on. No project, everything is on hold, etc, etc, etc. Eventually your number will be drawn unless you are a true HiPo. Also most of the people I know don’t desired to be PIPed this year

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i agree. the employees i heard that were pip'd were lazy, had a bad attitude and were a wrong fit with the company.

CL 27 / Male / 41 yo / 13 yrs with XOM

@ PIP’d: what is your CL/GENDER/Age/years of service?

OP is wrong. I’ve been ranked middle 1/3 and above for the 12+ years I worked in XOM, and was just ranked NSI after one of the busiest years I’ve ever had. No attitude issues, no flagrant mistakes or negligence, I’m just shocked... I don’t think what’s happening right now is normal and that only “poor performers” were ranked NSI.

The lead comment is willfully ignorant or misinformed. I received a pay raise of over 5%, a few months ago. I had always straddle the upper 1/3 to middle 1/3 boundary. I had excellent KOs and my supervisor told me s/he went in with a expectation for me to rank at “excellent”.
I was PIPed at the bequest of a manager/VP.

I think there are indeed people that had performance issues, but specially after removing safewards (Max 20 drop) and oversight (no input from job family, resource area) the system can be used to both punish people and clear the field of those unpopular to the upper levels. Actual performance is secondary. Skill succession (especially on critical technical areas) not a consideration.

They have to cut, and rather keep the ones they like. Next year it will be brutal. With most projects on stand-by or deferred, I expect the next ranking to be an all out game of favoritism after year of kiss a–.

As long as they have true believers in the system and the objectives, they will go on despite evidence of how they hurt themselves in the long term.
#winning

There seem to be a lot of people PIPd this year that have never heard a PIP or a peep about needing to improve performance. The bands were skewed towards the lower end of the performance scale this year. You are very shallow, short sighted or ignorant if you do not see this for what it really is "a thinly veiled LAYOFF". The Cowardly Tiger rises again!

This program is nothing new. I've known many coworkers who didn't meet the cut of expected performance and been placed on PIP for many years.

Some of them just don't show any improvement and are asked to look for employment elsewhere, some have actually improved/taken off the program and are still employed, while others take the 3 month salary and look for work elsewhere.

The people that I've known that have been let go literally did not "get it" and were very difficult to work with. They were dead weight and should have been let go sooner, but where given a chance to improve. The key to look at will be how many employees are let go versus previous years.

Corporate told management to get rid of poor performers. Corporate trusted their management to get rid of poor performers, but the managers get rid of those they don’t like based on their own opinion, or if you have ever ticked them off.
PIPs are a smoke screen. They are moving you out. An excuse to gather information so they can legally fire you.

This is a dirty way for EM to do lay offs. But they don’t care if you or anybody thinks poorly of them as long as you go quietly. EM doesn’t want to be faced with a lawsuit, a messy firing, they have their target lists and unfortunately it’s never done fairly, but based on behavior and not real work performance. Granted some that needed to go may go, but a lot of times those who don’t deserve it get it too.

The PIP has been existed for many years and it is only for one purpose and design to fire or layoff people. Some tasks are impossible. Some tasks will solve the Oil and Gas industry problems. I have seen people that were marked in the manager's list just because they spoke clearly and without hiding their thoughts about something wrong.

But, if you are Superman like the person expressing comments like "The key to look at will be how many employees are let go versus previous years", you will not have any problem to say, "Yes Sir, No Sir" or maybe you are a manager or brownnoser

A few people survive PIP. Some one ranked 9% or 10% might survive PIP this year...and the bottom 8% get PIP'd...BUT next year they become a bottom 1% and will PIP next year (unless they significantly improve on performance). Surviving might be good because you get paid and have a whole year to look for a job. It is easier to find a job with a job. If you are unemployed they assume you were a low performer.