In April, my PDS review was great. The meeting went well, and my manager even asked me to join him for lunch. He told me I had a great year. Two weeks later, they had the ranking meeting in May, and after that I noticed he was avoiding me in the aisles, around the kitchen area… everywhere.
For the PA communication meeting, he sent me an email saying he had come down with a cold and would be WFH. Then, on a zoom call, he told me I was in the PIP category and read some HR formalities. I was shocked. And then he said the infamous sentence: “It shouldn’t be a surprise to you…”
After two weeks, I told him I would do the PIP — and how stupid I was not picking up the clues that the real result was my termination, even before writing the PIP document.
Anyway, the whole three months he tried so hard to hide from me and barely communicated. He documented things like “he came at 9 AM and left at 3 PM,” “he was chatting loudly in the neighborhood area disturbing others,” “he worked from home more than 5 days in the last 4 weeks”… such a pity.
I finished every single thing in the document, and I even started some initiative ideas for a project. But I was out by end of 90 days.
31 replies (most recent on top)
@2gq Yes it does, read the policy, it’s very clear
@cr Sure, What’s the best way to reach you?
@2c5 NI is first 5 years doesnt mean PIP
@1ty it’s not that the goal is for them to fail. I want them to succeed and get better. But it also means that someone else - their peer - who is also a direct report of mine will swap places with them and get a pip the next year. Then, in year 3, I have to find a 3rd person to PIP (NI or lower for people with less than 5 yrs experience). If you can make it to year 5 then you only have to worry about NSI. If I don’t have enough people to spread the NI and NSI messages around, I’m forced to push people out. NIs don’t get raises and aren’t eligible for CL promotion.
@1tn you mean the goal is for them to fail otherwise you have to PIP someone else next cycle? my manager PIPed one in 2024 and they PILed out and 2024 he PIPed 2 one was formality and they passed the other one failed.
I’ve worked direct reports through 3 PIPs - this has not been my experience. I do think it’s hard to find many folks who have put people through a lot of them. I found a SSHE manager whose people always got put to the bottom. He said it’s more merciful to encourage folks to leave. Early career folks usually can make a major improvement if they have some behavioral gap. It su-ks. The ranking process is zero sum. If I get my PIPee up - then I just have to PIPE someone else the next year. There’s no avoiding it. I’m so jaded now I’m considering hiring or transferring in tributes to protect those that I think are pretty good and worth saving.
The whole process is staged, the results is not determined by your performance. PIP is a show to collect the paperwork to kick you out
The ones should be PIPed some how survive each cycle and the ones with no support get PIPed
@13c Yes but if they want you out you cant do much
@z5 humility aside... Sadly your pride doesn't pay bills. In the end it's all about money.
my experience - I got a very good rating and despite the very good rating the inexperience piece of sh-t said I need to be put on a pip. long so--y short - I went on it and it was a nightmare. they commented on my camera angle during zoom calls - face expression during a zoom call. its was crazy the shirt they were coming up with. I raised a grievance against this pieces of sh-t and it was partially uphold. at this point I had 2 months of the pip left - despite active grievance they continued the pip. I then raised a an ethics and compliance case. I even made a formal complain to the head of HR - seriously if you play right against this mo--ns and stand up for yourself you can have a great case against them. This id--ts need to be taken to court.
Please, please do not go through this. The humiliation and hostility I saw toward my friend were hard to watch. They acted like he never existed. Our manager even took us out for lunch the same day this guy took one day off. They excluded him from everything from the beginning of his PIP. We all knew he was on PIP because our manager wanted it to be publicly known.
I was the project manager and the PIPee's manger gave me a hint that he will be gone in 90 days. He didnt need to verbalized that but I knew the outcome already
Yes never criticize exxon procedures and the company. Big brother is listening and you will be labeled a thought criminal. It is just like communism or 1984 with spies and total allegiance to the company. Any detractors will be eliminated. Exxon is like the na-i regime fascist for the company instead of a nation. This goes for weam and or saftey violations. Never say anything against the company or it's management .
@eq Exactly. During a conversation with my “manager,” I mentioned Exxon and he immediately interrupted me to correct it to “ExxonMobil,” saying I was using the wrong identity. Too strong coming from someone who damages people’s professional identity on a daily basis.
@nz wormies . They ki-l to keep people to keep their job
The most dangerous people I have ever interacted with were EM employees. They do everything for ranking/money. I'm lost for words how to describe them
@am "failed" is wrong-. You were set free from a system that didn't deserve you.
@eq I completely agree about the opportunistic behavior. Even people who were previously passive suddenly try to assert themselves just to feel powerful for once. Individuals with no knowledge position themselves as “experts” out of nowhere. I hope the managers responsible are eventually held accountable for their actions.
I propose that while the corrupt HR is training those losers on how to communicate the harassment results , they also invest in helping them grow a pair of ba--s. Avoiding or hiding from their direct reports says a great deal about the weaknesses in the system.
It’s not worth it. It’s not worth the bullying or manipulation. The tests. The collusion to drive people out. “The results matter just as much as how you get them.” Lol.
@cr His experience isn’t unique. Anyone on this site or in the company can answer your questions.
When they want you out, they start manufacturing stories, documenting every trivial thing, and fishing for anything they can use against you. The opportunistic people on the team cooperate, and the whole group turns into a coordinated effort to push you out.
@cr This is the norm.
@cr you want to touch each other privately?
@OP hey! pls can I get in touch with you privately? would love to hear your experience!
There is a reason they are in managerial positions. They can change colors. I never had an honest manager in my career. They are “chill, laid back” as long as everything is smooth, but with even a small shift in work they can’t control themselves and they are the same people asking ICs to show productivity and reliability under harsh situations.
In April, my PDS review was great. The meeting went well, and my manager even asked me to join him for lunch. He told me I had a great year.
CONTACT A LABOR LAWYER - YOUR MANAGER SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU HAD DROPPED IN THE RANKINGS AFTER YOUR PRELIMINARY PDS REVIEW.
@am that’s very standard. I have been involved in directly pipping 20 people at Exxon. It takes a toll on you.
This is the new way and is typical at exxon. I went through the same thing and failed as well.