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- Theresa Sue Mubenga, a former tech manager, shares her experience with putting employees on performance improvement plans.
- She believes PIPs can be beneficial if managed empathetically, but notes they often result in termination.
- Mubenga advises those put on a PIP to start job hunting because they are not survivable.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Theresa Sue Mubenga, a former tech manager and startup founder. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I've spent over 10 years in the corporate world in the tech sector. In my fourth year, I became a manager, and that's when I was first introduced to a PIP.
I've had to put four employees on performance improvement plans (PIPs), and all of them ended in termination.
I had to put an employee on a PIP
I had an employee who started off great. During the interview process, she was a no-brainer for all of us; she passed all of the layers of interviews with flying colors. Once she started working with us, she was so personable and so kind.
But within a few months, something happened. I don't know if it was hard for her to keep up this persona or if she was struggling with something on the side, but she completely switched.
She became unkind and rude. She no longer had the traits that we really valued when hiring her. Her primary job was in customer service, and we always got complaints from customers about how they felt like she had a disrespectful and short tone. She never fully completed her tasks, came to work late, and called out of work regularly.
I had weekly meetings with her where I asked, "Hey, is there something going on? Is there something we could do better?" I felt like I was trying to be her therapist. But she felt personally attacked every time anyone would try to address anything with her. She would ask things like, "Why is it only me being focused on?" and place blame on other people. She was highly sensitive and couldn't take criticism.
My higher-ups decided that the PIP was the best way to go about her termination because there was a risk that if we fired her, she would come back and say that the company illegally terminated her.
During those 30 days of the PIP, her behavior changed. She didn't miss or call out from work. She came in on time and was more proactive in finishing her tasks.
She survived the PIP. No one could believe that someone had actually made it through a PIP. We thought it might be an act, but we were optimistic. We were like, "Okay, great! This is good. Maybe she changed her ways."
Her behavior reverted after the PIP
As soon as the PIP ended, she reverted to her old ways. The Monday after her PIP ended, she came into the office and was back to her cold, short-tempered nature. She was distant from the rest of the team and would talk back and have a snarky attitude.
I don't think she thought she could be put on another PIP or terminated.
I met with the company management and we discussed what we thought about her behavior during the PIP and after the PIP. We all agreed that it didn't help her and that she was hindering the team because we needed to hyperfocus on her and her struggles.
There were enough grounds for termination, so we started documenting all of the times she was late, called out, and received customer complaints.
Within 30 days of surviving the PIP, she was terminated.
I now understand the protection measures PIPs offer companies
I hate putting people on PIPs. I'm naturally an empathetic person because I care a lot about people — I've been that way throughout my entire career.
But now that I run my own company with 22 employees, I have a slightly different perspective and think PIPs are very necessary because of the protection measures they offer.
They set out in writing the employee's behavior and the fact that the company is giving the employee a fair opportunity to change it. This protects the company from anyone claiming that they were illegally terminated.
In the two years since starting my own company, I've had to put one person on a PIP. It was very hard.
I haven't changed; I still believe that there's an underlying reason for everyone's behavior and want to make sure we check in on if there's something going on in their personal life. But I do know having this mindset can be bad for business, so I've become more direct with decision-making.
PIPs could actually be beneficial
If used correctly, PIPs could be beneficial to employees. But companies need to put more good managers in place that care for their employees.
There are a lot more bad managers than good managers. Good managers care about their people. They're going to approach everything in an empathetic, caring, and understanding way.
On the other hand, there are bad managers who are just there for the bottom line. Bad managers might just decide to put an employee on a PIP so that they can get rid of them and don't have to deal with their behavior.
For the PIP to work how it should, where it's fair to both the employer and employee, requires having good middle management that can actively work with an employee and be their voice of reason.
Once you've been put on a PIP, here's what you should do
The PIP is really a no-return kind of thing. PIPs are not survivable, because once someone gets a PIP, they often feel targeted and don't want to work at a company. It changes their whole mindset, and they feel more negative toward everything.
If you're an employee being put on a PIP, that's your opportunity to start looking around at other jobs. Somebody is saying they don't want you there. They saw enough and the PIP is their way to protect themselves.
If you love the company and you've just been going through a hard time, it's your chance to prove to them that you can change your behavior.
But if you have no interest in the company and it really doesn't align, don't wait for the last day of the PIP to start looking for a job. Start looking immediately.
If you've ever been put on a PIP at a Big Tech company and would like to share your story, email Jane Zhang at janezhang@businessinsider.com.