I'm a former tech manager who has put employees on PIPs. Almost no one survives them — someone in the company wants you gone.

• 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.