#performancemanagement

I heard some people will always have ratings above VG.
Is it the same as being hipo, or just protected (whatever that means)?
Does that change often? What does one need to do in order to be in that pool?

Why the fluff is the active use of AI even a parameter for the feedback we need to give people? Eliza is actual garbage and they’re really force feeding us this so they can layoff the next group that doesn’t use it. Stay woke

New direct labor ZERO OT policy is an operational disaster waiting to happen. It wasn’t built on output data or bottleneck reviews, yet site leaders are threatened with performance mgmt if deliveries slip. Requiring personal approval from unresponsive executives for every labor exception isn’t management- it’s creating a bottleneck in itself.

KY TN CA BON reports filed. We have to make sure these lousy incompetent employees are held accountable for their actions.

For at least a decade now US Bank has been in need of actual pro-disciplinary policies. Current HR policies are enabling their retention of bad employees. Evidence and documentation no longer hold any value when attempting to discipline and or terminate bad employees. If the managing committee or higher-ups in human resources are reading this, people leaders in this corporation need better support from human resources when it comes to dealing with employees who are clearly taken advantage of company and federal policies. I understand this company wants to be lean. Let us use the tools that we have get rid of the dead weight.

Is there any truth to the rumor that people who received inconsistent performance rating last year due to not following in-office adherence will be laid off? I am on a very small team and I believe I am the only one on my team who got an IP so I’m freaking out. My role is a grade level 3 phone role.

• I posted this as a response, but figured it would be more useful to some if it was a standalone thread. *

  Come one, everybody! Don't be so gullible.

  CK didn't say there wouldn't be layoffs in our recent all-hands call, he just said they aren't focusing on that right now. It's an incredibly careful response the comms team has prepared ahead of time for the topic.

• What does 'focus on that right now' even mean? Focus on it later (this month? next month?) He might focus on them next week if the market reacts badly to his strategy?
  P23 and P24 were VERY expensive once you calculate out the VERP and severance packages of thousands of senior skilled colleagues with decades of time at the company. They'll want to find a cheaper approach to 'brushing their teeth' going forward. (Clue: "Our new Performance Management" where we overload you with work, give you impossible targets to hit, then later on use missing them as the reason to fire you for performance reasons with no payout).

• After the morale cratering debale that was how they handled P23 and P24, they'll want a quieter approach to future layoffs. They don't even have to tell you. Just cut a team of 15 here, 25, there, 55 here, 30 there... no need to announce it, and if anyone finds out use the bogus 'location strategy' explanation (you know, the BS one where a team of 30 can get cut because that office is not in their strategy, yet for other colleagues in that same location all is fine).

• The next layoffs will be cheaper and done as sneakily as possible - manufactured performance problems for expensive workers followed by unattainable PIPs, and voila.
  Let's not be gullible. "not focusing on that right now" absolutely DOESN'T mean there will be no layoffs in executive speak, just like "there aren't any plans currently" or "we want to keep our best people". They're empty non-answer phrases that give nothing away.

SAP couldn't give 2 ships about you as a person. Do what's best for you. If that means stay and try to put up with the political drama and backstabbing, good for you - best of luck to you. But if not, don't be blindsided. Tidy up that CV and start paying attention to what's out there. I certainly will be.

Looking for honest input from folks who’ve been through this.

I recently moved into a new individual contributor (IC) role. The onboarding/training has been very limited, and I’m still working to understand expectations and what “good” looks like.

A few complicating factors:

The scope of the role turned out to be significantly broader than expected (wasn’t fully visible upfront).
Deliverables and success criteria are somewhat ambiguous.
My current manager is still getting up to speed on the role as well.

Given that I already passed this year’s ranking and landed above NSI:

How quickly can someone realistically be put on a PIP after moving into a new IC role?
Is there typically a ramp-up period in situations like this, or can it happen fairly quickly if performance isn’t there?
In practice, how much do unclear scope / limited training factor into these decisions?

ExxonMobil’s MLRP is a performance‑ranking system that forces a fixed percentage of employees into the lowest category (“NSI”), often triggering PIP or separation options. It functions as a structured mechanism for performance management but has been widely criticized for effectively enabling layoffs under the guise of evaluation.

What the MLRP System Is
ExxonMobil’s Management and Leadership Review Process (MLRP) is an annual performance‑ranking system that categorizes employees into tiers. A key feature is the mandatory minimum percentage of employees placed into the lowest tier, Needs Significant Improvement (NSI). In 2020, ExxonMobil increased the required NSI share from 3% to 8%, expanding the number of employees exposed to performance‑based consequences.

Employees placed in NSI may be:

Forced to resign,

Placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), or

Given a Performance Improvement Leave (PIL)—a 3‑month paid separation option with benefits and outplacement services.

How the System Works in Practice

1. Forced distribution
   Managers must rank employees relative to peers, ensuring a fixed percentage fall into NSI. This is not purely performance‑driven; it is quota‑driven. Employees report that even strong performers can be pushed into NSI to meet the quota.

2. Consequences for NSI employees
   According to internal details shared by employees:

All NSI employees are subject to PIP or PIL.

Employees 40+ years old get 21 days to decide between PIP or PIL; those under 40 get 7 days.

All PIP/PIL programs must begin by September 1, with an off‑payroll date of December 1 for PIL.

1. Impact on newer employees
   Employees with less than two years at the company who fall into NSI are often asked to leave immediately.

Why the System Is Controversial
Employees and analysts argue that MLRP functions as a layoff mechanism, especially during downturns, despite ExxonMobil publicly stating it does not use the system to reduce headcount.

Reported concerns include:

Opaque criteria and limited feedback before being ranked low.

Morale damage, as employees feel they must “play the game” rather than focus on meaningful work.

Disproportionate impact on older or higher‑cost employees, aligning with broader cost‑cutting and offshoring strategies.

Summary Table
Aspect What It Means
Purpose Annual performance ranking and talent management
Key Feature Mandatory % of employees placed in NSI (raised to 8%)
Outcomes for NSI PIP, PIL, or forced resignation
Employee Concerns Quota‑driven cuts, morale issues, perceived covert layoffs
Company Position Claims system is for performance improvement, not layoffs

If you want, I can also break down PIP vs. PIL, explain how to navigate the system, or compare MLRP to other oil‑industry ranking systems.

Doing CAPs to manage people out and avoid paying severance has been happening a lot for at least a couple of years.

We are hearing about it more because it works and they are doing it more. The company saves money by pushing out long-term, expensive employees, especially those seen as too vocal, ethical, or outside the in-crowd.

Expect more of this. Most people do not have the money, time, or stability to fight it legally, and many assume it cannot happen to them until it does.

The Executive Board, Supervisory Board, Group Executives, L1, L2, etc. will never ever allow a VERP in the US. The only places where they allow that are Germany and France and only because they are forced to by the strong worker protections. However, they already found a workaround with the new performance management system. Now they will lay off while giving the least possible severance they legally can. These people believe that SAP's money belongs to them so they try to maximize their own bonuses by cutting down on salary budgets and benefits for employees.

An on point post by @ag+1kpxsdtzm.

PIP isn't about improvement. Performance improvement plans aren't for helping you. They're either to save money or get revenge. That's all. If you are on PIP, don't expect to still be employed once it's done.

Why the WAEM survey is done immediately after the performance harassment cycle , when people are already dealing with the stress of ratings and calibration. Each year, management highlights a few focus areas, but after the results are announced, those topics rarely surface again in team discussions. Given the current cost‑cuttings activities why this one continues? Just don't do it and save money

I remember when I first joined the company nearly 20 years ago and for many years after my supervisors were very particular about the PDS format as if it made a difference. Be sure to put your biggest impact items first, use bullets, and other such nonsense. As if any of that would make a difference in the assessment meeting. It was all just a decoy to distract from the fact that nothing on the PDS really matters and it isn’t worth spending time and effort on because the whole assessment process is a joke.

I’m about to get put on a “corrective action plan” over my AI sentiment score. Does anyone know what that even means? I don’t see anything on the Schweb about it. My accounts seem to like me a lot so getting put on a PIP over the AI giving me a bad score is really leaving me in a state of confusion

Well, it's almost that time again.... Seems that more folks are on the bench than ever. With the recent departs of the wh-z-bank_no_bang_CAP_cant_hit_numbers crew (they were forced out cause they couldn't hit numbers Y/Y endlessly nor optimize TEAMMATE resource stats) seems that the list making time has come once again.

Best option from the CFO_MOUSE_MODE clown is to: reduce expenses, lay people off and coach Britanucus_Nothingness into how to tell the street that things are really on the up and up when in reality it is all about cutting costs to hit a number.

Well since the market analysts really have lowered expectations, like really lowered the price target the only thing left to do it is to back into a number then divide by the average headcount cost to figure out how many people to cut. All in hopes and aspiration that they will appease investors (of which there are a lot less these days). Hey, let's start with all those expensive CAP_CLOWNS that were a bunch of talk, ruined even more the woke_A$$ culture and took this company to town, like over and over again. Someone has to make room for the washed up Accenture dudes waiting in the wings to be summoned to Chandler for a DREAMY_DREAM_DREAM_JOB with some of the deserts best and brightest.

Also maybe take out Kane and SolyentGreen to save some $$$$ as well, since neither of them amount to much.

What does the class think of all that? TEAM TEAM TEAM team?

ARR that STAT!

Is this a sign they're ramping up attrition, or am I just seeing isolated cases?

I just have copilot recycle my PDS write up from the prior year. It doesn’t matter what you put down. The assessment meeting outcome is already determined and won’t change based on what you write.

I have not seen a post about the new productivity tracker going on. The first meet had most all principle engineers up and worried as they were told last year to start using AI, create tickets and push releases. After 4 months, they are most categorized as low value to the company. Only few senior engineers had records of commits and massive of features pushed to production.

It's just a say do process. Say we are doing this, assign it to a person, assign to a secondary, do what the ticket says, push the code and close, and repeat.

I am not surprised those principle engineers can even write down what they're going to do or want to do

SAP has been keeping a close eye on how Joule and AI agents are being used within the company. They also track the time employees spend and the links they click on SAP product pages. Layoffs are on the horizon, and they’ll be viewed positively if they demonstrate AI efficiency. It’s easier for the executive board and HR to justify cutting 10% of the workforce by claiming that Joule has made us more efficient. This narrative is the best SAP can present at Sapphire. To enhance this story, Sapphire's theme revolves around two main points. First, we have a wealth of data on employee performance, which is stored in a global repository for decision-making. Performance Management majes it easier of course. Second, AI can analyze raw data to generate insights and recommendations that boost operational efficiency. Although these algorithms are complex, AI agents simplify resource management for 'managers' because of their conversational skills. Now, here’s the kicker: SAP has improved efficiency by reducing its workforce by 10%. That’s a significant win for the Sapphire narrative. In fact, over the past few months, SAP has been promoting SuccessFactors AI and HR-related application AI, with management constantly focusing on operational efficiency.

So why is there skepticism about layoffs? Our executive board has openly stated their desire for layoffs and aims to make the transition tough for employees. The funds for executive bonuses and share buybacks aren’t coming from customers, so they have to come from the workforce. Since customers aren’t buying into the narrative, SAP needs to provide the proof using substantial layoffs. That is the only way the share price will go up and some gullible customers will help improve SAP's cloud backlog.

I'm dreading the coming week. Losing the literal backbone of our team has made it impossible to keep up, and everyone around me is struggling too. Work was stressful before, now it's three times worse. And you know what happens if we don't perform? That becomes the excuse to cut us next. If results actually mattered, maybe they'd have thought harder about who they let walk.

Just curious if EM executives set the same PIP targets for people that get paid full salaries vs people that get paid 1/10 salaries.
It seems the bar is set much lower for the 1/10 salary group. The person in America making corrections to BTC work products seems to get a lower ranking and more likely PIP’d than the engineers that made the potentially catastrophic errors in BTC.

Would anyone that has been though it like to share what the PIP process is like? Im wondering if it might just be a blessing in disguise, because right now I get dozens of random, vague requests coming from all directions. And it’s always up to me to figure it out. If I do get chosen to be the “lucky one” to go on a PIP, does that mean I will be receiving clear, defined expectations? Will I have one focused agenda and that’s it? Is it confidential or can I openly tell my coworkers to leave me alone so I can focus on my PIP? Will my success, my ability to complete the goal be dependent on others cooperating, or will I be able to work independently on this so-called objective?
Will the supervisor somehow be allowed or prohibited from making the usual vague, random requests, changing the goalposts, and assigning work that depends on a bunch of other people who may or may not cooperate. Just curious how this really works and if anyone can shed some light or give some examples from their experience with PIPs.

Any of my fellow non complaints get put on pip or reprimanded today? Didn't hear from management today not sure if that's good or bad haha.

I can't afford to be laid off so I'm doing all I can to improve myself, but the feedback I get changes depending on who I talk to or even what day it is. Something that’s fine one week suddenly isn’t the next. It makes it really hard to know where I stand. I feel like I’m constantly adjusting without ever actually feeling confident in what I’m doing. This is just worsening my anxiety, to say the least.

Why does this fool continue to push his lies? Lets flood miss Mornings with Maria who interviewed him and let her know what crumpet man is really doing with firing forced bah employees and falsifying performance ratings to terminate or not pay merit to bah again

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exxon-says-iran-war-will-curb-1q-production-by-6-4aa8c83e

What kind of id--t loses revenue with $100 oil price? As a shareholder, I demand DW get NSI ranking, and if he ever does this again in the next five years, be fire!

Imagine this scenario. You get PIP’d, then work hard to pass it. Bring up your ranking the next 3 years. Think you’re in a good spot. Then in year 5 some manager says, “we need to cut headcount, find anyone that’s been PIP’d once in the last 4 years and we’ll knock them out this year with a PIP.” All the hard work wasted. Just another lever for the company to pull when they want to accelerate the headcount reductions.

Bumping this up for visibility. Found at @b2+1knpqre16.

Looks like adjustments will come much easier than expected…2 MLRP strikes within 5 years and you are to be separated…welcome to the jungle…

Anyone else hear of others getting put on so called coaching plans? I was put on one last fall and somehow made it out. Others weren’t so fortunate. Hearing about some others here lately that have been put on them during Q3

The performance expectation is no longer meeting certain metrics but comparing your performance against other peers. I thought this practice has been widely discredited because it destroys morale? Preparing for more RIF at Fiserv?

Any way to get HR to stop me from being put on Focus? Don't want to share too much detail, but I was lied to by my SR and his main reasoning for wanting to do this is because of department metrics. My own Manager does not think I should be in Focus

Optimum Communications Inc Class A (OPTU) has provided an announcement.

On March 12, 2026, Optimum Communications, Inc.’s compensation committee approved deferred cash awards for key executives, including CEO Dennis Mathew, CFO Marc Sirota, General Counsel & Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Michael Olsen, and President, Consumer Services Michael Parker, as part of its 2026 long-term incentive program. One-third of each award will vest on December 14 of 2026, 2027, and 2028, contingent on continued service, with grants valued at $5 million for Mathew, $1.75 million for Sirota, $1.5 million for Olsen, and $1.125 million for Parker.

The deferred cash awards will constitute 50% of the 2026 long-term incentive package, with the remaining portion expected to be delivered as cash performance awards under the company’s existing 2017 long-term incentive plan, effectively replacing restricted stock units used in prior years. Executive long-term incentive targets, base salaries, and bonus plan targets remain unchanged from 2025, but the committee has shifted to setting and evaluating bonus performance on a quarterly basis, which may tighten alignment between pay and short-term operational results and provide more frequent performance feedback to senior leadership.

FULL ARTICLE --> https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/markets/markets-news/Tipranks/756219/optimum-communications-adopts-new-executive-long-term-incentive-plan/

Goldman Sachs plans a new round of layoffs in April. These cuts will target underperforming employees. They are separate from the bank's usual annual workforce reduction. The firm is adopting a more continuous performance management strategy. This reflects a wider trend across Wall Street.

https://www.peoplematters.in/news/strategic-hr/goldman-sachs-eyes-april-layoffs-of-underperformers-as-performance-scrutiny-rises-48886

30 day PIP process, based on DAPR numbers not CCRS. Takes one month of lackluster results, and 90 days to get off. Even if you hit the quarterly number, a single monthly miss puts you on a written. Have fun trying to take vacation or any time off.

R2B moving out of stores, managing the biggest demographic, and outnumbering Mid Markets 2:1. Open reqs for Mid Markets continually closing and reopening, no new hires.

Full calendars of nothing but blitz calls and zero focus on anything but "growth" via new logos and phone adds. Calendar filled up for 10hr, and being told by Sr Managers and Directors that we need to "sacrifice" to hit the number.

It has been a fun ride. Hopefully it ends in some severance packages and not just managing everyone out with asinine policies.

Is off cycle progression still possible?

We need real growth, not by pulling ahead to make quarterly figures. Financial Hocus Pocus always ends in tears.

Algorithm for PMP and ranking. Yes I said it. Now its all new, so there will be considerations. But if AI you can compare across organization and huge data bases. What I am saying, it there are known attributes for high potential.And performances. Have a great day!

Pip process moved to 30 days. 1 month of not hitting 80 and bam your on a pip. No room for error. Oh and don’t forget if you don’t hit 50% of your INSANE phone quota you go straight to a written. Oh and theres more! 30 days to get on a pip BUT 90 days to work yourself off. Idk but seems like they want us all out for some reason. Make it make sense.

Use this guide to help you manage team members who are not meeting the expectations of the office work goal and who are in a hub location. Holding your team members accountable to this goal is one of the expectations of your People Leader Goal. You should seek further guidance from HR Advisory Services (HRAS) if coaching the employee as described in this guide doesn’t result in improvement.

Note: This People Leader resource provides guidance regarding ongoing performance management relating to the office work goal. For information relating to the office work goal in relation to the year-end performance review process, please refer to our Measuring performance: People Leader resource.

Details

As a leader, we trust you to lead your teams with empathy while ensuring you set clear and consistent expectations. Be mindful that the office work goal may be challenging for some. Listen and provide the guidance needed for your team to achieve their office work goal.

U.S.: As a reminder, medical accommodations or flexible work arrangements may be applicable depending on the reason someone is not fulfilling the office work goal.

Europe: For leaders with team members in Europe, approved flexible/remote work arrangements and exceptions may also be applicable depending on the reason someone is not fulfilling the office work goal.

You have access to a dashboard to see how frequently your team members come into the office. This data should be considered, among other factors, when assessing team members’ performance with respect to the office work goal, such as observations of a team member’s work location (in person or via Teams video), vacation, illness, work travel, etc. For more information regarding the dashboard and its metrics, see the people leader resource.

Considerations

When using the dashboard to assess your team member’s in-office work, you are expected to assess the full picture of their performance, collaboration, and in-office presence, including but not limited to the following considerations:

Timing. When was the office work goal in effect for your team member? Because hub transitions are taking place on a rolling basis, team members should only be held accountable to the goal once they have an assigned work location and are directed to work onsite three or more days per week.

Absences. Was your team member on vacation, sick and safe leave (SSL), or an approved leave of absence (continuous or intermittent) during the relevant time period? Don’t count approved absences against your team member.
Note: team members on an approved leave of absence are excluded from the dashboard while on leave.

Work travel. Did your team member travel for business during the relevant time period? Don’t count work travel against your team member, even if they weren’t working from a U.S. Bank location.

Flexible work arrangement (FWA)/reasonable accommodation (U.S.). Did your team member have an approved flexible work arrangement or reasonable accommodation that allows them to work from the office less frequently or not at all during the relevant time? If your team member’s in-office work (or lack thereof) is consistent with an approved FWA or reasonable accommodation, they are meeting their office work goal.
Note: Team members on an approved FWA or remote work reasonable accommodation and their badge swipe data are excluded from the dashboard while the FWA or reasonable accommodation is in effect.

Approved flexible/remote work arrangement or exception (Europe). Did your team member have a flexible/remote work arrangement or exception request approved that allows them to work from the office less frequently or not at all during the relevant period? If your team member’s in-office work (or lack thereof) is in line with such approved requests, they are meeting their office work goal.

Short-term need. Has your team member requested a short-term need to work remotely? You can approve short-term exceptions (up to two weeks) to the office work goal without additional documentation or approval (for example, a mild illness that does not prevent them from working remotely, temporary transportation challenge, other personal issues, etc.).

Other. Was the team member using a temporary badge or are there other reasons the data in the dashboard may not be accurate?