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After the death of his father, Owen Manley, a former sales manager, found himself in an unpleasant situation: sitting in his boss’s office, he was put through a performance improvement program, or PIP. “I could see them, from a perspective, where they were coming from. I haven’t sold anything yet,” Manley told reporter Jessica Klein. “But the way it was presented was very insensitive.”
Over the next three months, Manley ended up breaking his sales goals and exceeding his expectations. But he decided to leave the company anyway. “In the end, it’s about honesty,” he says. “I have a strong sense of honesty in everything in my life—family, friends, and work. It was about people who had your back when you needed it. That’s why I issued a letter of resignation.”
Should you quit if you are put on PIP?
Many people in Manley’s position do the same math—they decide to find a new job, even if they’ve successfully completed their PIP. And for Manley, it was the right call. He quickly found a new job, and never looked back. But is that what you should always do in his situation?
Not all PIPs are the same, experts say. It doesn’t always mean you have to find a new job. But you should know that PIPs are usually valid before they are released. And even if you successfully complete the program, it doesn’t mean that your relationship with your boss will recover. There’s a reason some HR professionals call PIPs the “paid interview period.”
“The best way is to find a different company where you can start clean and succeed,” executive and leadership coach Loren Margolis told author Alyse Maguire. But while you’re still looking for your job, “don’t take vacation days or call in sick,” she said. “They are not their roles. Interview after hours, network after hours, review your CV after work.”
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