How to deal with being put on Performance Improvement Plan?

Question

I've recently been placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) following my yearly review. While it's described as a tool for improvement, I understand the implications and have started exploring new opportunities.

Seeking Advice:

Maintaining Relationships: How can I preserve relationships, especially with a manager I feel has not supported me as expected?
Dealing with Leadership: Should I be upfront about my job search, or keep it private?
Future Job Search: How should I navigate my job search, considering that I missed out on a promotion in my first consulting role, which I’ve held for two years?

Background:
As a foreigner, I've felt from the start that I was not fully accepted by leadership. Despite recognizing my own shortcomings, I’ve consistently worked hard and received positive feedback from other departments and international teams, who have frequently requested to work with me. However, within my own department, I was rarely chosen for projects and often given challenging assignments as a last resort. Additionally, my department has struggled to sell projects, which has limited my opportunities to demonstrate my capabilities.

I've repeatedly asked for feedback from people in my department, but they often said they didn’t have much to say because they hadn’t worked with me directly. Yet, somehow, they had enough to contribute during calibration meetings to decide I wasn’t meeting expectations. This disparity in feedback has left me questioning my department's assessment.

I’m committed to doing my best during this transition and would appreciate any insights on handling this situation while I search for a new role.

Answer 1

Hi there!

Sounds like a dreadful situation — I'm so sorry that you're having to go through this. It's always very difficult when your team is sending you mixed signals and not being transparent about their communications.

I think you should certainly always keep an eye out for potential opportunities, especially when you're in a team that doesn't communicate clearly and appears not to value you as much as others do. I don't really see much gain from communicating your job search to the leadership in this situation, so I would keep that private for now. You might as well keep your options open and see what happens.

I would, however, try to find ways to convey openly to leadership that you're unhappy — and point out why you're unhappy (for e.g. "I'm confused by the mixed feedback I'm receiving, so may I ask for more specific appraisal of my work and why you believe I'm not meeting your expectations?") You could also propose more honest and regular communication, for e.g., you could convey to leadership what your understanding is of your role and expectations, and try to speak with them on a periodic basis in order to align with their own expectations.

All that said, if you do decide to jump ship and move to a different opportunity, you could still do that while maintaining working relationships with your current team and leadership. You could communicate to them at that point in time that you're looking to move to broaden your horizons by working perhaps in other markets, sectors etc — depending on the new opportunity (as you say, your department is struggling to sell projects). It doesn't necessarily have to be a case of "I'm leaving because I hate working with you!"

Separately, your future job opportunity doesn't necessarily have to be defined by the shortcomings of your current experience or the missed promotion. Everybody takes something out of every opportunity, so ultimately, it's going to come down to how you sell your skills and past experience to future employers.

I'm happy to speak further on your future job search. I'd have to take a more detailed look at your resume and current experience in order to give you more specific advice. Feel free to reach out via DM to discuss further — I'd be happy to help!

Take care and wish you the very best!

Answer 2

HI there,

It sounds like this might be a good moment for you to reflect on where you truly want to be. From what you’ve described, it seems like you haven’t felt fully accepted by your team, and you’ve struggled to secure meaningful projects within the department. If you’re not feeling 100% aligned with the team and leadership, it’s worth considering whether this role or company is the right long-term fit for you.

However, if you still believe there’s potential for growth in the company, don’t let the PIP push you out. PIP can be a turning point, and you might be able to leverage it to your advantage.

Consider reaching out to international teams who appreciated your work and see if there are opportunities for joint projects or even think about the option to switch your department. Being in an environment where you truly feel part of the team can make a big difference.

Additionally, take the feedback from your PIP and discuss it with a mentor or trusted colleague. Work on concrete action items to address the areas for improvement.

If, after reflection, you feel that this is not the right job for you, then it may be time to start looking for new opportunities. I’d recommend keeping your job search private at first until you have something more concrete.

If you need objective advice or guidance on how to handle the feedback or navigate the situation, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to offer some free advice.

And remember, every low is followed by a high - better times are always ahead!

All the best,
Kairavee

Answer 3

Hey! Being placed on a Performance Improvement Plan can be tough, but you can navigate it wisely. From my experience, I can tell, that you should overall keep relationships professional by approaching the PIP as an opportunity to improve. Open a constructive dialogue with your manager, asking for actionable feedback. Keep your job search private until necessary but leverage your network for references and support. When looking for a new role, be transparent but focus on growth and the lessons learned. Reflect on whether this role is the right fit, address skill gaps, and maintain a focus on your long-term goals. Stay composed, take care of yourself emotionally, and use this period as a stepping stone towards a better opportunity. Hope this helps & good luck!

Alessa

Answer 4

You need to have an honest conversation with staffing. Looks like you are being put in a rough spot (probably because they prioritize "locals" as they see them as better long term best) and you would do better if you could be staffed on international projects. You could consider requesting being transferred to another office.

Answer 5

Hey there,

First of all, sorry to hear you're facing this difficult situation.

On the flipside, it’s good that you're thinking ahead.

A couple of thoughts:

First, focus on keeping your relationships professional and friendly (even though it might seem not like fair or balanced relationships). Keep it constructive and ask for clear, actionable feedback, even though you might feel unsupported. While this can help you improve, you can also highlight this in feedback discussions (the feedback you have asked for, received, and acted upon).

On the side, continue your job search, but it’s best to keep it private until you’ve secured something concrete. Leverage your network and background. Also, a missed promotion is also not always visible from the outside. Don’t dwell on it when speaking with potential employers - shift the narrative to the skills and insights you’ve gained as well as impact and achievement you had.

All the best,

Florian