I am a sales leader at Cisco. My average for my 4 years at Cisco is 106% to plan. My team had a bad Q1 this year. I’m being pushed out. Remote workers are being pushed out in favor of hubs. Silent LR is happening right now. Last week, instead of a 1on1 I was offered a 30 day package or 30 day pip. I am not allowed to know the pip criteria before I choose. I have to pick one or the other and sign by tomorrow. My team doesn’t know. I’m ashamed and embarrassed.
18 replies (most recent on top)
Take the package, the pips are designed for you to fail.
Someone above you got uppidy, it's not about you, Cisco is failing.
Take the package so that you don’t have to tell your future employer that Cisco felt you were under-performing (PIP).
You don't have to tell them that you left via a PIP. You can say that you were part of the most recent LR but were asked to stay on for an extra 30-60 days to finish some project or some BS like that. I've known managers & higher who were allowed to stay until their replacement was found, and even one newly promoted Dir was allowed to stay 3 or 4 months longer to allow them to have enough time-in-grade to get their severance package based on their new Dir paygrade instead of their lower Sr Mgr level.
If we still had PTO, you could say you left w/ your PTO as severance because you wanted to find a better role because you saw no growth potential at Cisco and didn't want to spend your time split between working and looking, but now that they don't have to pay out your PTO as additional severance, it would look odd/suspicious to have just quit to find a better job. But surely a "sales guy" can figure out a way to spin it in a positive way.
Worked at C over 20 years, left 2020 with the ER. Never knew anyone that made it out of a PIP and kept their job. Designed such that you can't make it. Take what they offer, you'll get another job.
Take the package so that you don’t have to tell your future employer that Cisco felt you were under-performing (PIP).
Take the PIP, it will give you 30 days to remain 'employed' and use the opportunity to interview your a-s off. The ensuing MSA (mutual separation agreement) should still pay out the 1 month still after the PIP is over.
They didn't push you out for a quarter of non-performance. Some OD or AVP just didn't like you because you didn't want to play by their rules.
Sales people missing numbers for two quarters used to be let go so getting 30 days of pay for not meeting numbers sound fair. I can use averages to cover any recent non performance with one good year. Sound familiar? The sales teams have stunk for years and have been not held accountable.
Tell them you’d take the package if it’s the same as the LR package. Cisco has a well established track record for termination packages & this doesn’t meet that standard. Any Employnent attorney or the EEOC would take one look at that package deal vs. the LR package & see $ signs.
Take the package, not the PIP, and try to set aside your shame and embarrassment. It's become evident the company doesn't care about the emotional toll it takes on employees being told to leave, and you might end up happier somewhere else. Good luck!
Package is the only way out. This way you have fee time for next phase of your life, and not slave trying to fix PIP, which rarely happens.
Mind sharing location, business line, and grade? IC or a manager? This is a shift for Cisco.
take the package. PIPs are designed for you to lose. They will get rid of you anyway. Be proactive and move on.
Dang is that real? 30 days only? We were given almost a years pay on LRs for folks with 15+ years; this was eight years or so ago. Had a friend that was LRd in same timeframe (about eight years ago), he had like five months in before, but still received like a six month payout.
30 days pay for for years; that is pitiful.
If that is the case, why would anyone stay? So no more big LR payouts?
Get your 'soul' back and take the package. Do your best to manage your own future. No company cares about their people in the intermediate and long term - truth is they really can't in this era and if someone tells you that they do then they're lying and counting on you to be foolish. Don't suffer a fool's fate. Be smart.
You don't get the virgin to the volcano by telling them the truth about what comes next.
Good Luck!!!!!
It’s No Nut November and people are still getting laid.
30 days after 4 years ? That su-ks. I'd take the package and not PIP and give them an extra day of your energy. Stay strong and you'll be fine
Man, don't feel ashamed and embarrassed. It's them, not you.
you had a good run. one day you are great the other not so much. its the way imbeciles are at the top. i am sure you did the same to people you managed. time to move on to better stuff. no need to be ashamed and embarrassed. take the package and leave.
you're done either way so pick the option with the best benefits
Tomorrow is a weekend? Either way, thank you for your service. Take care of yourself. I wish you the best.