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Whats a PIP in TCS ? – Performance Improvement plan

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TCS is trying desperately to damage the name it had with associates few years back. Now the HR has totally different role in this organisation, how to reduce cost at any cost.

Earlier TCS had PIP – Process Improvement process which were suggestions given by employees to improve company in any area. But now after the TCS numbers started going down, the company has come up with one more way of firing employees – PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). Though TCS claims this process is for improving and motivating employee the truth is this is one more tool in blackmailing employees into submission and firing them when they need to reduce the employee count of highly paid staff.

A PIP is sent to the supervisor of the employee who has a lower score in annual performance evaluation and bar for lower score has been increased recently which will cover almost 20% of employees. Since TCS has curve fitting model for giving performance rating ,15-20% of its 1,20,000 employees will get band D or Rating 2.  Now they have introduced PIP to send out this employees out. The funny part is this whole performance evaluation never reflects actual performance of individual rather it  depends on various factors as I had mentioned in my previous post here.

Now what happens if your supervisor gets a PIP for you ? . Either he can save you by giving you a rating(this is PIP rating) of  2.5 or above (for 5) or he can give you a lesser feedback and get you fired. As if the PL’s and PM’s in TCS doesnt have enough say in your salary now one more way he can make you a slave.

So how does this process work and what is the criteria for receieving a PIP (ie ur supervisor getting one for you).  Refer the below table for verifying the criteria for PIP this year (and past year)

TCS PIP chart for 2008 -2009

According to this chart released by TCS HR anyone at C3B level and above will be fired if they get continous 2 rating or Band D as I ahd earlier mentioned in the previous post. For employees Below AST ir ITA or ASE, they will be fired if they get a Band E or Rating 1  twice. In all other scenarios they will get a PIP and your PL / PM has to save you.

So do pass the word to other TCSers and also cautions the others interested in TCS about the same.

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TCS asks employees who got continous 2 ratings or Band D to resign

Yesterday some of the TCS  employees who have obtained two or more years of continous 2 rating or Band D have been asked to resign from TCS even if they are currently allocated in projects.

Though this might look strange but it might be a relief for unlucky ones in Bench at the moment and create panic among associates who have got 2 rating last year. This appears to be a strategy of HR making way for associates with good performance rating not to be fired from TCS.

By firing the currently allocated associates with poor record, the company tries to give opportunities to  associates with good track record and  currently unallocated . In a way this ensures the employees are not fired on pure luck and their influence with top management.

But to most this has been a bolt out of clear sky, and set the tone for Performance evaluation negotiations.

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Performance evaluation drama peaks at TCS (TATA Consultancy services)

Every year the annual performance evaluation (or Rating as TCSers call it) goes with lots of drama but this year it is going to be even more chaotic thanks to the economy.

The ratings or the actual values were released on 17 March 2009 and the final Bands will be released on April 11 2009.

Apart from many other dumb reasons managers have one more reason to tell their team members for their poor rating – economy !.

In most cases the employee would have done his/her job perfectly but the Manager will try to convince these poor souls that the entire company is in losses because of the one or two days vacation the employee would have taken, or the bugs in the system etc.

And the real cultprits who are responsible for not foreseeing market realities or signing hopeless contracts at the bare minimum pricing would still get better ratings.

If a Project Manager is able to convince most of his team members to take poor ratings he will get a good rating from his boss. So you can understand how the situation in a team would be. Now top reasons a manager might give to reduce your performance evaluation ratings

1. If you want release I will give you lower rating and this is how TCS works.

2. You haven’t done any certifications this half yearly, Next time try to improve.
(Our hero would have worked 12 hours shifts everyday for no good)

3. You haven’t contributed anything to the Centre level activities (like dancing or singing !!)

4. We thought of giving you even lower rating, but I argued with top management for this rating for you.

5. You haven’t contributed to Knowmax, PIPs blah blah blah

6. Your rating got reduced in curve fitting which is out of my hand. (As if curve is some indeterminate shape and values in curve are random)

7. You have been given better rating last time, so give chance to others.

8. I made a mistake while giving the values as I was doing it in late night. Please don’t make it as an issue I will compensate next time.

9. Our project doesn’t have money.

10. We will send you to onsite soon.. so your rating doesn’t matter.

Please add your own views experiences here and pass on this to your friends as well.