If you are on a PIP at Amazon or Microsoft right now, this post is for you specifically.
Not a generic stay-positive-and-work-hard guide. Not legal advice. A real breakdown of how PIPs work at these two companies, what they do not tell you, and what you need to do right now to give yourself the best possible outcome.
I spent seven years at Amazon. I have coached professionals through this process at both companies. I know how it works from the inside.
Here is what you need to know.
If You Have a Senior Title or Above, Read This First
Most PIP articles skip this entirely. They should not.
At Amazon and Microsoft, if you hold a senior-level title or higher, the reality of how performance management works is different from what the official documentation describes.
Here is what usually happens at the senior level. Your manager has a performance conversation with you. That first conversation is a data point. It is not a verdict. It means something got flagged, someone above your manager noticed, and this conversation is now on record.
If there is a second conversation, that is when you need to read the room clearly. At the senior level, a second performance conversation rarely leads to a formal PIP. What it more often means is that you have 30 to 60 days, sometimes 90 at the outside, to find your next role. The company has already made a decision. The formal PIP paperwork is not coming because at your level, they do not need it.
This is not cruel. It is how these companies manage senior talent out without the administrative overhead of a formal process. Understanding this matters because your strategy in that situation is completely different from trying to pass a 30-day plan.
If you are a senior-level professional and you have had one or two performance conversations with your manager, your most important next step is not to start executing harder. It is to understand what is actually happening and start planning accordingly.
Amazon and Microsoft PIPs Are Not the Same As Everywhere Else
For individual contributors and mid-level employees who do receive a formal PIP, the process at these two companies is more structured than most people expect.
At Amazon, PIPs live inside a formal process called Pivot. If you are on a Pivot plan, you have two options on the table from day one: work through the plan and try to pass, or accept a separation package and leave on your own terms. That choice is more significant than most people realize, and most employees do not get a clear explanation of what the package actually includes until they have already made a decision they regret.
At Microsoft, the language varies by organization. You may hear it called a performance plan, a development plan, or a formal written improvement plan. What does not vary is the timeline: typically 30, 60, or 90 days, and the clock starts the moment you sign.
The First Move Nobody Talks About: Try to Change Teams
Before you decide whether to fight the PIP or take the package, there is one option most people do not consider because nobody tells them it exists.
Try to move to a different team.
At both Amazon and Microsoft, an internal transfer can reset the situation entirely. A new manager in a different org who does not know this history changes the dynamic. This is a legitimate option and more people have used it successfully than you would think.
Read the room first. If your relationship with your manager is still functional and there is any trust there, you can ask directly whether an internal transfer is something they would support. Some managers will actually advocate for you to move rather than let the process play out. If you are not sure about your manager, talk to a trusted teammate first and get a read on what is realistic.
If an internal transfer is possible, pursue it. It is almost always a better outcome than either fighting a formal PIP or taking a package.
The First Thing You Need to Decide If a Transfer Is Not Possible
If moving teams is not an option, answer this question honestly: do you want to stay at this company?
Not do I want to keep a job in the abstract. Do you want to stay at this specific company, under this specific manager, doing this specific work?
If the answer is yes, your strategy is to pass the PIP. That is possible. I have seen people do it. But it requires full commitment and a clear understanding of what passing actually looks like in your org.
If the answer is no, or even maybe, your strategy changes completely. You are now focused on protecting your reputation, understanding your severance options, and lining up your next move while you still have leverage.
Both paths are valid. But choosing the wrong path for your situation is one of the most expensive mistakes I see.
What Amazon Pivot Actually Means
If you are at Amazon on a Pivot plan, here is what is actually happening.
Your manager and HR have already documented that your performance is not meeting the bar. The Pivot plan outlines specific, measurable goals and a defined timeline, usually 30 or 60 days.
At the start of the process, Amazon typically presents you with two options in writing:
- Engage with the Pivot plan and work to meet the goals
- Accept a separation package and leave now
The separation package includes severance pay calculated on your tenure, continued benefits for a set period, and in most cases eligibility for unemployment. You also avoid the risk of being terminated for cause at the end of a failed Pivot, which matters for your references and your options afterward.
Most employees I have talked to did not know the package existed or what it included until they had already made a decision they could not walk back. Read the documentation. If you need a few days to decide, ask for them.
If You Decide to Work Through It: The Only Mindset That Works
If you have decided to engage with the plan and try to pass, here is the one mindset shift that separates the people who make it through from the people who do not.
You have to decide to be your manager’s best friend.
Not because they deserve it. Not because the situation is fair. Because this is the game you are playing and this is how you win it.
That means looking out for your manager. Anticipating where they might get blindsided and covering those gaps before they become problems. Making their job easier in ways they can see. Being the person in the room they can count on. You are doing this strategically, not out of loyalty.
This requires you to set aside how you feel about the situation. That is genuinely hard. The situation may be unfair. Your manager may have played a role in getting you here. None of that changes your strategy if your goal is to come out the other side still employed and in good standing.
Choose this mindset fully or do not choose it at all. Half-committed does not pass a PIP.
How to Execute: What Actually Matters Week Over Week
Get clarity on what passing looks like in writing. Ask your manager directly: what does meeting this goal look like at the end of the review period? You need specifics. Get the answer on record in an email.
Schedule your own weekly check-ins. Do not wait for your manager to come to you. Show up with a written update. After every meeting, send a brief follow-up email summarizing what was discussed and any feedback you received. This creates a paper trail of your progress and forces your manager to go on record about whether you are improving.
If you want a proven structure for those follow-up emails, the PIP Survival Email Template ($19.99) covers exactly this. It gives you the email framework for weekly check-ins, feedback requests, and progress documentation so you are not starting from scratch every time.
Document everything on your personal device. Save every relevant email and message to a personal device, not a work laptop. If this situation escalates, your documentation is your insurance policy.
Do not tell coworkers. Get your support from people outside the company. This information travels fast inside, and rarely in your favor.
If You Leave: What Most People Find Out Too Late
Whether you take the Pivot separation package, accept a negotiated exit, or resign on your own terms, there is one consequence that does not get talked about enough.
If you leave Amazon or Microsoft while a PIP is active or as a direct result of the performance process, you are almost certainly blacklisted from returning to that company.
Not just for a year. At minimum, seven years. In many cases, permanently. This applies not just to full-time employment but to contractor roles and vendor relationships as well. The flag lives in the HR system and it does not automatically expire.
For some people this is completely acceptable. If you have already decided this chapter is closed, it does not matter. But for others, especially people who have spent years building equity in a company’s ecosystem, network, and internal reputation, this consequence changes the calculus significantly. Know it before you sign anything.
Understanding Your Severance Before You Sign
If you are considering accepting a separation package, do not sign it on the spot.
Severance agreements almost always include a release of claims. That release is written to protect the company, not you. In most states you have time to review it. You do not have to decide the same day it is presented to you. Read it carefully. If the amounts or terms are unclear, ask for clarification in writing.
Protect your references regardless of how you exit. The person who managed you at Amazon or Microsoft may be the hiring manager at your next company three years from now. How you conduct yourself on the way out is part of the record.
Start your job search before you are out the door. You have more options and more leverage when you are still employed. Do not wait.
You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone
A PIP at Amazon or Microsoft is not a situation where generic career advice is enough. The processes are specific, the stakes are high, and the decisions you make in the first two weeks have outsized impact on how this ends.
Start with the toolkit: The PIP Survival Email Template ($19.99) gives you the exact email structure for weekly check-ins, progress documentation, and manager follow-ups so you are never starting from a blank page.
Ready for a full strategy session? I offer 60-minute PIP survival coaching sessions where we look at your specific plan, your options, and build a strategy together. Book a 60-Minute PIP Coaching Session ($149.99) here.
Samantha Cook is a career strategist and coach based in Seattle. She spent seven years at Amazon and four years at Microsoft before launching Inside the Cubicle to help professionals navigate the systems that companies never fully explain.