PIP Factory. Starting in 2023, Intuit implemented a forced stack-ranking system where managers are required to rate a set percentage of employees as "Does Not Meet Expectations" (DNME). It began at 7%, increased to 8% in 2024, and is now 10% in 2025 — alongside the rollout of a new midyear review cycle, seemingly designed to accelerate exits. The disturbing part? These quotas are mandatory, regardless of team performance. You could receive an "Exceeds Expectations" rating at year-end (even get promoted), then be hit with a DNME at midyear simply because someone has to be slotted into the bottom 10%. No exceptions. Being placed in the DNME bucket triggers a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) — but don’t expect specific goals or coaching. Instead, it's vague directives like “Do more” or “Be more innovative,” with no measurable targets. It’s not a plan to help you improve — it’s a paper trail to justify your exit. Let’s be real: even Stevie Wonder could see what’s going on here.
After your PIP... you'll be put on a “performance plan” (2–6 weeks, usually short) and then separated — with no severance. Many are let go just before a large RSU vesting date. Timing is not a coincidence.
Buzzword Overload. “Velocity,” “builder culture,” “transformation journey” (lmao) — all Intuit-isms meant to distract from the toxic reality: more work with fewer engineers, because those engineers were pushed out to meet stack rank quotas.
Unrealistic expectations. Leadership demands “Velocity” above all else — but quality and sustainability are afterthoughts. It’s all about getting features out the door. “We’ll fix it later” is the unofficial motto.
Politics > Performance. Delivering real results — like making systems faster or more efficient — means nothing unless you package it in a flashy deck, assign it a catchy codename, give it a GED-style gallery walk, and make a “capability map” like it’s the second coming of Kubernetes. If your director can’t claim credit or present it, it might as well not exist.
Leadership is a clown show. Company town halls are filled with tone-deaf answers about performance management. Meanwhile, Intuit is spending billions on naming rights for a basketball arena in L.A. (where it has no real presence), while laying off employees with no severance.
