Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) seem to be spiking lately

I’ve heard of three people in my department getting put on 'performance plans' in the last month alone. These are solid engineers who haven't had issues for years, suddenly getting hit with arbitrary goals that are nearly impossible to hit within a 30-day window. It’s obviously the standard playbook to manage people out without technically doing a 'layoff' that would require an announcement or WARN notice. Has anyone else seen this uptick in their respective business units? It feels like middle management has been given a quota to trim specific teams. It’s incredibly demoralizing to watch talented peers get put through the ringer like this. I’m starting to look at other options quietly because the 'culture of innovation' talk feels like a total facade when they treat tenure like a liability. If you’re feeling safe, don’t. Update your resume, download your performance reviews, and start networking outside the company just in case.