Compared to PIPing and firing? Interviewing is probably way, way less of a time and emotional energy suck. Granted, I've only ever taken and given interviews,

Compared to PIPing and firing? Interviewing is probably way, way less of a time and emotional energy suck. Granted, I've only ever taken and given interviews, never given (or, fortunately, been under) a PIP or firing. But interviewing is just a few weeks or so of preparation and then a day or two, and the preparation is often fun, and so are some of the interviews. Nobody thinks PIPs and firings are fun.