A performance improvement plan (PIP) helps an employee reach the agreed standard on time. A good PIP has clear goals, real support and fixed review dates. This post gives you a PIP template and the steps to use it.
Learn these skills in the course Human Resources (BL-HR), module 3.
Who This Is For
Supervisors and managers with an employee who does not meet the agreed goals. Also HR executives who support those managers.
When to Use a PIP
Use a PIP when an employee does not meet the agreed goals for some time. Talk first, and give help early. A PIP is the next step when coaching alone does not close the gap.
The PIP Template
| Part | What to Write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The gap | The goal, the result now and the facts | Target 20 orders a day; result 12 a day for three months |
| 2. The goal | The result to reach and the date | 18 orders a day by day 90 |
| 3. The support | Training, coaching, tools or time the company gives | Weekly coaching with the team leader; system refresher |
| 4. The reviews | Dates and what each review checks | Day 30: 14 a day; day 60: 16 a day; day 90: 18 a day |
| 5. The result | What happens if the goal is reached, and if not | Goal reached: back to the normal review cycle |
| 6. The record | Signatures and notes of each meeting | Both sign after each review |
How to Run the PIP
- Collect the facts: the goal, the results and the dates of earlier talks.
- Meet the employee in private. Explain the gap with the facts, not with opinions.
- Agree the goal, the support and the review dates. Write them in the template.
- Give the support on time. A PIP without support is not fair.
- Hold each review on its date. Write the progress and sign the notes together.
- At day 90, close the PIP with a written result.
Keep a written record of each step. For any step beyond the plan, ask your HR adviser first.
Example: A Contact Centre
Take a contact centre agent who closes 12 cases a day. The target is 20. The team leader finds that the agent does not know two system screens. The PIP gives two training sessions and weekly coaching. At day 60 the agent closes 17 cases. At day 90 the agent reaches 19.
What Good Looks Like
- The gap is written with facts and numbers.
- The goal has a number and a date.
- The support is real and on time.
- Each review is held on its date and signed by both people.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Starting a PIP with no earlier talk. The employee should know about the gap first.
- Writing goals that cannot be measured, such as “show a better attitude”.
- Giving no support. Without support, the PIP only records a failure.
- Missing review dates. Each missed date weakens the plan and the trust.
Try It This Week
Choose one gap in your team that you have discussed more than once. Fill in parts 1 to 3 of the template. Check that each part has a fact or a number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a PIP be?
Most PIPs run 60 to 90 days. The time needs to be long enough to show real progress.
Where does the course teach this?
Module 3 of Human Resources (BL-HR) covers performance improvement plans. KPI and Metrics Management (BC-KPI), module 4, adds trackers and action plans.
Next Step
Read the full outline of Human Resources (BL-HR). All class dates are on the Training Calendar. For a group from your company, get a quote for in-house training. More HR Work Tips are in the skill area HR. Read also:
