“It’s not the kind of
pushing your limits, it’s more like knowing your limits in infinite ways”
If you are responsible for administering a PIP, it is first
important to have a relevant and accurate reason for doing so. They should only
be put in place for employees who are consistently under-performing. Other
steps should be taken first to support the individual in improving their
weaknesses before official documentation is put in place. Sooner or later,
every manager is going to face a situation where a team member isn't performing
well. This person may be slacking off, or simply failing to complete his or her
basic job duties week after week. "There can be many good reasons for an
employee to not meet expectations, and only through good communication with the
employee will you have a chance to correct the shortfall,"
Alternatively, a PIP may be used for employees who may be
new to a role as a tool to communicate performance expectations.
Step 1: Document
Performance Issues
The first step in the PIP process is for the supervisor to
document the areas of the employee’s performance that need improvement. In
documenting the main performance issues, the supervisor should be objective,
factual and specific and provide facts and examples to further clarify the
severity or pattern of performance concerns. Examples of detailed documentation
are included in the two scenarios at the end of this guide. When developing a
performance improvement plan, it is generally a best practice to use an
established format to ensure consistency in the information given to all
employees and to help protect the employer should legal claims arise at some
point in the future. The format of the performance improvement plan will vary
by employer and should include the following components:
·
Employee information.
·
Relevant dates.
·
Description of performance discrepancy or gap.
·
Description of expected performance.
·
Description of actual performance.
·
Description of consequences.
·
Plan of action.
·
Signatures of the manager and the employee.
·
Evaluation of the plan of action and overall
performance improvement plan
·
At the end of this guide are sample performance
improvement plan templates that may assist supervisors in their documentation
and communication.
Step 2: Develop an
Action Plan
Next, the supervisor should establish a provisional action
plan for improvement, which may be adjusted based on employee feedback in the
meeting. Making the process collaborative can help in identifying areas of
confusion or misunderstanding on the employee’s part and can encourage
ownership of the issue by the employee. This action plan should include
specific and measurable objectives that are accurate, relevant and time-bound
(otherwise known as SMART goals). When developing a performance improvement
plan, it would be useful to draw on the job description and HR policies to
clearly identify the performance or behavioral issues and expectations.
Step 3: Review the
Performance Plan
Prior to meeting with the employee, the supervisor should
seek assistance from his or her manager or an HR professional to review the
PIP. This third party should ensure the documentation is stated clearly and
without emotion. The third party can also review the suggested action plan to
make certain it is specific, measurable, relevant and attainable within the PIP
timeline (PIP timelines are commonly 60 or 90 days in length).
Step 4: Meet with the
Employee
During this meeting, the supervisor must clearly lay out the
areas for improvement and plan of action. The supervisor may need to modify the
action plan slightly after receiving the employee’s input and feedback. After
changes to the plan are ma
de, the supervisor and the employee should sign the
PIP form.
Step 5: Follow Up
The employee and supervisor should establish regular
follow-up meetings (weekly, biweekly or monthly), which can be outlined in the
PIP. These meetings should discuss and document progress toward objectives. But
ultimately, it is best when an employee is provided the opportunity in
follow-up meetings to ask questions and seek guidance or clarification on
performance expectations. The supervisor should ensure that any potential
roadblocks are discussed and that the employee has been provided the necessary
tools and training.
Successful progress made toward the goal should be
recognized as a means of motivating the employee to continued improvement.
Step 6: PIP
Conclusion
If an employee is unable to improve or refuses to commit to
the PIP, or if his or her performance actually worsens, then the employer
should close the PIP and consider a possible reassignment, transfer or demotion
or terminate employment based on the specific circumstances.
When the employee does show some improvement but is unable
to achieve some or all of the established action plan objectives within the PIP
timeline, there are a few options:
If the employee is doing his or her best but just cannot
meet one or more objectives, the employer may agree to extend a PIP for a few
more weeks or months.
If the employer determines in retrospect that the objectives
were too hard or not completely within the employee’s control, the employer may
decide to either extend the PIP or end the PIP due to the progress that was
observed.
If the employer determines the employee is not a good fit or
is not really trying to improve even after all this effort, then the employer
should consider job reassignment, transfer or demotion or terminate employment
based on the specific circumstances.
When the employee has
responded positively by meeting the objectives, the employer should formally
close the PIP!
“PIP is nothing but a
way to improve introspect inside u rather than pushing you”
sources -www.shrm.org,businessnewsdaily
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