Performance Improvement Plan Template: 30 Review Templates to Build your Successful Career

 Often referred to by its acronym PIP, a performance improvement plan is used as a tool to motivate a performance-deficient employee and enable him to succeed. Also known as the performance action plan, the plan is modeled in a fashion that facilitates constructive discussion between the said employee and his supervisor. This, in turn, promotes improvement in the work performance of the employee.

Implemented at the discretion of the manager, the performance improvement plan works by addressing the shortcomings of the employee to provoke him in meeting job requirements. For this precise reason, the PIP should be administered whenever a staff member is required to improve their performance.

Nonetheless, it should be minded that the arising outcomes, though conclusive are highly varied. They are wholly dependent on the individual to whom the PIP has been tended. However, a few of the analogous results are:

1. Improvement in employee skills

2. Improvement in the training gap

3. Employee transfer

4. Demotion or termination of the employee.

Sample Performance Improvement Plan Templates

As aforementioned, each and every performance improvement plan template is unique vis-a-vis the purpose served by them. Due to this, each of them demands a special format to be drafted for each of them to sustain their individual purposes. Cited below are few such relevant performance improvement plan templates which are used to a great extent in the industry as and when required.

Employee Performance Improvement Plan Template

This employee performance improvement plan is a typical performance improvement template. This template is frequently used in a generalized manner to improve the performance of those employees who seem to be slacking in their operations.

Employee Name:  

Title:  

Department:  

Position:  

Date:  

Mr./Mrs./Ms. ______________________ needs improvement in his/her performance. In order to help him to improve performance, we will introduce various activities so that he is again able to meet the work performance expectations. These activities include:  

(List all the activities that you want the employee to follow so that he can regain his work performance below here) 

Target Date for Improvement:  

Expected Results: (List any form of metrics if required) 

Review dates, as set by the employer and the supervisor:  

As agreed to by:

Employee Signature: _____(Insert Employee Name Here)_____

Date: ________________________________ 

Supervisor Signature: _____(Insert Supervisor Name Here_____

Date: ________________________________

Performance Improvement Plans for Healthcare

It is highly critical for healthcare professionals to adhere according to the protocols according to which the industry functions. In order to guide the patients towards their wellbeing, it is important that the professionals are completely versed in the entire policies of the of the hospital so that they can always contain their position as the top healthcare news in the future.

A performance improvement plan is the most authoritative tool in such cases. It guarantees the total abidance amongst professionals so that work on a high-performance basis and attend to any medical issues that may arise in their respective medical fields. This is what makes the PIP an essential aspect of the hospital improvement plan.

Given below is the typical performance improvement plan that is employed by the healthcare industry.

Performance Improvement Template  

To: ______(Insert Employee Name Here)_______ 

From: ____(Insert Manager’s Name Here)______ 

Subject: Performance Improvement Plan No. ___

Date: __(Insert the Date on which the Template was signed)__

Introduction

[Write a brief description of the negligencies that have been performed on the part of the employee due to which he is being given a performance improvement plan.]

The Unacceptable Performances Observed

[1. In this section, write out the details of the negligencies performed on the part of the employee in a point-wise manner.

2. Start with the most important issue and then address the remaining issues on the basis of the severeness.]

Improvement Activities To Be Performed

[1. Similar to the previous section, write out this section in a point-wise manner as well.

2. The activity that you are providing should be a solution to each of the unacceptable performances mentioned above.

3. Each of the improvement activities should coincide with their respective unacceptable points.]

Improvement Process

[This section contains all the processes to be followed by the said employee during their improvement.

1. Timeframe – The Timeframe point contains the date or time within which the employee needs to improve his performance.
2. Ongoing Check-Ins – The improvement process does not contain a single date or time during which the supervisors check the progress of the employee. There are frequent check-ins which occur between periodic intervals be it days, weeks or months. The Ongoing Check-Ins section contains details regarding these intervals.
3. Who Is Involved – There is a particular supervisor who monitors the activity of the employee during the performance improvement process. The Who Is Involved section contains the name of this supervisor. It is usually a person from Human Resources who assists the employee during his improvement process.]

Failure To Improve

[The Failure To Improve sections contains details what could happen if a person fails to meet the objectives in his improvement process. Either companies reassign the person within some other department in the company or they will be terminated from the company.]

Employee Name: ___________________________________ 

Employee Signature: ________________________________       Date: _________________

Supervisor Name: ___________________________________

Supervisor Signature: ________________________________      Date: _________________

Call Center Performance Improvement Plan Template

Like the other parts of the industry, the BPO or Business Process Outsourcing industry also requires a call center performance improvement plan. In order to make sure that their employees are not slacking off, it becomes highly important or such companies to apply a performance improvement plan.

However, the template for the call center plan is quite similar to the typical framework of a PIP. A lot of call centers also make use of the Employee Performance Improvement Plan Template mentioned. You can draft an enforceable PIP in the form of the above-mentioned formats.

Academic Performance Improvement Plan Template

Due to their expanding nature, performance improvement plans have also been finding their uses in numerous other fields. Especially, in the academic areas, teachers have been employing it as a tool to improve the performances of their students.

With the help of an academic performance improvement plan, students can facilitate their progress to meet the academic standards as set by their schools.

An academic PIP enables the students to get access to a reflective tool which can be used to facilitate conversations about improving academic performance. This can help them to work on their strengths to build a bright future for themselves.

Template 

Name of the Student: _____________________________

Name of Advisor: _________________________________

Date: _______________________

Academic History Reflection

[The Academic History Reflection section contains the greatest successes and challenges present in the life of the student. Clearly identifying these successes and challenges helps the student to create a solid part which they can pursue.] 

Academic Successes:

Success Moment	Why Do You Consider This To Be A Success Moment?	What Did You Do To Ensure That It Was Successful?

Academic Challenges:

Challenge Moment	Why Do You Consider This To Be A Challenge?	What Did You Do That Led To This Challenge?

[By reflecting on their past challenges, students are able to plan for the future that leads them towards their future while allowing them to easily face the challenges that lay in wait for them. Based on the past challenges and successes, the students can create strategies that will be helpful in their upcoming years.]

Based on your academic history, which are factors that help you to be successful? List them down:

 Based on your academic history, there are certain actions performed by you that create challenges for you. List these actions down so that you refrain from performing such actions:

 Safety Performance Improvement Plan Template

It is not state secret that companies continually aspire to improve the conditions of their health and safety for their workers in their work environment. To make sure that they effectively display this commitment of their, they employ a safety performance template to continuously monitor their progress in providing safety in an effective manner.

The template for a safety performance improvement plan template is given below:

Category	Improvement Opportunity	Plan Forward	Responsible Party	Target Date	Status
e.g. Leadership and Commitment	e.g. Senior Management will increase their presence on the field	e.g. Develop a tracking metric for site visits		e.g. end of Q1 end of Q2 end of Q3	e.g. Y N Y

 Team Performance Improvement Plan Template

Often, there are situations in which, instead of an individual displaying lower results, there are entire teams of people who might be generating lower results than they usually do. If you are a manager, you are answerable to the results generated by your teams. Due to this, it becomes even more important for you to understand how effectively your team is functioning over a certain period of time.

It is often considered to be a healthy exercise by managers to evaluate the performance of your teams and find how the epicenter of their focus. Knowing such information will help you to coach them effectively. 

Performance Improvement Plan
Performance Requiring Improvement	Period 1   Start Date: End Date:	Period 2   Start Date: End Date:	Period 3   Start Date: End Date:	Supervisor’s Comments
1. Performance Improvement/ Issue:   Goal:	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Period 1:   Period 2:   Period 3:
1. Performance Improvement/ Issue:   Goal:	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Period 1:   Period 2:   Period 3:
1. Performance Improvement/ Issue:   Goal:	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Period 1:   Period 2:   Period 3:
1. Performance Improvement/ Issue:   Goal:	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Met Goal?   ☐ Yes ☐ No	Period 1:   Period 2:   Period 3:

Sales Performance Improvement Plan Template

s

In the field of sales and marketing, there are a lot of people who struggle to reach a satisfactory level of performance that is expected by their managers. There could be various reasons for these struggles. However, even in such a case, a performance improvement plan could work to help such people in the field of sales to improve their performances in as little as 30 days. The template for the same is provided below: 

Sales Performance Improvement Plan  

Employee Name: ________________________________________ 

Position At The Company: _________________________________ 

Manager’s Name: ________________________________________ 

Department: ____________________________________________ 

Start and End Dates: ______________________________________ 

Performance Deficiencies faced: ____________________________

Date	Actions Taken	Goals Met	Measurement of Success	Comments

Evaluation Process:  

Resources Provided To Employee:

Employee’s Signature: __________________________

Manager’s Signature: ___________________________

 Date: _________________________

 Teacher Performance Improvement Plan Template

A teacher performance improvement plan template or a Teacher Improvement Plan (TIP) is brought to action when a teacher is identified to possess serious deficiencies in their work performances. Usually, such deficiencies require immediate attention so that the curriculum of the students is not affected in any manner.

Performance Improvement Plan

Team Member:

In order to correct the deficiencies that the teacher has been going through, he or she is expected to accomplish the goals mentioned below. All the goals should be fulfilled according to the accompanying plans and timelines.

Areas of Deficiency

1.	4.
2.	5.
3.	6.

 

Performance Goals	Action Steps	Methods Used For Collecting Data	Evidence of Progress
1.
2.
3.

 It is expected that the said teacher is able to accomplish everything that is required of him/her to enable them to get rid of the deficiencies of their performance. However, in case you fail to do so, there will additional employment action was taken against you including the possibility of your termination.

 Thank you for your cooperation and effort.

 Administrator’s Signature: _______________________

 Teacher’s Signature: ____________________________

Date: _____________________

Roles of HR in the Performance Improvement Plan

The Human Resources department works in convergence with the supervisor to draw up a performance improvement plan to help an underperforming employee to reach and exceed his potential. The department performs three functions in particular in the entire process of the implementation of the performance improvement plan. These include:

1. They assist the managers to evaluate the situation which they are dealing with
2. They ensure that the plans they draw up are in complete compliance with the university policies.
3. They help in coaching managers to write letters regarding the PIP as well as in having conversations with the employees.

Usually, the departments draft a performance improvement plan which could last for 30, 60 or even 90 days. It all depends on the situation and the assumption of how long it would take to improve the issue.

What is A Performance Improvement Model

Work efficiency management is a crucial aspect of organizations. It is only by managing their work efficiency that companies are able to rise above their competitors and provide better services than them. Only with the means of sustainable work performance are people predominantly able to create optimum work efficiency ranges within their organization.

Concording to this, multiple organizations have implemented the concept of Performance Improvement Models. These models help organizations to eliminate the shortcomings occurring in their infrastructure by identifying the employees that tend to lower the employee work performance.

Performance improvement models work by analyzing the performance rates of an employee. These performance rates are recorded using a performance indicator on the basis of statistical process controls and benchmarking. Data is considered for benchmarking in cases wherein the data isn’t subject to any particular monumental changes over an extended period of time. However, such methods are considered suitable for comparison only when the benchmarks recorded fall within random variation limits.

Apart from this, the performance improvement models also enable an organization to optimize their work processes and refine the skills of the employees to increase employee performance.

How Does A Performance Improvement Plan Work

More often than not, it is a particular performance-riddled employee who is the reason behind the company being unable to accomplish its goals. The entire team, as well as the manager, suffer greatly due to such occurrences. However, there are not the only ones who lie within the damage radius. Unaccomplishment of goals leads to a lot of harassment amongst other departments of the company as well as the chain of command.

This, ultimately, leads to a domino effect which could very well travel great distances in harming the entire ecosystem of the company.

Therefore, it is not unusual for companies to feel subjugated towards firing the employee in such cases. For a lot of organizations, it might be the logical option as well. Notwithstanding this, companies should consider utilizing a performance improvement plan in lieu of terminating the employee from his position at the organization.

With the help of a performance improvement plan, companies will be able to remedy not only the shortcomings of the employees but various other factors of their company as well. Such a factor could either be directly or indirectly connected to the various deficiencies that riddle the ecosystem of the company.    

Given below are the three sectors in which PIP’s successfully implement changes for increasing employee performance:

1. Providing Unanimous Support –PIP’s are often misunderstood as an object which asserts that a person is a failure. However, what a PIP does is quite opposite to this.

The first and foremost that a PIP performs, is to exhibit the complete support that the employee will be receiving from the organization. It assures the employee that the organization understands the challenges that he will be facing and that they will always support him.

Overwhelmed by the undivided support that an employee receives, he or she is more likely to be engaged and productive in the work that is performed by them. Being charged with such positive energy, the employee will be bound to understand what is expected of them and show drastic improvement in their results.

2. Highlighting The Problematic Behaviours –The second task way in which performance improvement plans perform is by calling attention to the exact reasons or behaviors which have been causing problems within the ecosystem of the company.

By understanding the aforementioned reasons, the employees are able to develop skills and improve their mobility which allows them to correct themselves. Additionally, if the employees find flaws in their skills, they can also contact groups and attend the meeting to ameliorate their skills and get rid of their problematic behaviors.  

3. Providing A Sense of Fulfillment –The performance improvement plans work in a third way as well. However, this particular case is in complete contrast to the other two ways. For, in this method, the employee isn’t slack or deficit in skills. Rather, such an employee falls short of what is required to them at the organization.

Such employees are often great at the work they do. In spite of this, they remain unfulfilled at their roles in the organization. A PIP, in such cases, can be a testament to the unutilized potential of the said employee. It can help the employee to increase his or her mobility, which, in turn, could allow them to transition themselves into higher-level roles. Such roles, which suit his talents, can go a long way in helping the organization to develop a better and more talented workforce to lead the organization.

Why Is A Performance Improvement Plan Important

There are, perhaps, few things more traumatic for an employee than being fired from the company which they dedicated their heart and soul towards. However, it becomes even more painful if the employee is fired without reason.

Before the management opts to terminate the employee, they should consider a performance improvement plan. A performance improvement plan a very important aspect of any organization. With the help of a PIP, the said management could save a good deal of time and money while allowing them to continue with their daily processes.

A few important prospects are mentioned below:

1. Problem Identification –The first step to solving a problem is to assign it with an identity. Solving a problem without generating its identity is virtually impossible. A PIP enables a company to recognize the performance deficits of a particular employee. From here, the company can tailor a customized plan which enables the said employee to opt for improvement programs highlighting his deficits and enabling him to work on them.

2. Information Gathering –Another important reason for implementing a performance improvement plan is its ability to gather necessary information, required for documenting substandard performance levels. It isn’t possible for employers to know the exact strengths and weaknesses of their employees. A PIP enables employers to draft a plan for evaluating the skills of their employees over a specific period of time. With the help of such a plan, employers are able to generate the required feedback regarding a particular employee’s performance.

3. Identifying Unsuitable Behaviours –More often than not, substandard work performance occurs due to the undue display of unfit employee behavior. These behaviors could refer to numerous displays of coming late to work or missing out on important meetings etc. Serving an ill-mannered employee with a PIP enables you to set an example to other employees regarding the maintenance of acceptable levels of job performance. If left unchecked, such unsuitable behaviors could spread to various extents.

4. Making Employees Aware of Their Potential –With the help of a performance improvement plan, you can help to make employees aware regarding own potential. There have been lots of cases in which a hard-working person employee could be displaying substandard levels of performance.

However, the said employee could possess the abilities required for accomplishing his objectives at the organization. Using a customized plan can help the employee to bring his noteworthy skills to light, and if required, improve them.

A PIP can also help the employee in gaining new skills more suited to his potential. With the help of the plan, the employer could evaluate the employee’s skills and reassign him to a better-suited potential.

5. Employer Protection –The final importance of implementing a PIP is its ability to legally protect the employer in the event of a lawsuit. There are cases in which an employee fails to display optimum levels of performance even after being served with a performance improvement plan. During such cases, there is nothing that the employer can do apart from terminating his position at the company.

In such a case, the PIP acts a legal requirement, protecting the employer from any lawsuits that may be directed towards him. Moreover, such an event also goes a long way in encouraging other employees to provide optimum work performances. This ensures that their careers are, in no way, affected by their work performances.

How Do You Write A Performance Improvement Plan

There are several things that you need to mind while you are drafting a performance improvement plan. The first aspect of a PIP is its framework or format. Every performance improvement plan could be unique in the format in which it is drafted. Due to this, there could numerous performance improvement plan formats. It all depends on the format that is chosen by the organization.

Framework of the Performance Improvement Plan

The drafting of PIP begins by stating the employee’s name 8 different columns. Each of these columns contains eight different topics that you should cover in accordance with the PIP. These include the Target Area, Performance Concern, Expected Standard of Performance, Agreed Improvement Actions, Support, Review Date, Review Note and finally, the Date to Achieve Expected Standard.

Each of the topics is detailed in the mentioned points below:

1. Target Area – The Target Area section contains the specific domains where the employee has failed to meet his performance standards. An example of this could be the difficulty faced by the said employee in efficiently organizing the workload on a daily basis. Another notable example of could be inaccuracies in the research data provided.

2.Performance Concern – The Performance Concern section contains the specific details regarding the areas in which the employee has failed to meet the standards set by the organization.

3.Expected Standard of Performance – In the Expected Standard of Performance, the company mentions in details, the standard of performance that is expected and should be provided by the employees. In other terms, it explains how notable their performance should be in order to make their efforts “look good”.

4.Agreed Improvement Actions – The Agreed Improvement Actions contains the details regarding the actions that the employee agrees to undertake. It is only by undertaking such actions will the employee be able to meet the expected standards of performance.

5.Support – The Support section houses the details regarding the support that will be provided by the company to the employee for the employee to achieve his or her goals in order to meet the Expected Standard of Performance.

6. Review Date – The Review Date contains the date and time in which the company will review the efforts that the employee.

7. Review Notes – The Review Notes contains the details vis-a-vis the improvements that have been made by the employee. Apart from this, the review notes also contain any future review dates.

8. Date to Achieve Expected Standard – This Date to Achieve the Expected Standard contains the final date by which the employee needs to improve his performance rates as well as achieve the standards set by the company.

The Template Format 

Employee Name – _________________________

 

 Performance Improvement Plan

 

 

 

This Performance Improvement Plan has been agreed by:	Signed by:	Date:
Manager
Employee

Guidelines While Writing Such A Performance Improvement Plan

There are various guidelines which should unerringly be followed while drafting the performance improvement plan. If required, the supervisor should attempt to sit down with the employee and discuss the conditions mentioned in the performance improvement plan to clear out ay doubts existing in the minds of the employee.

Majorly, there are six aspects of a performance improvement plan which supervisors should keep in mind while drafting the performance improvement plan. These include:

1. Clearly, State The Performance Areas to be Improved – This is the most important aspect of the PIP. Here, you should clearly state the target performance areas that the employee needs to improve. If you want, you can also choose to cite examples. However, whatever you do, make sure to use a specific language format that can be easily understood by the employee.

2. State The Expected Performance Levels – Clearly state the performance levels that are expected from the employee. The specifics will enable the employee to understand what is required of him at the organization. Also, mention the fact that he has to showcase his performance levels on a consistent basis. There should be no deficits in his performance levels during the PIP assessment as well as after it.

3. Mention The Support – During the times of a PIP, let the employee know that he or she is alone. Assure him by providing all the support that your organization can. Boost their confidence by letting them know that the assistance provided by you is only to ensure their success at the organization.

4. Maintain Clear Communication Levels – Have clear communication levels between the employee and yourself. Communicate all plans involving the PIP and ensure that the employee is fully aware of the feedback procedure so that he can efficiently improve it. Disclose the details of the meeting and make him or her aware of the frequency of the meetings. Also, ensure that the person has full knowledge about the person with whom he has to attend the meetings. Apart from this, make it a point to let him know about the metrics that you will use to evaluate his progress and performance.

5. Spread Awareness of The Possible Consequences – Enunciate the consequences that the employee will have to face if he or she fails to meet the performance levels expected of them. All these points should be clearly mentioned in the performance improvement plan document.

6. Mention Additional Information – Make sure that your employee acknowledges the help that you will provide him with during the PIP procedure. Provide all sources of information that will go a long way in helping him. Definitely make it a point to include any additional information that could be helpful for the employee in improving his or her performance.  

How Can Employees Improve Their Performance

There are numerous ways to find out tips on helping employees to improve their performance. The three primary ways include:

1. Explore The Roots of The Problems – It is important to know and why the employee is underperforming. Only by exploring the roots of the problems can the employers understand why the employee is underperforming.

The first thing that supervisors should do is not to jump to conclusions. It might not be the case of intentional underperforming. There could be trivial reasons for the underperforming such as the lack of proper resources or training. Therefore, it is important to know what the reason is and working on how to improve it.

2. Creating Positivity in The Work Environment – An environment in which the employees are heavily intimidated by the superiors or are reprimanded is certainly not a good environment in which people can work. If there is a lack of positivity in the work environment, people are bound to display a lack of performance.

To make sure that the employees work in an efficient manner, the supervisors should create an environment in which the employees are allowed to voice their thoughts and introduce creative ideas. Such a happy environment will enable your organization to generate more positive results.

3. Have Fun – Chances are that a lot of employees are spending more than 40 hours at their jobs. Working in a dull environment can lead your employees straight into the abyss of generating uninspiring results.

Due to this, encourage activities such as small breaks, strolls, getting a bout of fresh air etc. Remember to have fun even when you work. Set goals that are attached to fun activities and even extra vacation time. Friendly competitions can allow employees to push their performance farther ahead.

How To Write A Corrective Action Plan

There are a set of actions which lead you in writing a corrective action plan. These include:

1. State The Root Cause – The first step is to state the problem. It is impossible to perform corrective action without being aware of the problem. Due to this, make it a point to clearly state the problem or weakness, including the root cause.

2. Hold People Accountable – The next step is to hold people accountable. These are the people who will be the reason for the success or failure of the corrective action.

3. Implement Simple Solutions – Once you have figured out the people who will be held accountable, create simple, measurable solutions to address the root cause of all the problems.

4. Segregate The Solutions Amongst The People – Make sure to divide the solutions and assign it to each person in such a manner which makes each of them accountable for the solutions to work.

5. Set The Deadlines – Set the deadlines so that within which you can achieve the solutions. However, make sure that these are realistic. Don’t put them too close or too far away.

6. Monitor The Progress – In order to make sure that your plan works successfully, monitor it at every step of the way. Do not neglect this process at any step of the way. If required, support the progress.