Every employee has their own unique performance journey. While some consistently achieve exceptional results, others face temporary setbacks or challenges along the way.
If you’ve observed that an employee’s performance is not meeting the expected standards, the next step is to begin a performance improvement plan (PIP). This plan serves as a valuable tool to support their growth and development within your company.
In this article, we’ll explore practical tips for creating a performance improvement plan that works. We’ll also discuss the definition, importance, and parts of a PIP, as well as how to use a learning management system (LMS) to improve your team’s performance.
A performance improvement plan is a tool you use to help employees who aren’t meeting performance expectations. Think of it as a roadmap for their improvement journey.
Here, you schedule a meeting with them to discuss your concerns and clearly communicate the areas they need to improve on. You can use this opportunity to set specific career goals and expectations for your employees to work toward.
The length of a PIP is typically defined in a few weeks or months, depending on the situation and certain factors, like:
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Here are some of the reasons implementing a PIP is essential:
Identifying performance gaps and creating a structured plan shows that you’re committed to helping them succeed.
A PIP paves the way for much-needed discussions that can strengthen your working relationship and raise a culture of openness and collaboration at work. You can give constructive feedback to help them understand where they stand and what steps they can take to improve.
Outlining specific goals and areas for improvement means that you’re able to give your employees a clear path to success. This clarity allows them to focus their efforts and align their performance with organizational objectives.
A PIP lets you identify the areas where your employees need to develop their skills or knowledge. You can take advantage of this to tailor development opportunities, such as targeted training, resources, or mentoring.
You can prevent potential legal risks connected with performance management issues by keeping records of performance concerns, improvement initiatives, and your employees’ responses.
A performance improvement plan typically includes the following elements:
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for Employee XYZ:
Reason for the PIP:
Employee XYZ has shown a need for improvement in meeting project deadlines and collaborating effectively within the team.
Performance Goals:
1. Complete assigned projects on or before the specified deadlines.
2. Enhance communication and teamwork skills to foster a more collaborative work environment.
Areas of Improvement and Suggestions:
1. Project management:
2. Communication and teamwork:
Metrics for Evaluation:
1. Project timelines:
2. Team collaboration:
Deadline for Goals:
Within the next three months, with a review scheduled at the end of each month.
Consequences if Goals are Not Met:
Failure to meet the outlined goals may result in a performance review and additional training opportunities. If improvement is insufficient, there may be further employment consequences. The aim is to guarantee continuous improvement and success within the team.
In some cases, employees may think of a performance improvement plan as a negative measure or a punishment rather than a supportive tool. That makes it extremely important that you know how to effectively craft one.
Here’s a detailed section that discusses how to create a PIP, along with tips and strategies for better outcomes.
When writing a PIP, start by taking a close look at your employee’s performance and identify where they’re struggling. Doing this lets you effectively develop targeted plans to address them.
Follow these tips:
Once you’re done determining the gaps in your employee’s performance, work with them to establish the goals that they need to achieve. Take note that the goals should fit the overall objectives of your team or company.
Follow these tips:
Be mindful of setting a realistic timeline for achieving the goals and milestones. That way, you don’t overwhelm your employee and instead give them enough time to grow.
Follow these tips:
Since your employee is the one working towards improvement, make sure they’re actively involved in the whole process. Having them take part in the discussions can boost their engagement, motivation, and sense of ownership.
Follow these tips:
Investing in tools and resources will go a long way. Offer the necessary resources to support your employee in their improvement efforts and help them learn the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.
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Determine how you’re going to evaluate your employee’s performance against the goals. Specifying the criteria and metrics allows for a clear and objective assessment of their progress.
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To create a supportive environment, plan regular check-in meetings. It’ll allow you to get a grasp of how they’re doing and make any necessary changes to the plan along the way. This also keeps your plan on track.
Follow these tips:
Put the PIP in writing and document the objectives, steps, timeline, and evaluation criteria. Doing so will serve as a reference for both you and your employee. Share the plan with them, have a conversation about it, and get their agreement and commitment.
Keeping organized and updated records of the PIP lets you track progress, demonstrate accountability, and have a reference for future evaluations or discussions.
Follow these tips:
Throughout the whole process, it’s important to keep a close eye on your employee’s progress. That way, you can make sure that the PIP remains relevant and effective in supporting their development.
Follow these tips:
Remember: The purpose of a PIP is not to punish or intimidate your employees. Rather, approach it with empathy and a genuine desire to help your employee succeed.
A good learning management system can be a great asset when it comes to taking your performance improvement plan to the next level. If you’re looking to enhance your initiatives, SC Training (formerly EdApp) is the way to go.
SC Training (formerly EdApp) is a user-friendly LMS that you can use to give your employees easy access to a wide range of learning resources. It has a virtual library of training materials, courses, and educational content covering topics across different industries.
Enhance your PIP through the following features:
With SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s AI-powered creator tool, you can quickly create and assign training courses to employees who need improvement in certain areas. You can have targeted training and customize their learning experience to directly address the gaps you’ve identified in their PIP.
The platform comes with handy features like assessments and assignments that allow you to test your employee’s understanding of the training content. You can add quizzes in between lessons or a final assessment at the end of your course. SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s AI tools will let you generate related questions in just minutes.
PIPs should be about more than just short-term improvements. They should encourage continuous growth. With SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s editable course library, you can easily offer a range of ongoing learning opportunities. You can quickly update these courses, while your team can access additional resources and explore new skills beyond the initial PIP.
You can also give them access to refresher training courses or advanced training to help them maintain and further develop their improved performance.
You can track and monitor employee engagement, completion rates, assessment scores, and overall progress through reporting and analytics. This data helps you evaluate the effectiveness of the training and measure the impact on performance improvement.
One of the coolest things about SC Training (formerly EdApp) is that it offers flexibility in terms of when and where your employees can access training materials. They can learn at their own pace and fit training into their busy schedules without disrupting their daily work routines.
Enhance your PIP with the best employee learning and development tool! Join SC Training (formerly EdApp) today.
Author
Ella is a content writer for SC Training (formerly EdApp), an award-winning e-learning management system designed to help companies deliver high-quality workplace training. In her free time, she enjoys painting, reading, or playing with her cat.