Run Performance Improvement Plan

---
name: run-performance-improvement-plan
description: Use when a direct report has a documented pattern of performance falling below role expectations — after informal feedback has not produced sustained change — to create a structured, time-bound plan with clear success criteria before making a continuation decision.
source: SHRM "Performance Improvement Plans" knowledge center; CIPD "Managing Poor Performance" guidance; HR Certification Institute (HRCI) standards; Littler Mendelson employment law guidance on documentation
tags: [performance-improvement-plan, pip, underperformance, manager, hr, documentation, employment, performance-management]
---

# Run Performance Improvement Plan

Manage a direct report's documented performance gap through a structured, time-bound PIP with clear goals, regular check-ins, and defined success criteria — so both parties know exactly what is expected and what happens if those expectations are not met.

## Why This Is Best Practice

**Adopted by:** The PIP is the standard structured underperformance management tool across enterprise HR systems globally; SHRM's "Managing Employee Performance" knowledge center documents the PIP as the industry-standard mechanism between informal feedback and separation; it is used at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and all major employers as a legally documented intermediate step; HRCI (HR Certification Institute) includes PIP design and execution as a core competency in the PHR and SPHR certifications
**Impact:** When executed correctly — with clear goals, regular check-ins, and genuine support — studies by CIPD (2020) show approximately 40–50% of employees on PIPs reach the defined performance standard; the primary value of a formal PIP is not termination — it is clarity: many employees on PIPs are succeeding in the wrong role, and the structured clarity of a PIP either surfaces the correct path or creates a legally defensible and humane record if separation becomes necessary; skipping the PIP and proceeding directly to separation exposes the organization to wrongful termination claims in most jurisdictions
**Why best:** Informal feedback alone (give-developmental-feedback) fails for chronic underperformance because it lacks documented timelines, specific measurable standards, and defined consequences; performance reviews document the problem but do not provide a structured remediation path; the PIP bridges the gap between "we've had the conversation" and "we've given this person a real, documented, structured opportunity to succeed"

Sources: SHRM "Performance Improvement Plans: What Managers Need to Know" (shrm.org); CIPD "Managing Performance" guidance (cipd.org, 2020); HRCI PHR Body of Knowledge; Littler Mendelson "Termination Best Practices" (littler.com); Harvard Business Review "The Right Way to Use a PIP" (2016)

> **Important:** PIP processes have legal implications in most jurisdictions. Consult your HR and legal team before initiating a PIP. This skill describes the management best practice; jurisdiction-specific employment law governs the legal requirements.

## Steps

### 1. Confirm a PIP is the right tool

A PIP is appropriate when:
- Performance has fallen below documented role expectations across multiple dimensions or over multiple months
- The manager has had at least 2–3 direct feedback conversations (per give-developmental-feedback) without sustained improvement
- The gap is specific and measurable — not a personality or culture fit issue
- HR has been consulted and agrees this is the correct path

A PIP is NOT the right tool when:
- The performance issue is actually a conduct or values issue (handle via HR/legal directly)
- The employee is in a protected category and the performance gap is underdocumented (consult HR first)
- The manager has already privately decided on separation (a PIP used as cover for a predetermined termination is legally and ethically indefensible)
- The performance gap is new (less than 4–6 weeks) and informal feedback hasn't been tried

### 2. Consult HR before drafting

Before any document is written or conversation held, brief your HR business partner:
- Summary of the performance gap and timeline
- Documentation of prior feedback conversations
- The role's performance expectations and how this employee is falling short

HR will confirm whether a PIP is appropriate, advise on legal requirements in the jurisdiction, help draft the document, and flag any risk factors (protected status, recent complaint, etc.).

Never initiate a PIP conversation with an employee before HR has reviewed the plan.

### 3. Draft the PIP document

A PIP document must contain:

**1. Performance Gap Statement**
Specific, documented description of the gap — not "attitude issues" but observable behaviors and measurable outcomes:
```
Current state: In Q1 and Q2, [employee] missed 4 of 6 project delivery 
deadlines by 1–3 weeks. Three client deliverables contained errors that 
required rework (documented in [dates] emails). Code review completion 
rate was 40% vs. team average of 85%.

Expected standard: All project deliverables on schedule or communicated 
48h in advance if at risk. Defect rate at or below team average. Code 
review completion at or above 75%.
```

**2. SMART Improvement Goals**
3–5 specific, measurable, achievable goals for the PIP period:
```
1. Complete all assigned deliverables by the committed date, or communicate 
   a revised date with reason at least 48h before the deadline. No more than 
   1 missed deadline without prior communication during the 60-day PIP period.

2. Reduce defect rate in submitted work to at or below team average (currently 
   team average is 2.1 defects per 1,000 lines; employee's current rate is 6.8).

3. Complete code reviews within 24h of assignment for all PRs assigned during 
   the PIP period. Target: 80% completion rate.
```

**3. Support the Manager Will Provide**
Concrete manager commitments — not vague encouragement:
```
- Weekly 30-minute check-in dedicated to PIP progress (scheduled Tuesdays 10am)
- Access to [specific training resource] for [specific skill gap]
- Pairing sessions with [senior engineer] for the first 3 weeks of the PIP
- Manager will provide feedback on submitted work within 24h during PIP period
```

**4. Timeline and Decision Point**
```
PIP period: [start date] to [end date] (typically 30–90 days)
Check-in cadence: Weekly
Decision point: [end date] — if goals are met, PIP concludes and 
employee returns to standard performance management. If goals are not 
met, further action up to and including separation may be taken.
```

**5. Signatures**
Employee signature acknowledges receipt — not agreement with the content.

### 4. Deliver the PIP in person

Hold the PIP initiation meeting with the employee and HR present:

1. **Acknowledge prior conversations**: "We've talked several times about [performance gaps]. Those conversations have not produced the change we needed."
2. **State the current situation clearly**: "We're at a point where a formal plan is needed."
3. **Present the document**: "This is a Performance Improvement Plan. I want to walk through it with you."
4. **Read through each section together**: do not slide the document across; read it aloud and explain each element.
5. **Invite questions**: "Do you have questions about what's expected or what the support looks like?"
6. **Ask them to sign**: explain that signing acknowledges receipt, not agreement.
7. **Affirm your intent**: "I want this to work. I'm committed to giving you the support in this document. The goal is for you to succeed."

This is not a conversation to have via email or asynchronously.

### 5. Run weekly PIP check-ins

Every week during the PIP period, hold a dedicated 30-minute check-in:

**Agenda:**
1. Review progress against each PIP goal — specific data, not impressions: "This week you had 3 deliverables due. 2 were on time. 1 was late but you communicated it 48h in advance — that's within the plan."
2. Identify blockers: "What got in the way this week? What do you need from me?"
3. Agree on next week's focus: "Here's what I'll be watching for next week."
4. Document in writing after the meeting: a brief email summarizing what was discussed and the current standing.

Documentation at every check-in is critical. If the PIP ends in separation, these records are the legal defense that the process was genuine.

### 6. Conclude the PIP

At the end of the PIP period, make the determination against the stated criteria — not holistic impression.

**Scenario 1 — Goals met:**
Hold a close-out conversation: "You met the goals in this plan. The PIP is concluded. Here's what I observed that worked... I want you to sustain this. Going forward, performance will be managed through normal channels."

Remove the PIP from active consideration; it remains in the employee file per HR policy.

**Scenario 2 — Goals partially met / borderline:**
Consult HR. Options include: extend the PIP with modified goals, close with a warning that performance must be maintained, or proceed to separation. The choice depends on the pattern, trajectory, and risk.

**Scenario 3 — Goals not met:**
Proceed to separation per HR and legal guidance. The PIP process is the documented evidence that the employee had a clear, structured, supported opportunity to succeed and did not meet the defined standard.

## Rules

- Never initiate a PIP without HR review — employment law, jurisdiction-specific requirements, and organizational policy all intersect; HR must be involved from step 1
- Goals must be measurable — if you cannot collect objective data on whether a goal was met, the goal is not appropriate for a PIP
- Document every check-in in writing — verbal-only PIPs are not defensible; a brief written summary after every check-in is required
- The decision point must be pre-defined — changing the timeline or success criteria mid-PIP without documented reason undermines the integrity of the process and creates legal risk
- A PIP used as cover for a predetermined termination is both unethical and legally risky — if the decision has already been made, consult HR about a separation package instead

## Common Mistakes

- **PIPs with vague goals**: "improve communication" is not a PIP goal; "complete all weekly status updates by Friday 5pm for the duration of the PIP period" is.
- **Skipping weekly check-ins**: the check-in cadence is what makes a PIP a genuine improvement opportunity, not a paper exercise; missing check-ins suggests the manager was not committed to the improvement, which undermines any subsequent separation.
- **Initiating a PIP without prior feedback**: a PIP must follow documented attempts at informal feedback; surprising an employee with a PIP without prior conversations is procedurally indefensible and harmful.
- **Using "attitude" as a performance gap**: personality and interpersonal style are not PIP metrics; convert the observation into behavior ("interrupted teammates 7 times in Monday's meeting") and outcome ("three teammates have escalated to me that they feel unable to complete their work due to interruptions").
- **Extending the PIP indefinitely**: an indefinite PIP with no decision point is a management avoidance strategy; it harms the employee (uncertainty), the team (watching management avoid accountability), and the organization (legal exposure from inconsistent application).

## When NOT to Use

- When the issue is a conduct or values violation — misconduct (harassment, fraud, safety violations) is handled through HR/legal disciplinary processes, not performance improvement plans.
- When the performance gap is due to a documented disability or medical condition — engage HR and legal before any PIP discussion to ensure accommodation obligations are met.
- When a role elimination is the actual business reason — if a position is being eliminated for business reasons, a PIP is not the appropriate vehicle; proceed through your organization's workforce reduction process.
- For a new employee still within a standard probationary period — use direct feedback and close management during probation; a formal PIP may not be appropriate or legally required for probationary separations.