13 Nov How can I build a good Performance Improvement Plan or PIP?
Overall, you may be extremely proud and happy with your team – they seem to be productive, managing deadlines, and meeting or superseding your expectations. However, there is one employee who always goes to others for help and relies too heavily on their teammate’s talent to complete their established deadlines and expectations.
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) could be extremely beneficial for an employee who lacks certain skills but still has the drive to contribute and add value to their team. If this employee had been displaying consistent laziness, poor behaviour, and becoming a bad influence on their other teammates, this may warrant termination rather than engaging in an improvement plan.
How should an employer create a Performance Improvement Plan?
Begin the process by monitoring the employee’s performance more closely. Evaluate the areas the employee struggles with, brainstorm how the employee can improve, and think about what learning opportunities could benefit them the most. If we refer to the previous example, is it a specific skill the employee is lacking? Do they need to improve their time management, or do they struggle with a certain skill more specific to their role?
Develop a plan that corresponds with the employee’s deficiencies. Identify the discipline that needs an upgrade, set goals that are clear and attainable, outline the key material the employee should understand post training, and provide a realistic timeline for the employee to refine their skills. The employee should have time to learn, absorb, and practice the skills they are trying to implement.
Provide the necessary resources for the employee to meet these goals. The employee needs to feel supported while on their journey through the program. If there is a learning process the employee must complete, there should be a resource for when the employee has questions or needs advice during their learning process. For example, they could engage in a training with a teacher or coach that can cover multiple areas of their improvement plan.
Discuss the possible outcomes after completing this program. It is important to outline every possibility, so the employee doesn’t feel blindsided with certain consequences. This means initiating a conversation about what will happen if the employee is successful in their training and what situations the employee could face if they are unsuccessful. If the employer has provided the employee with multiple opportunities to improve and they have not made any progress, the employer may have the legal right to terminate the employee with cause.
Lastly, supervise the employee’s development throughout the entirety of the process. Once the employee begins their program, it is important that their efforts are being monitored and evaluated. Meeting with the employee regularly and/or having a manager observe their development could be beneficial for assessing whether the plan will be useful.
If you are an employer who wants to create a Performance Improvement Plan and need guidance on how to respond if your employee doesn’t improve, please contact KCY at LAW by filling in an online consultation request or contact us by phone at 905-639-0999 to book your consultation today.