5 Detailed Performance Improvement Plan Examples
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A performance improvement plan is a tool that may be used to help correct employee performance.
If the employee has consistently made errors or missed the mark, the PIP is a chance for them to rally and fix the problem.
A PIP needs to be direct and act as a clear guide to improvement.
It should include the following information and be as detailed as possible.
Area of concern - Describe the behavioral and performance issues, using specific examples of instances where expectations were not met.
Expectations - Outline what is expected of the employee with regards to performance and behavior.
Performance Improvement Goals - List actions that need to be taken in order to meet performance requirements. These should be specific and measurable goals.
Training and Resources - If any training or resources are needed for the employee reach their goals, include them in the plan.
Timeline - State the timeline of the plan, including how long the employee has to reach improvement goals, how often the manager will be checking in on progress, and when the final review of outcomes will take place.
Now that you know what the general contents of a PIP are, here are some examples.
Each one addresses a specific performance issue an employee had and the path laid out for them to improve.
Example Performance Improvement Plan #1
Situation
Data Scientist at Qualtrics - Recurring errors in data entry
Employee name
Jackson M.
Job title
Data Scientist 1
Performance issue
Last month, on April 24th, we discussed errors in your data entry. On two occasions it was found that you incorrectly entered data into a large data set and the error was not found until the data was processed. On Tuesday, May 12th, you once again made a mistake in recording customer engagement data by leaving out one of the variables in the data set. This has caused skewed and inaccurate visualizations to be produced.
Expectations
Take caution in data entry tasks and make sure that all inputs reflect data accurately. Ensure that data is properly processed and visualizations are accurate.
Action items
Spend 30 minutes after completing each data entry task to double check inputs.
Have your work checked for accuracy by Kevin.
Complete training in SPSS best practices and data processing by the end of May.
Final thoughts
I will be checking in on your progress weekly (Thursdays at 3:00) and regularly checking the results of your data entry tasks as they are completed. The performance improvement plan is effective immediately and spans the next 30 days. The results of your efforts will be reviewed on June 15th.
Example Performance Improvement Plan #2
Situation
Customer Service Representative at Expedia - Poor customer service
Notice of Performance Improvement Plan
Employee has received 6 customer complaints over the past 2 months. Average call handle time is 9 minutes, far below the call center average of 20 minutes. This indicates that employee is not helping the customer arrive at an acceptable solution.
Performance improvement requirements
Must not receive more than 2 customer complaints in the next 60 days.
Increase average call handle time to 17 minutes.
Receive 3 positive customer survey responses in the next 60 days.
Employee will be required to undergo customer service training refresher course. This has been scheduled for Monday of next week. In addition, their calls will be strictly supervised and observed for quality assurance.
Example Performance Improvement Plan #3
Situation
Copywriter at Target Corporation - Time management and missed deadlines
Performance Improvement Plan
Tamara J.
3/06/2018
Tamara, this performance improvement plan has been initiated in response to areas of concern regarding your time management and ability to perform duties in a timely manner.
Last month, you committed to creating 15 new pieces of content but only produced 8, citing insufficient time and resources. Additionally, you missed deadlines for submission of copy to editors on 4 occasions. This significantly slowed down the creation of assets and content for advertising initiatives.
As a part of the performance improvement plan you will be accountable for the following goals over the next 90 days:- Determine with your manager a reasonable volume of content to produce on a monthly basis (suggested 10 pieces of content).
Document your progress on current work items daily, keeping editors and manager informed.
Reduce production time of new copy to 3 hours per 1000 words.
Meet all deadlines on time, with a goal of submitting at least 1 hour in advance.
A bi-weekly 1:1 meeting will be scheduled with your manager to discuss initiatives, until the conclusion of the performance improvement plan in 3 months time. Any further resources needed can be discussed with your manager.
Example Performance Improvement Plan #4
Situation
Marketing Director at Sephora: Decreased brand awareness and social media traffic
Name
Joseph B.
Job Title
Marketing Director
Performance Issue
In the past three months, traffic on Sephora’s social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram has decreased by 35%. Since this time, in survey data, the brand has been cited as unknown by more users than in previous months. In several meetings, you have been eager to take a handle on social media marketing, yet there has been decreased attention to this aspect of marketing, which is overall causing damage to the brand.
Expectations
Dedicating more planned time to social media marketing to help improve brand awareness and social media traffic.
Action Items
Dedicate a full day a week to focus on social media marketing. During this time, consider brainstorming new ideas and creating a sub-group within your team that can focus on this as well.
Check-in with me weekly. During this meeting, we will discuss your new ideas and make sure you are seeing tangible increases in traffic to the social media platforms.
Spend time researching other successful beauty brands and their marketing on social media. See what kind of image they have produced, and find a way that Sephora can take a unique approach on social media.
Plan Duration and Tracking
This performance improvement plan will last for 60 days. During this time, we will track your progress and look to see a minimum 10% increase in traffic to Sephora social media platforms. In 60 days, we will reevaluate the situation and discuss how to move forward.
Example Performance Improvement Plan #5
Situation
Financial Analyst at United Airlines - Poor attention to detail
Name
George F.
Job Title
Financial Analyst
Performance Issues
In recent months, the company has proposed several projects in which the finance department was expected to evaluate. Through this the expectation was to determine their financial risk and return for the company as a whole. Your metrics in terms of these projects were extremely undetailed and did not evaluate the situation properly. For instance, in the proposal to expand and add more airplanes, you only cited the Net Profit Margin and the Expected Rate of Return in your analysis. This is not sufficient enough to justify the rejection of the project, nor does it provide the proper details needed to even consider a rejection.
Expectations
Within your role as a financial analyst, you are expected to provide a surplus of details and numbers to help determine the proposed project’s effect on United Airlines as a whole.
Action Items
Attend an online workshop on Sept. 1st to help improve your knowledge of different financial metrics and expand your ability to use them in a successful manner.
Review your calculations with your manager on a weekly basis to determine if they are thoroughly evaluating the project. In addition, use this time to ask any questions you may have about the calculations with your manager.
Plan Duration and Evaluation
This performance improvement plan is valid for the next 30 days. After this period ends, we will evaluate your performance in this area again.
If you have recently been placed on a PIP and want to better understand your options moving forward, be sure you understand what your employee rights on a PIP are.
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