Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash
For success in business, it’s vital to have the right talent. You need excellent employee performances to ensure success of your organization.
With unsuccessful employees, a critical part of management is the implementation of a performance-evaluation process.
The purpose of the process is to provide feedback on job performance:
- Identify accomplishments.
- Specify deficiencies and needs for improvement.
- Set goals for subsequent reviews.
With employees who perform unsatisfactorily, it’s time to take action.
Personal improvement plan
To give them opportunities to succeed, the customary tactic is a performance improvement plan (PIP).
In other words, you need a plan of action usually for one or two reasons:
- When employees fail to achieve their responsibilities in their job descriptions.
- When they have behavior issues.
Or, it could be both for some employees.
For companies with a human resources department, the HR function is to guide the manager and employee during implementation of the plan.
Bear in mind, a PIP is used to get employees to correct their deficiencies, not to satisfy the whims of biased supervisors – stemming from personality conflicts or the supervisors’ unprofessionalism.
Depending on the employees and their situations, PIPs will result in training, demotions, terminations or transfer to different jobs.
The PIP steps:
1. Evaluate whether a PIP is needed
Determine the behavioral or performance issues.
You should have a list that include dates, data, explanations and indicate whether the employees in-question have been previously warned.
A lot depends on whether the issues are new or ongoing, and whether the supervisor has been satisfactory in managerial steps to preclude the necessity of a PIP.
Assess whether the manager actually wants the employee to improve, has ulterior motives or if the situation is so untenable that a PIP won’t help.
Many employee issues will be effectively corrected via training in certain situations such as unmet sales objectives, inattention to important details, unsatisfactory customer reviews, poor quality ratings or unacceptable quantity of work.
However, issues stemming from insolence or insubordination, such as refusing to undergo training, won’t likely be helped with a PIP.
Consider whether the employee has received training. Is it because the employee has refused training or has simply been genuinely absent for bonafide illnesses? Also, consider whether the employee has personal issues that adversely impact the performance.
If that’s the case, determine whether the employee has been given sufficient accommodation. With sufficient accommodation, a PIP is an excellent approach for an employee who is otherwise capable.
2. Create a PIP
Provide information to the employee as to what is expected and why the employee’s performance is unacceptable. That includes dates, data, and explanations along with relevant information such as job descriptions and company policies.
For employee achievements, determine appropriate deadlines in the form of SMART goals. Typically, it should be in 30, 60 or 90-day time frames. You can allow for a longer time frame for complex issues.
Plan smart goals as in the acronym, SMART:
- Specific – who, what, when, where, and how
- Measurable – determine how you’ll attain your goals
- Agreed upon – make sure there’s a consensus or agreement
- Realistic – Make certain you’re being pragmatic
- Target date – a feasible timeline
Determine what you will do in the way of coaching or training, and how often you will meet with the employee.
Inform the employee of the consequences for failure to meet goals, such as demotion, termination or transfer to a different job.
3. Review the PIP
Double-check all details. Make sure the PIP is unbiased, clear, substantiated, as well as fair and reasonable.
4. Implement the PIP
Presentations of PIPs to employees are typically stressful meetings.
Be poised and business-like when you present the plan. Make a commitment to the employee’s development and success. Invite a dialogue and input.
Engage the employee to make sure there’s no confusion about the details and do your best to get the employee to adopt ownership of the development plan. That’s possible with an employee who wants to grow and contribute to the company’s welfare.
Get signatures and dates on the PIP.
Otherwise, with an uncooperative employee, you’ll need to document it and consider options such as demotion, transfer or termination.
5. Monitor the implementation
Make certain all meetings and time frames are met, and document the progress in performance and/or behavior.
Look for positive signs: The employee’s reactions, comments regarding the degree of devotion to the process, and whether there’s a new awareness and recognition of the benefits received from the PIP.
6. Conclude the PIP
An encouraging sign: If the employee responds well, the PIP’s goals will be achieved early.
In any case, once the objectives of the PIP are achieved, you should conclude the PIP. Congratulate and commend the person’s success.
Make certain the employee knows improved performance must continue.
If you’re convinced the employee is trying but is unsuccessful in meeting the goals, you might consider lengthening the PIP’s deadline with new time frames.
If you determine the goals were unfeasible, you might conclude the PIP based on the employee’s improvement and success.
However, if the employee does not improve or even worsens in behavior and/or performance and you’re sure the employee is not committed to cooperating and being successful with the PIP, you have little choice. The only options are demotion, transfer or termination.
From the Coach’s Corner, here is related information:
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Toxic Employees Warrant Your Best Coaching Tactics – Frustrations dealing with difficult employees coincide with many management issues – teamwork, morale, organizational dysfunction and weak customer relationships – just to name a handful. And they all lead to loss of profit.
“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”
-Stephen Covey
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