Performance Improvement Plan
Monday May 24, 2004
Are you looking for a format that's a winner when you want to help an underperforming employee succeed? You'll find what you are looking for here. The purpose of a formal Performance Improvement Plan is to help an employee succeed. This format enables you to set goals, establish measures, conduct review sessions and chart progress. Not convinced of the need for this procedure? Check out my introduction to the form. You'll be happy you did.
Whenever a client or blog reader tells me he or she has been placed on a so-called “Performance Improvement Plan,” or “PIP,” I worry for them. In over 25 years of counseling and representing employees, I can count on one hand the number who have remained employed at the conclusion of a “PIP” . . . unless they’ve stood up for themselves by challenging the PIP.
The concept of helping someone put together a plan to improve their workplace performance is wonderful. However, in 95% of the times I’ve seen PIP’s used, what’s really going on is close to evil: it is nothing but a “paper trail” that looks objective in order to justify firing an employee who everyone knows is a good employee.
I have personal experience having to work under a PIP plan. I worked in a department where sales, measures, and credit were never consistant with anyone. I had nothing but great reviews for over 3 years with the company.When a new manager/supervisor came into the picture with no experience in our department and changes started being made I was put onto a PIP plan. This plan was unrealistic and was set up for failure. It was a way to cause fear of my job through intimidation. Far from helpful. This way of managing to improve someones performance is nothing but EVIL. There are far better ways to improve someones performance.
Needless to say I went on a job hunt and when I found something better, I went in and put in my written two weeks notice….they refused the two weeks and made me leave that night and now im considered “non-rehireable”. As far as I was concerned I had two options
1. get fired anyway because there was no way I was going to meet their projected goals
2. Find something else and be professional at putting in my two weeks.
I went for the second outcome and they still found a way to not only fire me but make me un rehireable.
This is a plan to get rid of you not to improve your abilities to do better.