Performance improvement plan (PIP)

What to check before you start

Many PIPs trace back to unclear expectations. In a 2023 Gallup panel of 18,665 US employees, only 47% strongly agreed they know what is expected of them at work.¹ If the employee has never had the standard spelled out, a clear conversation and a few weeks may solve the problem without a formal plan.

Timing matters too. In the US most jobs are at-will, but a PIP can still become evidence in a discrimination or retaliation claim. The EEOC’s 2016 guidance says retaliation is the most frequently alleged basis of discrimination, and it lists lowered evaluations and scrutinizing someone’s work more closely than others’ without justification among actions that can count as retaliation.² If the employee recently complained, took protected leave or asked for an accommodation, talk to HR or counsel first. Rules differ by state and by country, and many countries outside the US expect a documented, fair process before any dismissal for performance.

What a fair plan looks like

Employees can usually tell within a week whether a plan is meant to help them. The difference shows up in the details.

Shuffl · HR by the numbers

A plan written to succeed vs. a plan written to fail

Written to fail

• ✕Goals like “improve attitude”
• ✕Targets no one on the team hits
• ✕No training or extra support
• ✕Check-ins cancelled or skipped
• ✕Outcome decided before it starts

Written to succeed

• ✓Two or three measurable goals
• ✓Targets based on what peers achieve
• ✓Named support, like shadowing or a checklist
• ✓Weekly check-ins with written notes
• ✓A clear end date and next step

A plan written to succeed vs. a plan written to fail. Written to fail: Goals like “improve attitude”; Targets no one on the team hits; No training or extra support; Check-ins cancelled or skipped; Outcome decided before it starts. Written to succeed: Two or three measurable goals; Targets based on what peers achieve; Named support, like shadowing or a checklist; Weekly check-ins with written notes; A clear end date and next step.

An example

A billing coordinator at a 75-person dental group had an error rate of 9% on submitted claims, against a team average of 2%. Her manager had raised it twice in one-on-ones. The 60-day plan set two targets: under 3% by day 30 and under 2% by day 60.

Support was written in: two shadowing sessions with the billing lead and a pre-submission checklist. They met for 20 minutes every Friday and the manager kept notes. Her rate was 2.4% at day 30 and 1.8% at day 60. The manager closed the plan in writing and kept the file.