What is a performance improvement plan and when should I use one?

A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a compact, documented agreement that outlines specific expectations, measurable success criteria, and support for an employee showing sustained underperformance. Use a PIP after a short diagnostic that rules out systemic causes (onboarding gaps, unclear role design, shifting priorities). It’s best framed as a coaching framework to improve outcomes rather than a punitive step.

How long should a PIP last and why?

There’s no single answer, but the article recommends a 45–60 day duration with weekly check-ins for most individual contributor roles. Shorter 30-day plans suit discrete tasks; complex behavioral changes need 60–90 days. The goal is balancing urgency with a realistic learning curve so progress can be measured and support applied without dragging the process out.

What metrics should I track during a PIP?

Select 2–4 metrics that map directly to the behaviors in the PIP and are observable and objective. For sales: calls per week, conversion rate, average deal size; for operations: error rate, throughput, on-time completion. Make metrics time-bound with weekly or biweekly checkpoints and share them in advance so progress discussions stay anchored to measurable outcomes.

What are the possible outcomes after a PIP and how should they be handled?

A PIP should define three outcomes up front: success, extension, or termination. If metrics are met, formally close the PIP and transition the employee back to regular management with a follow-up check. For partial progress, consider a single, time-limited extension with revised supports. For insufficient progress, follow documented underperformance and HR-reviewed termination steps to ensure due process and fairness.

Make Your Performance Improvement Plan Work in 45-60 Days

Q: How do I write a performance improvement plan that leads to success?

Write a PIP that emphasizes specificity, support, and follow-through. Define 2–3 observable expectations, 2–4 objective metrics with dates, and a concrete support plan (coaching, training, workload adjustments). Use objective language, document evidence prompting the PIP, agree goals jointly with the employee, calendarize check-ins, and have HR or a second leader review the draft for fairness and clarity.

Creating a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) That Works

A well-crafted performance improvement plan is the roadmap that turns underperformance into measurable growth. In our experience, organizations that design a PIP as a coaching framework rather than a punitive checklist achieve faster, more durable results. This article delivers a practical playbook: a concise PIP template, a repeatable employee improvement plan workflow, and the concrete steps to implement an effective PIP that your managers can use this week.

We’ll cover diagnosis, structure, implementation, measurement, outcomes, and common pitfalls with examples drawn from real teams and industry benchmarks. Read with the intention to extract at least two changes you can apply immediately to your underperformance process.

Diagnose the problem before you prescribe

Before you write a performance improvement plan, spend time on diagnosis. A surface-level reaction to missed targets often misses system issues: poor onboarding, unclear role design, shifting priorities, or team dynamics. In our experience, a short diagnostic saves weeks of wasted meetings.

Use objective inputs: recent performance reviews, output data, calendar analysis, and a brief one-on-one to capture the employee’s perspective. Treat the process as part of your broader underperformance process — document what happened, when, and why.

What should a PIP include?

A complete performance improvement plan has a compact, repeatable structure so managers and employees know what to expect. Include:

Clear expectations — 2–3 observable behaviours or outcomes
Success metrics — measurable targets with dates
Support plan — coaching, training, or resources
Check-in cadence — weekly or biweekly
Consequences — next steps for success or failure

We recommend capturing this in a one-page document so it’s easy to reference and update during the process.

Structure the PIP for clarity and fairness

Structure matters: ambiguity destroys goodwill and compliance. Frame the performance improvement plan as a shared agreement with the employee. Use objective language, avoid subjective judgements, and record the evidence that prompted the plan.

Key structural elements to finalize before the first meeting are the timeline, measurable targets, resources offered, and the endorsement from HR or people operations. Having an agreed-upon PIP template reduces manager variation and helps with calibration across teams.

How long should a PIP last?

There’s no universal answer. Short-term tasks may use a 30-day plan while complex behavioral shifts often require 60–90 days. The right duration balances urgency with realistic learning curves. In our work, 45–60 days with weekly check-ins hits the sweet spot for most individual contributor roles.

How to implement: steps and tools

When launching a performance improvement plan, follow a consistent sequence. A repeatable flow reduces manager anxiety and increases the chance of a positive outcome for the employee.

Convene the fact-based meeting: present documented gaps and invite the employee’s perspective.
Agree goals together and record them in the PIP document.
Specify measurable targets and the timeline — be explicit about what success looks like.
List support actions (training, pairing, reduced workload, coaching).
Set the check-in cadence and make all meetings calendarized.
Document every check-in and adjust the plan only with mutual agreement.

Include the employee improvement plan file in a shared, auditable location so both parties can track progress transparently. One practical tip we’ve found effective is assigning a neutral HR partner to sit in on kickoff and midpoint reviews to ensure consistency across cases.

The turning point for many teams is reducing administrative friction; tools like Mentora LMS help by automating progress tracking and surfacing personalized coaching insights so managers can focus on coaching rather than chasing updates.

Monitor progress and give actionable feedback

A performance improvement plan yields results only when you measure and coach. Weekly check-ins should be short, focused, and centered on evidence. Start each meeting with a quick look at metrics, then shift to barriers, learning, and specific next steps.

Feedback must be specific and moment-based: reference a piece of work, the expected standard, and a concrete suggestion. Avoid generic praise or criticism — specificity builds trust and accelerates behavioural change.

What metrics should you track?

Pick 2–4 metrics that map directly to the behaviors in the PIP. For sales roles this might be calls per week, pipeline conversion, and average deal size. For operations roles it could be error rate, throughput, and on-time completion. The metrics should be:

Observable and objective
Time-bound with weekly or biweekly checkpoints
Shared in advance so there are no surprises

Document these metrics in the PIP and review them at every check-in to keep the discussion anchored to outcomes.

Handling outcomes: success, extension, or termination

A clear performance improvement plan defines three possible outcomes and the actions associated with each: success, extension, or termination. Define these outcomes up front and use them as guardrails for decision-making.

When someone meets the metrics, formally close the PIP with a transition plan back to regular performance management. If progress is partial, document why and consider a single, time-limited extension with revised supports. If insufficient progress continues, follow your documented underperformance process to ensure compliance and fairness.

Success: Close PIP, celebrate learning, schedule follow-up 30–60 days later.
Extension: One-time extension, updated targets, new supports.
Termination: Final step after documented attempts and due process.

Make sure HR reviews any termination decision for consistency with company policy and legal requirements; documentation collected during the PIP is often the decisive factor in demonstrating fair process.

Common pitfalls and advanced tips

Two recurring mistakes we encounter: managers treating the PIP as a checkbox, and teams failing to address systemic causes. Both reduce the probability of success and can damage trust. The simplest countermeasure is structured training for managers on coaching and documentation.

Advanced tips we’ve applied that move the needle:

Calibration sessions across managers to ensure consistent standards.
Pairing employees with internal mentors to accelerate technical skill gaps.
Micro-learning: short, targeted training modules tied directly to PIP goals.

How do you write a performance improvement plan that leads to success?

When writing a performance improvement plan that leads to success, focus on three principles: specificity, support, and follow-through. Specificity ensures everyone knows the standard; support gives the employee resources to change; follow-through enforces accountability and learning.

We recommend a final review step before launch: have another leader or HR representative read the draft. That second opinion catches vague language and ensures the plan is fair and implementable.

Conclusion and next steps

A thoughtfully executed performance improvement plan is a tool for development, not punishment. In our experience, organizations that standardize PIP structure, train managers on coaching, and measure progress objectively see higher completion rates and fewer repeat cases. A repeatable PIP template combined with clear metrics and real support turns what could be an administrative headache into an opportunity for team growth.

Next steps to implement this in your organization:

Create a one-page PIP template and pilot it with two managers.
Train managers on diagnosis and coaching with a checklist for kickoff meetings.
Set a review cadence (45–60 days) and assign an HR reviewer for calibration.

If you want a quick starter, adapt the one-page framework from this article into your own shared document and run a single pilot case; the learning will inform a scalable process. Take one PIP and make it exemplary — success here compounds fast.

See mastery-based learning in action