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Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

  • 1.  Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 12-21-2021 08:42 AM
    I was wondering what this community might think about Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs). For context, I am referring to a specific document that an employee receives when it is decided that they are not meeting some of the requirements of their position. It is not a general yearly or periodic review. 

    In the past, I have seen certain employees receive a PIP, and end up changing their actions and improving their performance for a long enough period of time for it to not be considered a "temporary improvement". However, I have also seen other employees receive a PIP and make no changes to their behavior, resulting in their dismissal from their position.
    I can only conclude that the value of the PIP depends on how much the person receiving the plan cares about receiving it.

    What do you think?
    Is there any value to a Performance Improvement Plan, or is it simply a formal way to start the process of removing someone from a position? 

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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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  • 2.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 12-21-2021 09:17 PM
    I'm curious about others' experience with this as well. It seems to me that these plans are a way to protect the employer and any help for the employee is only secondary to their considerations. I mean, why else would you institute such a plan?

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    Tsee Lee A.M.ASCE
    New York NY
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  • 3.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 01-06-2022 02:47 PM
    Hi Tsee!

    I think this is an interesting question. In cases where a company is employing people "at-will", I am not sure if there needs to be too much protection required to begin with. Typically, hiring, training, and onboarding new staff can be a timely and sometimes costly process. For this reason, I could see an employer using a PIP to communicate to an employee that their performance had not been up to an expected standard, and that they wished to specify where improvement can be made in order to correct the perceived issues. 

    In places where employees are better protected though, I am sure that this is a tool that can be abused as well.

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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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  • 4.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 12-27-2021 11:32 AM

    I think a general bias is to view a Performance Improvement Plan as nefarious thing with termination as the ultimate objective. Objectively, a Performance Improvement Plan is a tool in the tool kit to remedy under performance or correct behaviors. I think how a company uses Performance Improvement Plan says a lot about their culture and value for employees.  Ideally, the employee has received prior feedback that they are underperforming or have behaviors counter to norms and expectations and have been given a chance to take corrective actions. The employee is given amply notification and the Performance Improvement Plan is genuinely used in a positive manner. A Performance Improvement Plan used simply as a step in the termination process to check a box shows a disregard for employees in my opinion.



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    Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
    Houston, TX
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  • 5.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 12-27-2021 07:46 PM
    In the two cities I have worked for, it is a requirement of the union contract.  They are time consuming to implement and monitor, and I have not seen the desired long term improvement.

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    Steve Adams P.E., M.ASCE
    City Engineer
    City of Milwaukie
    Milwaukie OR
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  • 6.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 01-06-2022 02:46 PM
    Thanks for sharing your experience with these, Steve. A time-consuming document is probably not something anyone looks forward to filling out or receiving.

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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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  • 7.  RE: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?

    Posted 12-29-2021 09:37 AM