Christopher –
Building on Mitch's comments, the PIP's can be an overall asset in managing and improving employee performance. First off, though, you need a blunt, honest introspection that feedback with the employee up to this time has been proper and adequate. Communication, vulnerable to failure at so many points, requires two earnest participants. Has this been occurring?
- The PIP does protect the employer but also protects the employee, especially if the supervisor does not do well with performance improvement with their crew mates.
- The better PIP's are specific, targeted, conform to the job description, and are limited in scope (we are not out to cure the world's ills!) with time and improvement benchmarks. The benchmarks preferably are measurable to reduce subjectivity in the process (admittedly tough to do with engineering).
- If there is a long list of concerns to address, prioritize the concerns and bunch them in discrete PIP's. Bunching related concerns helps focus the PIP and helps to assure a positive outcome.
- If you incorporate the employee's longer term goals, you have the opportunity to change the tone of the conversation from "you're a bad employee" to "let's work together to help you reach your goals". In this case, if a promotion is part of the long term goal, you can also use the new job description in the PIP.
Managing and improving employee performance typically involves some form of behavior modification. Behavior modification is a time dependent process which, in my opinion, is best accomplished in small increments tackling one concern at a time on a relatively frequent basis. Behavior modification has not worked for me if implemented at yearly or quarterly or even monthly intervals; every two weeks seems best.
Since we as humans tend to slip back to our preferred 'low energy states', it is important to go back to the PIP every now and then with the employee to assure continued focus and attention as needed for any course corrections, critical to achieve behavior modification. Periodic, minor course corrections are always better for long term success (although nagging is to be avoided!).
Which points to another important concern in this process: supervisor competency with employee development. At a large organization at which I worked, extensive employee dissatisfaction was traced to poor supervisor performance with employee development. In response, the organization put all current supervisors through a 5 day performance management training session. The results: not only did employee development improve but overall morale improved noticeably. As a consequence, all new supervisors get the same training.
The PIP process takes commitment; the success rate is not 100% and different employees (and supervisors for that matter) will need different approaches. You'll stumble as you gain experience but a positive attitude during the process will get you past those hurdles.
Respectfully,
Chuck Howard, P.E. M. ASCE
Richmond, VA
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Charles Howard P.E., M.ASCE
MEMBER
Richmond VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-20-2021 11:59 PM
From: Christopher Seigel
Subject: Is there a value to a Performance Improvement Plan?
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 rec