How to Write a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

The performance improvement plan has a bad reputation, and often it is deserved, because too many companies use a PIP as a formality on the way to a firing they have already decided on. Employees can sense that, they disengage, and the PIP becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy everyone expected.

It does not have to work that way. A genuine PIP, written and run well, frequently resolves the performance problem. And if it does not, you have a fair, documented record that the person was given a real chance. Here is how to write one. The free template above gives you the structure.

The mindset that makes a PIP work

The difference between a PIP that works and one that does not is largely intent. If the plan is a box-checking exercise before a predetermined termination, it will read that way and fail. If it is a genuine attempt to help a struggling employee succeed, with real expectations and real support, it has a real chance of working. Go in wanting the person to pass, not building a case for them to fail.

What a PIP should include

The template walks through each piece:

Specific performance concerns

State the gaps with concrete examples and dates, not vague characterizations. "Communication needs work" is useless. "Missed three project deadlines in the last month without flagging them in advance" is something a person can actually understand and address. The employee should finish this section knowing exactly what is falling short.

Clear, measurable expectations

Define what success looks like in terms both sides can evaluate. Each expectation should be specific enough that at the review date, you can both tell plainly whether it was met. Vague expectations make the whole plan unfair, because the employee cannot tell if they are succeeding.

Support and resources

Spell out what you will provide: training, coaching, more frequent check-ins, tools, whatever the situation calls for. This is the section that signals whether the PIP is genuine, and it is the one companies most often skip.

Check-in schedule

Set regular check-ins, often weekly, to review progress and adjust. A PIP you set and ignore until the deadline is not a real plan. The check-ins are where improvement actually happens, and where you catch and address problems before the final review.

Consequences and outcomes

Be clear and honest about what happens if expectations are met (the plan closes successfully) and if they are not. The employee deserves to know the stakes plainly.

Acknowledgment

Have the employee sign to confirm they received and understand the plan. Make clear that signing is acknowledgment, not an admission of fault, which reduces defensiveness and keeps the focus where it belongs.

Running the PIP

Setting the plan is the start, not the end. Hold the check-ins you scheduled. Give honest feedback at each one, both on progress and on remaining gaps. Adjust where it makes sense. The manager's engagement during the plan is a large part of what determines whether it works, and an absent manager almost guarantees failure.

When the PIP does not work

Sometimes, despite a fair plan and real support, the performance does not improve. At that point you have what you need: a documented, fair record that the employee was given clear expectations, real support, and a genuine chance. That record matters if the separation is ever challenged. (Our guide on how to fire someone without getting sued covers the termination side.)

The bottom line

A PIP done right is a genuine opportunity that often works, and a fair record when it does not. The key is real expectations, real support, and honest check-ins, not a predetermined outcome dressed up as a plan. The template above gives you the structure. If you are facing a performance situation and want help handling it fairly and correctly, that is exactly the kind of thing we do.