| When an employee fails to meet the expectations of | | | | engage in open discussion. It is easy for the employee |
| an employer, there are several options that can be | | | | to feel jittery about such a plan if fears are not allayed |
| pursued. For the impatient employer, firing the | | | | that the management could be unfairly victimizing the |
| employee might be the only consideration. For others, | | | | employee. To allay such fears, the supervisor, working |
| though, a performance improvement plan is the more | | | | closely with the human resource department, should |
| feasible option. Employers who opt for employee | | | | provide regular updates on the employee’s |
| improvement appreciate the fact that the process of | | | | performance. The updates should show areas where |
| training a new employee might be more expensive | | | | improvements are being made while also pointing out |
| than improving an existing employee who already has | | | | areas where extra effort is needed. |
| vast knowledge of a company’s processes and | | | | To gain success with employee performance |
| probably just needs a little direction. | | | | improvement, the supervisor should not only provide |
| To help an employee who fails to meet the | | | | details of the company’s expectations of the |
| expectations of the employer, a performance | | | | employee but also provide details on the benefits to be |
| improvement plan could be developed based on | | | | attained by the exercise. As a rider to this, the |
| reports from the employee’s supervisor. Working | | | | employee should also be made aware of the |
| with the affected employee, the supervisor develops a | | | | consequences of failing to attain desired improvement. |
| plan that addresses areas of inadequate performance | | | | While the areas that might call for employee |
| and draws a time plan for remedial action. | | | | performance improvement vary from one company to |
| The performance improvement plan then offers a | | | | another and even among employees, a good plan |
| chance for clarification of issues that might not be | | | | should endeavor to develop consistency in |
| properly understood by the employee. Using the | | | | performance. The supervisor can set the pace for |
| improvement plan, the supervisor clarifies on the very | | | | consistence by specifying not only performance |
| specific expectations that the company has of the | | | | expectations but also providing detailed information on |
| employee. | | | | issues such as review meetings, the frequency of |
| A performance improvement plan can only work | | | | such meetings and the people involved. |
| when the employee affected and the supervisor | | | | |