Performance Improvement Plan Template

A Free PIP Template Built Around a Readiness Check

Document performance concerns clearly, set measurable improvement targets, and create a fair process for tracking progress.

This free performance improvement plan template helps HR teams and managers address documented underperformance with specific evidence, defined expectations, employer support, scheduled check-ins, and clear possible outcomes.

Unlike a basic PIP template that begins with a blank list of performance concerns, this form starts with a readiness check. It helps you confirm that expectations were communicated, informal coaching already took place, the concern is a pattern rather than one incident, and the same standard would be applied to another employee in the same role.

The template is available as an editable Word document and a print-ready PDF.

Why Use a Performance Improvement Plan Template?

A performance improvement plan should give an employee a genuine opportunity to understand what needs to change and demonstrate improvement.

Without a clear structure, a PIP can become a list of complaints, vague personality judgments, or expectations the employee cannot measure independently. That makes the process difficult for the employee to act on and difficult for the organization to explain later.

This employee performance improvement plan template helps managers document:

• The performance standard that applies to the role
• What is currently happening
• Specific examples and dates
• The impact on the team, customer, or organization
• What improvement is required
• How progress will be measured
• When each target must be met
• What support the organization will provide
• What happens during each check-in
• What possible outcomes may follow

The template also helps HR check whether the same standard is being applied consistently. If another employee performing at the same level would not be placed on a plan, the organization may have a consistency issue that should be addressed first.

For broader guidance on when a PIP is appropriate, see the PIP decision guide.

What Is Included in the Performance Improvement Plan Template?

PIP Readiness Check

The first section asks four questions before the formal plan is written:

• Was the expectation communicated to the employee in writing?
• Has informal coaching already taken place?
• Is there a record of that coaching?
• Is the issue a documented pattern rather than one incident?
• Would another employee in the same role receive the same response?

If the answer to one of these questions is no, HR or the manager may need to correct the gap before beginning the plan.

This section helps distinguish a performance improvement plan from an immediate reaction to one missed deadline, an unclear expectation, or an isolated incident.

Employee and Plan Details

This section records the basic information needed to identify the plan and keep it organized:

• Employee name
• Job title
• Department
• Manager
• HR contact
• Plan start date
• Final review date
• Scheduled check-in dates

These fields make the plan easy to file, retrieve, and reference during check-ins or a later review.

Documented Performance Gaps

The performance-gap section separates each concern into three parts:

• The expectation
• What is happening
• The business impact

The expectation should come from a documented role requirement, job description, service standard, team process, or previously communicated goal.

“What is happening” should describe observable events, including dates and examples. The business-impact field explains how the gap affects work quality, customers, deadlines, coworkers, costs, or organizational outcomes.

The template recommends keeping the number of gaps small. An employee is more likely to act on two or three clearly defined priorities than a long list of unrelated concerns.

Evidence-Based Writing Guidance

The template includes examples showing how to replace personality judgments with verifiable facts.

Instead of writing “has a bad attitude,” document the specific behavior that occurred, when it occurred, and its effect.

Instead of writing “lacks attention to detail,” identify the specific errors, dates, records, or rework that demonstrate the concern.

A useful test is whether someone who was not present could verify the statement from records. If they cannot, the wording may need to be more specific.

The Areas of Improvement Examples guide can help managers describe development needs without relying on vague labels.

Measurable Improvement Targets

For every performance gap, the form asks managers to define:

• The target to be met
• How it will be measured
• The deadline

The employee should be able to check their own progress without needing to ask the manager whether they are improving.

For example, “communicate better” is not measurable. A clearer target might define response times, required status updates, meeting behaviors, or escalation expectations.

Where appropriate, targets can also be tracked through goal management.

Employer Support Commitments

The template gives the organization a separate section to document the support it will provide.

Support may include:

• Training
• Coaching
• Job shadowing
• Access to tools or information
• Additional supervision
• More frequent check-ins
• A peer or mentor
• Removal of a documented barrier

Every support item should have an owner and a date.

This makes the PIP a shared process. The employee is accountable for meeting the improvement targets, while the organization is accountable for delivering the support it committed to provide.

Scheduled Check-In Records

The template includes three structured check-in records.

Each check-in captures:

• Date and attendees
• Progress against each target
• Evidence discussed
• Support delivered since the previous check-in
• Adjustments made
• Employee comments
• Manager comments
• Employee and manager initials

Complete each record during the meeting rather than reconstructing it later from memory.

Regular manager check-ins give both sides an opportunity to review evidence, raise concerns, confirm support, and adjust the plan when circumstances change.

Possible Outcomes

The template identifies four possible outcomes at the beginning of the process:

• The employee meets the targets and the plan closes
• The employee makes meaningful progress but needs a defined extension
• The targets are not met and the organization proceeds according to policy
• The concern is better addressed through development or a role-fit discussion

Explaining the outcomes at the start gives the employee a clearer understanding of the process.

Where the issue is a skill gap or longer-term development need, the agreed actions may be moved into an individual development plan.

Final Review and Acknowledgment

The final review section records:

• Final review date
• Outcome
• Summary of performance during the plan
• Decision and rationale
• Employee response

The acknowledgment section includes signature fields for the employee, manager, and HR.

A signature confirms that the plan was received and discussed. It does not necessarily indicate agreement with every part of the document.

Record-Keeping Details

The final section records:

• Where the plan is stored
• Who can access it
• The retention period
• The next review date

Retention and access requirements vary by organization and jurisdiction. HR should confirm the correct policy before finalizing or using the template.

How to Use the Performance Improvement Plan Template

1. Confirm That a Formal PIP Is Appropriate

Review the readiness questions before completing the rest of the document.

Confirm that the employee understood the expectation, informal coaching already occurred, the concern is supported by records, and the same standard would be applied consistently to another employee.

A formal PIP should not be the first time an employee hears that their performance is below expectations.

2. Document the Performance Gap

For each concern, state the role expectation first.

Then describe what is happening using specific, observable examples and dates. Explain the effect on customers, coworkers, deadlines, work quality, or organizational outcomes.

Avoid labels such as “unmotivated,” “negative,” “careless,” or “not a team player” unless the document also explains the behavior behind the label.

3. Set Measurable Improvement Targets

Define what satisfactory improvement looks like.

Each target should include:

• A specific result or behavior
• A measurement method
• A deadline

The employee should know how progress will be judged before the plan begins.

4. Document the Support the Organization Will Provide

Record the training, coaching, access, supervision, or other support the organization will provide.

Assign an owner and delivery date to each commitment. Do not promise support that cannot realistically be delivered.

5. Schedule the Check-Ins

Add the check-in dates before presenting the plan to the employee.

A PIP should not rely on one final meeting at the end of the period. Scheduled check-ins allow the manager and employee to review evidence, address obstacles, and confirm whether support was delivered.

6. Review Progress Using Evidence

Complete the check-in record during each meeting.

Discuss the employee’s progress against each target, the evidence available, support delivered, and any adjustments made.

Allow the employee to add their own comments and context.

7. Apply the Outcome Consistently

At the final review, compare the employee’s performance with the targets agreed at the start.

Document the outcome and the reasons supporting it. Follow the organization’s HR policy and applicable employment requirements before making any employment decision.

8. Retain the Complete Record

Store the original plan, check-in notes, evidence, employee responses, support records, and final decision together.

Access should be limited according to the organization’s HR and privacy policies.

Who Should Use This Template?

This performance improvement plan template is designed for:

• HR teams managing formal performance concerns
• Managers addressing repeated underperformance
• Organizations replacing unstructured PIP letters or spreadsheets
• Small and mid-sized businesses running PIPs manually
• HR teams that need consistent documentation across managers
• Organizations that want measurable targets and scheduled check-ins
• Managers who need to document employer support
• Teams moving an employee from a performance review into a formal improvement plan

The template can be used as a standalone Word or PDF document or adapted to match an existing performance-management process.

Because employment requirements vary by location and situation, have the final document reviewed by qualified HR or legal counsel before using it for a consequential employment decision.

Related Templates

A PIP is usually one piece of a wider review cycle. These templates cover the rest:

• Annual Performance Review Template — the structured review that typically precedes a PIP
• Employee Self-Appraisal Template — for gathering the employee’s own account of results and context
• 360 Feedback Questionnaire Template — for multi-rater input when one manager’s view is not enough

Download the Free Performance Improvement Plan Template

Download the editable Word document or print-ready PDF.

You can customize the plan duration, performance gaps, improvement targets, support commitments, check-in schedule, outcome language, and record-keeping fields to match your organization’s process.

The download includes:

• PIP readiness checklist
• Employee and plan details
• Performance-gap documentation
• Evidence-writing examples
• Measurable improvement targets
• Employer support commitments
• Three structured check-in records
• Possible outcome definitions
• Final review fields
• Employee response and acknowledgment
• Record-retention details

Manage Performance Improvement Plans in PerformSpark

A Word or PDF template can work well for an initial plan or a small team. As the number of plans grows, HR teams may also need to manage deadlines, reminders, evidence, check-in records, support commitments, access controls, outcomes, and reporting.

PerformSpark’s PIP workflow is built around documented performance gaps, measurable targets, timelines, employer support, scheduled check-ins, and a centralized record.

See How PerformSpark Manages Performance Improvement Plans