Use a Performance Improvement Plan

Performance improvement plans (or PIPs, as they’re often called) are the first official notice that the company is taking steps to address a performance issue. Because they are the necessary first step before termination/separation of employment, many employees regard the PIP as the “beginning of the end” of their time at the company. It’s important to stress to the employee that the intent of the PIP is the exact opposite: to work together as a team to correct the performance problem and get them back into “good standing.”

Crafting a PIP will usually require you and your HR rep working closely together—you’ll need to write up the precise details of the PIP, ...