Performance improvement support
Performance improvement plan support for employees and managers
A performance improvement plan should create clarity, confidence and measurable progress. We help employees understand what needs to change and support managers who want a fair, practical route before decisions become more serious.
A better way through a difficult moment
A good PIP is not a threat. It is a structured chance to improve.
A performance improvement plan, often called a PIP, sets out where performance needs to improve, what support will be provided, what success looks like and the timeframe for review.
Handled well, it can help an employee rebuild confidence, understand expectations and make visible progress. Handled badly, it can feel like a box-ticking exercise before exit. The difference is clarity, support, fairness and honest communication.
Who this helps
- 1EmployeesUnderstand expectations, confidence gaps and practical next actions.
- 2ManagersSupport improvement with a clearer structure and less ambiguity.
- 3HR teamsKeep the process fair, documented and focused on genuine support.
What a PIP should include
The plan needs to be specific enough for the employee to act.
Vague feedback rarely improves performance. A useful performance improvement plan explains the issue clearly, gives examples, defines the expected standard and identifies the support available.
For employees, the challenge is often not motivation. It may be confidence, unclear expectations, communication style, workload, role fit or a gap between what the manager wants and what the employee thinks is being measured.
For employers, the goal should be fair improvement first. If improvement is not realistic, the process may need to connect carefully with redeployment, career transition or outplacement support.
A practical PIP should clarify
- The performance concern and why it matters.
- The standard or behaviour required.
- Support, coaching or training available.
- Review dates and measurable outcomes.
- What happens if performance improves or does not improve.
Our support process
How performance improvement support can work
Clarify
Understand the role, the concern, the expected performance standard and the timeframe.
Coach
Help the employee understand how to communicate, prioritise and demonstrate value.
Evidence
Create practical actions and visible evidence of improvement for review conversations.
Decide
If improvement is not the best outcome, consider redeployment, transition or outplacement support.
Benefits
Support that helps both the employee and the company
The employee knows what needs to change, what good looks like and how progress will be judged.
Managers can discuss performance with more structure and less emotional drift.
The employee can build a practical action plan and show progress through examples.
Even when the role is not the right fit, the person can understand their strengths and next step more clearly.
A documented, supportive plan is usually better than vague warnings or avoided conversations.
If improvement is not realistic, the business can consider redeployment or outplacement support.
Sarah Berry
Confidential performance and career support from an experienced career consultant
The original programme was built around Sarah Berry's performance-enhancing strategies, career exercises and fast-track personal development work. The modern version keeps the same practical spirit: help people understand their value, improve how they show up at work and take useful action.
Support can include confidence, communication, professional profile, workplace boundaries, career direction, rapport, preparation for performance reviews and how to demonstrate value to an employer.
Sarah Berry
Career consultant support for performance, confidence and career direction.
When improvement is not enough
Sometimes the best outcome is a different role or a supported exit.
A performance improvement plan may reveal that the employee can succeed with clearer expectations and support. It may also reveal a role-fit problem, a need for redeployment or a situation where external career transition support is more appropriate.
Where the role is no longer suitable, employers may need to think carefully about redeployment, redundancy, outplacement or wider career transition support.
Useful connected guides
FAQs
Questions about performance improvement plans
What is a performance improvement plan?
A performance improvement plan is a structured plan that explains where performance needs to improve, what support is available, what success looks like and when progress will be reviewed.
Can coaching help someone on a PIP?
Yes. Coaching can help an employee understand expectations, improve confidence, communicate more effectively and create practical evidence of progress.
Is a PIP always the first step to dismissal?
It should not be treated that way. A good PIP should be a genuine opportunity to improve, although employers should take HR or legal advice where formal performance management is involved.
What if the role is not the right fit?
If the role is not suitable, the next step may involve redeployment, career transition planning or outplacement support, depending on the situation.
Contact us
Ask about confidential performance improvement support
Tell us whether you are enquiring as an employee, manager or HR contact. Include the situation, timeframe and whether the aim is improvement, redeployment or career transition support.
