Performance & Development
Performance Improvement Plan Meeting
A performance improvement plan meeting is a formal but constructive conversation in which a manager and an employee agree on what must improve, by how much, by when and with what support. It is not a verdict: its purpose is to give the person a real chance to get back on track. These questions help you describe the gap factually, listen to the employee's view and build a plan both sides understand.
18 questions
When to use this template
- When repeated informal feedback has not led to the expected change in results or behaviour.
- After the gap has been documented with concrete examples and the process has been checked with HR, according to the rules that apply in your country and company.
- When you are ready to offer real support and regular follow-up, not just to record a warning.
Questions to ask
Setting the context
- 01Before we start, how are you feeling about this meeting?
- 02What is your own view of how your work has been going recently?
- 03Which of the expectations of your role do you find hardest to meet at the moment?
- 04What did you understand from the earlier feedback we gave you?
Understanding the gap
- 05Looking at the examples we have documented, what is your reading of them?
- 06Is there context about those situations that we may be missing?
- 07Have any circumstances outside your control affected your results?
- 08What has made it difficult to change things so far?
Building the plan
- 09Which one or two priorities would make the biggest difference in the next weeks?
- 10What would success look like for each of them, in concrete terms?
- 11What is a realistic timeline for each step, in your opinion?
- 12How will you and I know that progress is being made?
Support and resources
- 13What support do you need from me to reach these goals?
- 14Is there training, coaching or a colleague who could help you?
- 15Is there anything in your workload or tools that we should change?
Follow-up and closing
- 16How often would you like us to meet to review progress?
- 17What questions do you still have about this plan or what happens next?
- 18How are you feeling about the plan now that we have written it together?
Tips for a useful conversation
- Describe the gap with dated, observable examples, not with opinions about the person's attitude.
- Explain at the start that the goal is improvement and say honestly what can happen if the goals are not reached.
- Let the employee react and give their version before you present solutions.
- Write goals that are specific and measurable, with review dates, and give a copy to the employee.
- Keep the follow-up meetings: a plan that nobody reviews loses all credibility.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using the meeting to surprise the employee with problems never mentioned before.
- Setting goals that are vague or impossible to reach in the time given.
- Promising support in the meeting and not delivering it afterwards.
- Treating the plan as a formality on the way to a decision already taken.
Let Passisto People hold these conversations
The AI agent holds structured voice conversations with your employees and gives managers a clear report. People decide what happens next.