Recruiting and hiring quality employees is an expensive proposition. Once an employee/employer relationship is established, it is in everyone’s best interest to maintain a healthy and productive employment experience. Unfortunately, employees sometimes get off track. This could be for a myriad of reasons, but the ultimate goal is to return them back to the quality employee you initially hired. Often, this process begins with the issuance of discipline.

One of the most difficult and poorly executed elements of performance management is the issuance of discipline and the effective use of performance improvement processes. Often when the time comes to issue discipline, we find that past evaluations are positive and there is little to no evidence of documentation regarding performance deficiencies. This lack of paper trail makes discipline ineffective and termination risky. Training of managers and supervisors on proper coaching and documentation makes this process more effective and defensible. Formal PIPs outline a roadmap with specific milestones and timelines for performance improvement that positively impacts performance and salvages an otherwise valuable employee. When the process is executed properly, it saves the cost of recruiting and hiring replacements and improves morale by exhibiting a sincere interest in the welfare of employees.