Recognizing the gaps in performance among employees is becoming more challenging day by day, considering the complex modern business-era scenario. This is where the role of a brilliant technique named PAP comes into the picture. Well, A Performance Action Plan (PAP) is a method for employers to recognize the gaps in performance among employees.
Also known as Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), its goal can be either to achieve specific task goals or address shortcomings among employees. Regardless of the purpose for which the PAP document is drawn up, it contains precise steps that the employee needs to go through to accomplish the desired improvement.
Usually, a deadline of a specific amount of days, like 30, 60 or 90 days, is used to accomplish the specified goals along with the consequences in case the performance of employees continues to be inadequate. Here, unlock 6 Steps of PAP can help you navigate the process of team building successfully.
Step 1: Assess whether a PAP is needed
A PAP should mainly be used to help an employee improve and not to initiate a layoff. Before you begin with PAP, you need to take into consideration the following things:-
• Is there a problem underlying the performance behaviour of an employee? Can
this be substantiated?
• Is the PAP used to enable the employee to succeed? Or is it merely an action by an
insecure manager?
• Does the employee receive adequate training and guidance to complete the PAP?
Step 2: Develop a concept PAP
Once the need for a PAP has been identified in the previous step, it is time to develop a concept drawn up by the manager of the employee concerned. The concept should, in any case, include the following:
• Job description along with relevant employer policy.
• Information about acceptable levels of performance.
• Information about the employee’s current performance and how it falls short.
• Clear and measurable objectives following the SMART Goals principle.
• Description of guidance that will be given by management;
• Details related to the frequency at which management and employee meet for a progress meeting;
• Clear consequences for not meeting the objectives. Examples: degradation, layoff, transfer.
Step 3: Review PAP
At this stage, you must assess whether the problem has been clearly defined and the performance gap has been well substantiated. You need to ask yourself the following questions:
• Are the expectations realistic for the employee?
• Is the employee agreed to a realistic goal?
• Does the employee has the right tools to complete the PAP?
Step 4: Implementation of the PAP
During this fourth step of the PAP, it is time to schedule the interview with an employee by integrating Employee feedback. Once a final PAP plan is ready, the employee and manager sign it.
Step 5: Monitor the progress of the plan
Progress of PAP should be documented. Be it Gaps in training or gaps in other resources must also be included in the documentation.
Step 6: PAP Conclusion
After the completion of the PAP by an employee, you must formally close the process. There may be two outcomes. First, an employee has improved performance, and you need to acknowledge the employee’s success. Second, if the employee’s performance has deteriorated, then PAP must be closed. However, the consequences will be applicable as agreed.
HR managers also leverage PAP to decrease problems and behaviour related to the problems in the workforce.
Do share in the comment, how do you plan to leverage PAP to build a successful team.
