Urgent help please

[DastardlyandSmugly]

Hi, a colleague of mine was told at his recent appraisal that he was being placed on a Performance Improvement Plan. This was pretty unexpected as although he had had a conversation with his matrix (not line) manager previously about the need to improve the quality of his work, this was the first instance of any formal proceedings.

He has challenged this and is now in more formal discussions including HR and has been invited to a formal review of his performance tomorrow (which may lead to a written warning). He has asked another colleague to go along to support him and she has just found out that the interview will be taped. Please could you advise whether this is something he has to agree to or whether they can just impose this on him. BTW he wasn't told that he would be taped, his colleague has just discovered this by a chance conversation with HR.

It's odd it's being taped, not common, but what is he worried about? It gives him a record of what happens as well as them.

It just feels like he's being stitched up in some way - the fact that they didn't tell him they were going to do it for a start.

It sounds like they are following procedure - he was given an appraisal which showed him not to be up to the required standard and a PIP (performance improvement plan) has been put in place. Although it seems very formal, it works for both parties - the individual knows exactly where they need to improve and what the level is they need to get to.

Generally, if someone doesn't improve under a PIP then disciplinary action can be taken and a further PIP will be issued.

The formal review with HR might be to see whether he disagrees with what is in the PIP (is the manager setiing unrealistic, unmeasurable targets?).

Not sure about the tape though! Have never heard of a company using it before but sounds like a great idea! It may just be so that HR can get an audio typist to type it up for them (lucky buggers!)

But shouldn't there have been some formal discussions about performance with his line manager prior to the appraisal? I was always told that what comes out in an appraisal should not be a surprise and I get the impression that he has been blind-sided by this somewhat.

The appraisal is the formal discussion. There should have been some informal discussions but as you said the matrix manager had raised an issue with quality of work it would seem like the informal discussions took place.

Yes, the appraisal is the formal discussion. Something has to be the first formal discussion.

The key thing is that you would normally expect issues to have been raised informally prior to a PIP, and it sounds like they have been.

I don't think focussing on process is the way to go, TBH. I think he needs to spend time thinking about what he was asked informally to improve, what he did about it, what improvements he showed, what support he needs to improve further, that type of thing.

This is the first formal meeting, so whatever the problem is he still has time to turn it around (or explain why the expectations are unreasonable -in an objective way, with examples if possible).

OK thanks all. Will let him know.

It would be good practice to have raised issues prior to Appraisal. I have had appraisal training which instructed that there should never be any surprises at appraisal - performance management should be ongoing.

But that's just good practice guidelines.

It's also good practice to have SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Relevant & Time Bound). Ask him to see whether his objectives fall into this.

In trying to improve his performance, his manager should be setting quite focussed objectives so that they can demonstrate thatthere is/isn't any improvement.

Like Ribena said, he has time to turn it around and should be ready to ask for help if he needs it. It will be too late further down the line to say 'but I needed help/didn't understand...'

agree with Poogles wholeheartedly.

If his manager does not offer any objectives, and if I were him, I'd be asking for them.

'How do you want me to improve?'
'What specifically needs to improve?'

'how will that be measured, evaluatied and fed back?'

evaluated, not evaluatied!

Thanks again this is all helpful stuff.