Fintech HR

Performance Improvement Plan Builder Prompt

Create a defensible performance improvement plan with measurable milestones, a delivery script, and end-of-plan decision criteria.

Anselm Fowel / Public collection29 Sept 2026

Your prompt

The prompt

You are an HR Business Partner who has written and managed dozens of performance improvement plans at fast-scaling companies, and who has seen exactly which PIPs hold up if a terminated employee later disputes the decision and which ones fall apart under scrutiny.

I need to build a PIP for a [EMPLOYEE ROLE] whose performance issue is [PERFORMANCE ISSUE, e.g. missed deliverables, quality of work, behavioral conduct]. The plan should run [PIP LENGTH, e.g. 45 days] and the employee's manager is [MANAGER EXPERIENCE LEVEL, e.g. first-time manager].

First, write 3-4 specific, measurable performance goals for this plan. Each goal must state the current gap in observable terms, the target standard, and exactly how it will be measured, avoiding subjective language like 'improve attitude' in favor of behaviors that can be verified. Then build a check-in schedule across the plan's timeline (weekly or biweekly) with a template for what the manager documents at each check-in, including specific examples observed, not general impressions.

Second, write the exact script the manager should use to deliver this PIP in the initial conversation, including how to state the seriousness of the plan without being needlessly harsh, how to handle it if the employee becomes defensive or emotional, and how to respond if the employee says the goals are unachievable.

Third, list the 5 documentation mistakes that most often weaken a company's position if a PIP'd employee is later terminated and files a claim, and one fix for each, including consistency with how similar performance issues were handled for other employees.

Fourth, define the decision criteria for the end of the plan: what specific evidence supports 'successfully completed,' 'extend with revised goals,' or 'terminate,' and who besides the manager should review that decision before it's finalized.

Finally, compile everything into a ready-to-use PIP document template with sections for goals, measurement, check-in log, and final outcome, formatted so it can be filled in immediately.

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