As a manager, it's perfectly normal to become frustrated with someone who is consistently underperforming. However, you have to keep personal feelings from affecting your evaluation. The businessnewsdaily.com website admits that it's hard.
Performance improvement plans can't be used to address behavioral issues like poor attendance or inappropriate communications. It has to be related to skills or knowledge the employee needs.
Expectations, actions and metrics for improvement must be clear
Work with the underperforming employee to develop a plan of action. Provide internal resources that can help (training) and set clear benchmarks to be met.
Make it clear what tasks must be accomplished and how you're going to measure their performance. When you're creating a plan together, it really helps to create a commitment by the employee to the plan. Also be specific about consequences.
Provide a fair time frame
Usually, these plans are measured in time spans ranging from 30 to 90 days. The time you provide depends on the job duties and the nature of the role and the business, of course.
Decide and agree upon a fair and reasonable time span. If you are selling nuclear power plants, 30 days probably is not enough time. However, if the person is just a clerk in the office, 30 days is probably much more time than is necessary to observe a meaningful outcome.
-jk-