Performance management policy, Callbrook Contact Centre

Performance management policy template with PIP steps and timeframes

A performance management policy has to show staff how they are measured, how often it is discussed, and exactly what happens, and how fast, when performance stays below standard. This four page policy for a 260 agent call centre does that with a four part review cycle, a weighted scorecard, a PIP with a 4 to 8 week window and four possible outcomes.

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Callbrook Contact Centre
5 July 2027

Performance management policy

How agents and team leaders set goals, review progress and fix gaps early.

Prepared by
People and Performance
Date
5 July 2027
Performance management policy, Callbrook Contact CentrePage 2 of 4
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1
Purpose and scope
Callbrook Contact Centre answers customer calls and chats for energy and insurance clients with about 260 agents in 22 teams. This policy explains how performance is measured, reviewed and supported, and what happens when an agent is below standard for a sustained period. It applies to agents and team leaders after probation. Conduct issues, such as rudeness or misuse of customer data, follow the disciplinary procedure instead.
2
The review cycle
Performance is discussed often and in small pieces, so the annual review holds no surprises:
When
What happens
Led by
Weekly
Team huddle on queue results and one coaching point
Team leader
Monthly
30 minute one to one on the scorecard and two scored calls
Team leader
Quarterly
Check in on goals, training and career interests
Team leader
Yearly, in August
Annual review, rating and development plan
Team leader, signed off by the operations manager
3
The scorecard
Each agent has four measures, averaged over the month. Handling time is tracked for rostering but is not a performance target, because rushing calls lowers resolution and quality.
Measure
Standard
Weight
Call and chat quality score
85% or higher
40%
First contact resolution
72% or higher
20%
Schedule adherence
92% or higher
20%
Customer satisfaction
4.3 out of 5 or higher
20%
Total
100%
4
When a performance improvement plan starts
Most gaps close with coaching in the monthly one to one. A performance improvement plan, or PIP, starts only when an agent has had at least one month of documented coaching on the gap and then either misses the standard on two or more measures for two months in a row, or scores below 75% on quality in any month. Months with system outages or forced overtime are excluded from the count.
5
PIP steps and timeframes
The plan runs for a set window: 4 weeks for a single skill gap, such as call opening or note taking, and up to 8 weeks where several measures are below standard or new product knowledge is needed. The window is agreed at the start and written into the plan.
Week 0
PIP meeting: the gap, the evidence and the support explained
Within 3 working days
Written plan with targets, actions, support and the window
Every week of the window
Weekly check in on progress against each target
Week 2 or week 4
Midpoint review, and the plan adjusted if needed
Week 4 to week 8
Final review against the plan targets
Within 5 working days
Outcome confirmed in writing
6
Support during a PIP
A plan is a commitment from both sides. Callbrook provides:
two side by side coaching sessions a week with the team leader or a quality coach
a refresher module for each skill gap, completed in paid time off the phones
a library of model calls scored above 95%, to listen to before each shift
a move to a simpler queue for the window, where one is available, without loss of pay
confidential counselling through the employee assistance program
a conversation about any health, family or other issue affecting work, and reasonable adjustments where needed
7
Outcomes
At the final review the team leader and the operations manager decide one of four outcomes:
Result at the final review
What happens
All plan targets met
The PIP closes, and the next three monthly one to ones confirm the result holds
Clear progress, not yet at standard
The window is extended once, by up to 4 weeks, with no more than 12 weeks in total
Little progress, suited to other work
Redeployment to a different queue or role is offered where one exists
Targets not met after full support
A formal performance meeting is held, which may lead to a written warning or, after a final review, dismissal
8
Fairness and records
Scores used in a PIP come from calls chosen at random, scored by a coach who is not the agent's team leader, and the agent can listen to every scored call. The agent may bring a support person to the PIP meeting, the final review and any formal meeting. Plans, check in notes and outcomes are kept on the agent's file for two years after the plan closes.
9
Review
People and Performance reviews the scorecard standards every six months against the centre's actual results, and the whole policy every two years. Standards are never raised partway through a PIP.

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Cover
Document cover with the centre, title and purpose line.
1 and 2. Scope and review cycle
260 agents, and four review rhythms from weekly to yearly.
3. The scorecard
Four measures with standards and weights adding to 100%.
4. When a PIP starts
The coaching first rule and two trigger conditions.
5. PIP steps and timeframes
A 4 or up to 8 week window and a six step timeline.
6. Support
Six kinds of support from coaching to adjustments.
7 to 9. Outcomes, fairness and review
Four outcomes, independent scoring and six monthly standard checks.

How to adapt this document

First, build the scorecard from three to five measures your people can actually influence, and say which tracked numbers are not targets and why. Second, set the PIP window to how long a real skill takes to learn in your work; a trainee chef may need 8 weeks, a data entry gap 4. Third, check the outcomes against your local employment law and any agreement that covers your staff, and add any notice or warning step those require before dismissal.

What makes this document work

The trigger is defined, not felt

A PIP starts only after a month of documented coaching and then two months in a row below standard on two or more measures, or a quality score under 75% in any month. Months with system outages or forced overtime do not count, so agents are not punished for the centre's bad weeks.

The window fits the gap

Clause 5 sets 4 weeks for a single skill gap such as call opening, and up to 8 weeks where several measures are below standard. The timeline then fixes the plan within 3 working days, a weekly check in, a midpoint review and a written outcome within 5 working days of the final review.

The scorecard rewards the right things

Quality carries 40% of the weight and the other three measures 20% each, adding to 100%. Handling time is deliberately left off, with the reason stated: rushing calls lowers resolution and quality. A scorecard that names what it does not measure prevents the most common call centre trap.

Questions people ask

How long should a performance improvement plan last?

Long enough for a fair chance to improve with support, usually 4 to 8 weeks for skills that can be coached, as this policy sets. Shorter windows look like a formality before dismissal; much longer ones leave the employee and the team in limbo. One extension, here up to 4 weeks and 12 in total, covers real progress.

Should handling time be a performance target in a call centre?

Many centres avoid it as an individual target because agents cut calls short, transfer customers or skip notes to hit it, which lowers resolution and satisfaction. Tracking it for rostering and using it as a coaching prompt is common. This scorecard weights quality at 40% and leaves handling time off entirely.

Is a PIP the same as a warning?

No. A PIP is a supported plan to close a capability gap, and it is not disciplinary. A warning may come later if targets are still not met after full support, through a formal performance meeting. Keeping the two separate makes agents more willing to engage with the plan.

What if poor performance is caused by a health issue?

Then the right response is an adjustment, not a plan. The support list includes a conversation about health, family or other issues and reasonable adjustments where needed. Disability and discrimination laws in most countries require adjustments to be considered before performance action continues.

Who should score the calls used in a PIP?

Someone other than the agent's own team leader, from calls chosen at random, so the evidence is not shaped by the relationship. Clause 8 also lets the agent listen to every scored call. Disputes about whether a call was scored fairly are settled before it counts towards the plan.

What if an agent will not sign the improvement plan?

Signing usually only confirms the plan was received and discussed, not that the agent agrees with it. If they decline, the team leader notes that the plan was given and explained, and it proceeds. The agent can add written comments to the file, and any disagreement about the evidence is worth hearing before the window starts.

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