Download signNow app
4.7 / 5 rating on

Improvement Plan Form

Use a Improvement Plan template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What an Improvement Plan Form does

An Improvement Plan Form records an employee’s performance expectations, measurable objectives, support commitments, review dates, and acknowledgment of the plan. In the United States, it is generally an internal employment record rather than a federally standardized filing. A manager or human resources professional completes the relevant fields, reviews the proposed plan with the employee, and obtains signatures or acknowledgment. With signNow, the sender uploads the form, places or confirms fields, routes it to the employee and manager, and preserves the completed document with an audit trail. Employment policies and state law still govern its use.

Who uses an Improvement Plan Form

Human resources

Human resources teams use Improvement Plan Forms to document performance expectations, measurable objectives, review dates, employee comments, manager approvals, and acknowledged follow-up actions in a controlled workflow.

Business managers

Department managers and small businesses use the form for role-specific objectives, support commitments, review checkpoints, and signed acknowledgment without exchanging editable files by email.

How the Improvement Plan Form workflow works

The signNow workflow moves the form from preparation through assigned review, electronic acknowledgment, and controlled record storage.

  • Upload form: Upload the Improvement Plan Form to signNow.
  • Map fields: Confirm or place fields for each participant.
  • Send request: Route the form to employee and manager.
  • Store record: Save the signed form and audit trail.

How to complete an Improvement Plan Form

Prepare the employee-specific content first, then use signNow to route, complete, and preserve the signed Improvement Plan Form.

  • Upload:

     Upload the source document.

  • Check fields:

     Confirm detected form fields.

  • Assign roles:

     Assign employee and manager roles.

  • Send:

     Send the signing request.

  • Archive:

     Store the completed record.
be ready to get more
Get legally-binding signatures now!
Start free trialRequest a call
  • Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
  • Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
  • Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Ways to send and sign the form

  1. Upload the Improvement Plan Form in the signNow web app when HR or a manager prepares the plan on a desktop workstation.
  2. Use the signNow mobile app when a manager or employee must review objectives and acknowledge the form away from a desk.
  3. Use kiosk mode for supervised, on-site acknowledgment when an authorized representative manages the signing device and participant access.
  4. Generate a shareable signing link when an approved recipient needs controlled access without a separately addressed email invitation.

What the audit trail records

The audit trail documents who interacted with the Improvement Plan Form, when actions occurred, and how the completed record can be retrieved.

01

Authenticate signer:

 Records the employee’s or manager’s authentication event.
02

Timestamp action:

 Captures when each form action occurred.
03

Track document:

 Associates completed content with document history.
04

Seal history:

 Preserves an auditable sequence of changes.
05

Confirm signing:

 Records signature and acknowledgment completion.
06

Export trail:

 Makes the audit record available for retrieval.

Best practices for completing an Improvement Plan Form

Accurate objectives, clear signer roles, and controlled recordkeeping make an Improvement Plan Form easier to review and defend.

Define measurable objectives before sending

State measurable performance objectives clearly. Identify the required result, measurement method, review date, available support, and responsible manager so the employee can understand exactly how progress will be evaluated.

Verify employee details and dates

Review every employee-specific detail before routing the form. Confirm names, dates, job responsibilities, performance examples, and proposed support are accurate and limited to information necessary for the improvement process.

Separate acknowledgment from approval

Capture acknowledgment separately from approval. Assign the employee and manager distinct roles, require each person to complete the appropriate signature or acknowledgment field, and avoid treating an unsigned comment field as consent.

Archive the signed record securely

Export the completed record with its audit trail and apply the organization’s retention policy. Restrict access to authorized personnel and preserve the final document in a controlled employee-record repository.

Privacy risks when completing an Improvement Plan Form

  • Personal information in performance objectives or corrective notes can be exposed when completed forms are emailed without controlled recipient access.
  • Missing employee consent language may create uncertainty about whether the worker agreed to electronic delivery, signing, and retention.
  • Shared folders with unrestricted permissions can expose an Improvement Plan Form to coworkers who lack a legitimate business need.
  • Unclear ownership of the signed record can prevent timely access reviews, corrections, or deletion under the organization’s retention policy.

Recommended Improvement Plan Form setup

Configure the workflow around verified participants, clear acknowledgment, auditability, controlled access, and the organization’s employee-record policy.

SettingRecommendation
Authentication and provisioningVerify users and assign role-based access
Signature typeUse typed or drawn electronic acknowledgment
Audit trailRetain timestamps, actions, and signer records
Document retentionApply the organization’s employee-record schedule
EncryptionProtect records with TLS and AES-256

Security for Improvement Plan Form records

Transit encryption:

 TLS 1.2 and 1.3

Stored encryption:

 AES-256 at rest

Security reporting:

 SOC 2 Type II certified

Information security:

 ISO 27001 certified

Health data safeguards:

 HIPAA compliant with BAA

Electronic signatures:

 ESIGN and UETA compliant

Risks of mishandling an Improvement Plan Form

Employee disputes signing

 Disputed acknowledgment

Objectives lack measurements

 Unclear expectations

Unauthorized record viewing

 Access exposure

Missing audit history

 Incomplete evidence

Improvement Plan Form processing stages

Use a defined sequence to prepare, route, acknowledge, and archive the Improvement Plan Form without losing review history.

01

Prepare the document

Confirm employee details, objectives, support commitments, review dates, and assigned signer roles before sending.
02

Deliver to signers

Send the completed form through signNow by email or provide a controlled signing link.
03

Collect acknowledgment

The employee and manager review the plan and complete their assigned acknowledgment or signature fields.
04

Complete and archive

Download or retain the completed form and audit trail under the organization’s employee-record policy.

Improvement Plan Form troubleshooting

These answers address field assignment, electronic consent, plan selection, enforceability, and record retention for an Improvement Plan Form workflow.

Upload the original Improvement Plan Form to signNow, then use the editor to place or confirm text, date, acknowledgment, and signature fields. Review the detected fields before assigning them because the platform cannot determine your organization’s performance policy or required approval sequence.

Assign separate roles for the employee and manager, then check every field recipient before sending. A role mismatch can leave objectives or acknowledgment fields incomplete even when the document appears to have been delivered successfully.

For consumer-facing records, ESIGN requires consent to electronic transactions and access to the electronic record under 15 U.S.C. §7001(c). Obtain any required disclosure and consent before routing an Improvement Plan Form electronically.

signNow Business includes legally binding eSignatures, templates, audit trails, mobile apps, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 features. Business Premium adds bulk send and kiosk mode; choose features based on the number and routing pattern of plans.

A signed Improvement Plan Form is evidence of the documented process, not a guarantee that an employment decision complies with state law or company policy. Review objectives, notice procedures, and personnel-record requirements with qualified counsel when needed.

Use signNow’s audit trail and document history to preserve signer actions, timestamps, and completion information with the final form. Export or store those records according to the employer’s retention policy and limit access to authorized personnel.

ROI at a Glance

Key performance indicators that demonstrate SignNow's proven track record.

28M+Documents signed
13+Years in business
4.6/5Average G2 rating

BE READY TO GET MORE

Get this form now!

If you believe that this page should be taken down, please follow our DMCA take-down process.