Your growth matters
What is Your growth matters?
Your growth matters (YGM) is Federation’s Workday-based performance review process. It’s more than just a review – it’s a way we can work together to:
✅ achieve meaningful individual goals
✅ develop your skills
✅ contribute to our University’s success.
How does it work?
Your growth matters consists of a simple three-step process, which takes place throughout the year, and includes:
| Step 1: Goal settingSetting your objectives and development plan at the start of the year, aligned with your role and Federation's strategy. |
Step 2: Check inHaving regular check-ins with your people leader to review your progress, celebrate your achievements, and identify any support you need. | |
Step 3: ReflectReflect on your performance, learning, and growth, and to recognise your contributions to Federation. |
What’s in it for me?
For all employees
- empower your growth!
- feel valued and understood in your career aspirations
- receive regular, growth-oriented feedback
- engage in a transparent process that recognises and rewards your contributions.
For people leaders
- lead with impact!
- foster a motivated and high-performing team.
- align team goals with strategic organisational objectives.
- develop strong, supportive relationships with your team.
Why is it important to set goals?
Setting goals is important both for individuals and organisations because it provides direction, motivation, and a framework for measuring progress.
| Here's a breakdown of why goal setting matters: | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Clarity and focus Goals help individuals and teams understand what they’re working toward, reducing ambiguity and aligning efforts. |
| 2. | Motivation and engagement Clear goals can inspire people to take initiative and stay committed, especially when they see how their work contributes to a bigger picture. |
| 3. | Performance measurement Goals provide benchmarks to evaluate progress and success, making it easier to adjust strategies when needed. |
| 4. | Personal and professional growth Setting and pursuing goals encourages learning, skill development, and career advancement. |
How do my goals support the objectives of Federation?
By aligning your individual goals with Federation’s strategy and priorities, your work plays an important part in helping us to achieve our vision of becoming Australia’s leading co-operative university, and our purpose of transforming lives and enhancing communities.
Cascaded goals are shared by people leaders to unite us in our focus. These can be customised to your specific role by adding your own description and milestones.
What about my development items?
Your development items are learning activities that will help you to achieve your goals. Examples might include coaching or mentoring, learning from others in the workplace and formal learning including online and in-person training programs.
What do I need to do?
There are three steps to setting your goals in Your growth matters:
- Set your goals and development items
- Meet with your people leader to review your goals and development items
- Finalise goals and development items in Workday.
📌 Please note: Staff who are on probation, or are casual or sessional – you are not required to participate in Your growth matters.
Support
The following quick reference guides (QRGs) have been created to assist you with the Goal setting process:
Employees
- Goal setting and development items
- Goal setting – academic guide
- 2025 Plan on a Page - success measures
- Three-year research plan template
People leaders
📚 You can find all YGM resources in Workday via the Help Centre or the SharePoint Workday Library >
Why is it important to check in?
YGM check-ins offer several benefits, including the opportunity to:
- review and update your current goals and development items, archiving any that are now obsolete
- create any new goals as needed
- document your achievements for 2025 so far
- conduct a wellbeing check-in with your supervisor and/or direct reports.
When should I check in?
Ideally you can incorporate your check-ins into your regular one-on-one meeting schedule with your people leader and/or direct reports. If you don’t currently have regular one-on-one meetings, we’d recommend catching up every two to three months at a minimum.
What do I need to do?
There are three steps to a Your growth matters check-in:
- Set up your check-in with your people leader and/or direct reports.
- Update your goals and development items in Workday.
- Have your check-in discussion with your people leader and/or direct reports.
| Bonus feature: Give and receive feedback in Workday | |
|---|---|
One of the great features of Your growth matters in Workday is the ability to request and receive feedback from your colleagues on your performance. The feedback tool in Workday is also a simple way to recognise the achievements and efforts of others at Federation. Feedback can be requested and given at any time during the Check-in phase of Your growth matters. |
Support
The following quick reference guides (QRGs) have been created to assist you with the Check-in process:
Employees
- Check-ins
- Create and manage check-in topics
- Effective check-in discussion for employees
- Request feedback on self
- Update goals and development items
People leaders
- Effective check-in discussions for managers
- Manage check-ins for your team
- Request feedback on my team
Want to know more?
- Watch the Effective check-in discussions for employees recording (4 mins)
- Watch the Requesting and giving feedback for employees recording (8 min)
- Watch the Check-in overview recording (3 mins)
- Watch the Create and manage check-in topics recording (6 mins)
- Watch the Set up a check-in recording (5 mins)
📚 You can find all YGM resources in Workday via the Help Centre or the SharePoint Workday Library >
Why is it important to reflect?
As the end of the year approaches, so too does the time for your annual review with your people leader. The end-of-year review, i.e. the Reflect phase of Your growth matters, provides an opportunity to highlight your achievements and contributions, identify areas for improvement and growth, and can help to build a stronger working relationship with your peers and people leader.
What do I need to do?
There are three steps to the Your growth matters Reflect phase:
| Step | Responsible | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Complete self-evaluation | Employee |
| 2. | Complete employee evaluation | People leader |
| 3. | Meet to complete review | Employee and people leader |
Support
The following quick reference guides (QRGs) have been created to assist you with the Reflect process:
Employees
People leaders
📚 You can find all YGM resources in Workday via the Help Centre or the SharePoint Workday Library >
For general enquiries or to provide feedback, please submit a request on the 🛠️ People and Culture ServiceNow portal or 📃 Create a case in Workday.