Performance and Development Digest for Aug. 15, 2024

Tips for Providing Peer Feedback in Workday 

Many of you have been tapped to provide helpful insights for your co-workers through Peer Feedback, a Workday feature of our newly revamped Performance & Development (P&D) program.

The window for submitting Peer Feedback runs through Aug. 26. It’s an opportunity to give honest and candid input based on what you’ve observed while working with your colleagues.

If you’ve been chosen to give Peer Feedback but haven’t yet completed it, here are a few tips:

• Be specific about your co-worker’s strengths and contributions, as well as their areas for improvement
• Share your appreciation by pointing out actions and behaviors that made a positive impact 
• Encourage the excellent habits you’ve observed
• Keep your comments constructive rather than critical or emotional when addressing potential areas for growth

Peer Feedback in Workday uses a 3-point rating scale to measure benchmarks such as the employee’s impact on patient experience, teamwork and top accomplishments.

Between three and seven people have been asked to give Peer Feedback for each employee, which creates a summary that will be shared with the employee for job coaching purposes. Remember … the feedback you provide won’t factor into your colleague’s performance evaluation.

This new P&D process invites co-workers to support one another and practice our values of respect, generosity, kindness and collaboration in a meaningful way.  We appreciate your objectivity and insightful perspectives as we foster each other’s professional development and keep Cook Children’s a workplace of excellence.

Access more information about Peer Review here, Job Aid and step-by-step instructions with screenshots (clickviews) on CookNet, or by emailing AskHRIS@cookchildrens.org. 
 

Sign Up for In-Person or Virtual P&D Training

Instructor-led training is coming soon to help you navigate the big changes ahead for Performance & Development (P&D) at Cook Children’s. 

With PACE discontinued – and the switch to Workday -- our approach to employee reviews, job coaching, career growth and more will look different starting in September. That’s why training is necessary (except for physicians and teachers, who aren’t moving to the new platform).

For the FY24 Year End activities currently underway, we’ve made on-demand training available you can access here.

The broader FY25 activities such as career growth planning, setting goals and mid-year check-ins are explained in the instructor-led training. Sessions are designed to be informative and engaging. Dates for training are based on your role:

• AVPs – Aug. 19-29
• Directors and managers – Aug. 26-Sept. 13
• All other employees – Sept. 16-Oct. 3

Training is divided into two 90-minute parts. Complete Part 1 before moving on to Part 2.  Use the links below to sign up in ULearn.

Workday Performance & Development Training - PART 1

Workday Performance & Development Training - PART 2

Click the course titles to view dates and times. Choose a morning or afternoon session (in-person or virtual) to accommodate your schedule. Remember to select the session appropriate for your role.

These opportunities for training are key to the success of our transition to the new P&D platform. Thank you for your teamwork and all you do every day to care for our patients, their families and your colleagues at Cook Children’s.  

Email your questions to AskHRIS@cookchildrens.org.  

Self-Assessment Gives Employees Input on their Job Performance

Employees have the chance to weigh in on their own job performance using the Self-Assessment feature of Workday, part of our new Performance & Development (P&D) program. 

The window to complete Self-Assessment runs from Sept. 2-13. These self-evaluations are mandatory for nurses due to Magnet requirements. They’re optional – but highly encouraged – for all other employees.

The Self-Assessment tool provides the opportunity to reflect back on the previous year and the ways you met these criteria:

• Carrying out your core job responsibilities
• Contributing to the experience of patients, families and your fellow employees
• Working as an individual and as a member of a team to support the values and culture platform at Cook Children’s
• Achieving goals (directors only)

The summary portion of Self-Assessment asks for specific examples of your top two accomplishments. These are the areas where you feel you’ve made the most impact this performance year. You’ll also be asked for specific examples of your top two development areas and how you addressed them. 

At the end of Self-Assessment, you must select your overall performance rating. You’ll have an opportunity to include additional comments before submitting the form.  All sections except additional comments are required fields. 

“Many of you have been giving candid and honest input to your colleagues through Peer Feedback in Workday, and Self-Assessment lets you express that same candid and honest feedback on your own behalf,” said Merridth Simpson, AVP Human Resources Operations.

“We strongly encourage everyone to complete this Self-Assessment so that you’re speaking up about what you consider your most valuable contributions at Cook Children’s,” Merridth said. “Not doing so is a missed opportunity to advocate for yourself.”

Your confidential Self-Assessment can be viewed only by you, your manager and Human Resources (HR).  

Why do performance evaluations matter? Because they capture feedback and performance insights so that our organization can make informed talent decisions. With the new P&D structure, we are transitioning to a universal, bi-annual timeline for performance reviews instead of anniversary of hire. Physicians and teachers are on a different track.

Filling out a Self-Assessment gives you a voice in your own performance reviews. The other component of performance evaluations is a review by your manager. The feedback you provide in Self-Assessment will be used as input for a check-in conversation with your manager in October.  

Manager Evaluations

The Manager Evaluation includes the same sections (see the four bullet points above) for the manager to complete for a direct report. It also includes an assessment of the employee’s readiness to take on additional responsibilities. 

An overall performance rating of “Inconsistent,” “Strong” or “Exceptional” is calculated at the end of the Manager Evaluation.

For Fiscal Year 2024, we’re doing only year-end evaluations. FY25 will expand into setting goals, mid-year check-in conversations, tracking career aspirations and other functionality through Workday. Our former system, called PACE, has been retired.

This new approach to P&D at Cook Children’s aims to create a simpler and consistent process for employee reviews, career planning, goal setting and more. 
These changes are designed to help every member of our workforce continually enhance their professional skills and flourish at Cook Children’s. 

Please reference the Year-End Performance Evaluation Job Aid or step-by-step screenshots (clickviews) to learn more about submitting your Self-Assessment.  

Resources for You

Performance & Development Digest: Aug. 1, 2024

Performance & Development Digest: July 18, 2024

Performance & Development: Resources for You (cookchildrensconnect.com)

On-demand, role-based training is available, complete with job aids and clickviews (step-by-step instructions). Click here to access these resources. NOTE: Performance & Development information is item No. 4 under Workday Resources Hub.