Setting goals
Effective goal setting supports motivation, professional growth, and workplace success. A structured goal-setting process enhances engagement and performance and clarifies expectations—especially for youth with disabilities. It fosters a more inclusive and supportive work environment for everyone.
Why this matters
49% of youth with disabilities identified they would find support with setting employment goals most helpful.
Young employees are changing jobs more than ever, often viewing their current roles as stops on their long-term employment journey. Instead of seeing this as a challenge, employers can use goal setting to align job responsibilities with personal and professional aspirations. Employees become more engaged, motivated, and productive when they see how their current role helps them build for their future.
SMART goals
Supporting youth in setting clear, meaningful, and achievable employment goals starts with understanding the SMART framework yourself. Explore the steps explaining each component of SMART goals. Each one has practical tips to help you practice SMART goal setting for yourself before guiding employees.
Define clear objectives
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Establish SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals tailored to each employee’s personal aspirations and role.
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Ensure goals are clear, inclusive, and directly linked to workplace success.
📑 Exercise
Define a clear goal
Before guiding your employees, take a moment to define your own goals for improving workplace inclusion and accessibility. To help track your progress, set a SMART goal:
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Specific
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Measurable
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Achievable
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Relevant
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Time-bound
Practical tip
Instead of keeping it broad like, “I want to be better at goal setting with employees,” make it specific, like “By the end of this month, I will go through this goal-setting exercise with each employee in our weekly one-on-one meeting.”
Consider
What is your SMART goal?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Align with personal and professional goals
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Encourage employees to connect their goals to their personal and professional growth.
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Show how developing skills in their current role contributes to their long-term career aspirations.
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Support employees in setting meaningful goals that align with their strengths, interests, and future ambitions.
📑 Exercise
Align your goal
Help employees see how their current role supports their personal and professional growth.
Practical tip
Try saying, "My long-term career goal is to become a Human Resources director. Setting goals with employees will help build necessary leadership and coaching skills," rather than saying, "I want to support employees with goal setting."
Consider
How do your goals align with where you want to go in your career?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Align with company goals
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Clearly communicate how an employee’s role contributes to the company's success.
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Help employees see the bigger picture by connecting their tasks to company-wide objectives.
📑 Exercise
Align your goal
Your efforts should connect to your organization’s broader goals.
Practical tip
Try saying, “Over the next two months, I will check back in with each employee to see how their goals are going to support a workplace where employees feel supported and driven,” rather than saying, “I want to create an inclusive culture.”
Consider
How does your role contribute to the bigger picture?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Break down goals
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Divide larger objectives into smaller, manageable steps to reduce overwhelm.
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Set milestones with clear timelines to track progress and build confidence.
📑 Exercise
Break down your goal
Large goals can feel overwhelming. Breaking them down makes them more manageable and easier to track.
Practical tip
Instead of saying, “I want to make goal setting a common practice in our organization,” break it into steps:
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Week 1: “Introduce the goal setting worksheet.”
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Week 2: “I will go through this goal-setting exercise with each employee in our weekly one-on-one meeting.”
Consider
What is one small step you can take this week toward your goal?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Encourage participation
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Involve employees in setting their own goals to increase engagement and ownership.
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Allow them to define personal growth goals that align with career aspirations and company needs.
📑 Exercise
Engage employees in the goal-setting process
Once you’ve worked through your own goal setting, it’s time to guide your employees. Support them to actively participate in the goal-setting process just as you have.
Practical tip
Once you’ve refined your own goal-setting approach, it's time to involve employees. Engage them by asking open-ended questions like, "What areas of growth are most important to you?"
Consider
What are some other open-ended questions you can ask youth to support engagement?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Provide resources and support
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Ensure employees have the tools, training, and accommodations needed to succeed.
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Offer consistent feedback and guidance to keep them on track.
📑 Exercise
Identifying resources
For employees to succeed, they need access to the right resources—whether that’s training, tools, accommodations, or mentorship.
Practical tip
Supporting goal setting doesn’t end with setting goals—consistent check-ins and resources are key. After setting SMART goals, schedule regular follow-ups to review progress and adjust as needed.
Consider
What are two resources you can provide to employees when supporting them in implementing goal setting?
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
More resources
Adopting goal setting practices is a great place to start, but building inclusive professional development opportunities goes even further. These resources provide additional learning and support to fostering engagement and growth for youth with disabilities.
📑 Template
Setting SMART goals template
Support a youth to use this template to set their own employment goals.
SMART stands for:
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Specific
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Measurable
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Achievable
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Relevant
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Time-bound
What is my goal?
How does it align with the company goals?
How does it align with my personal goals?
Make it specific. What exactly do I want to accomplish? What skills or tasks will I focus on?
Make it measurable. How will I know I’ve made progress? What steps will I take to track my growth?
Make it achievable. Is this goal possible and realistic? What resources will I need?
Make it relevant. How does this goal fit with my overall career plan? How does this goal align with the company’s objectives?
Make it time-bound. When do I want to achieve this goal? What is a realistic timeframe?
Set a date to check back in:
Further learning
For more information on inclusive hiring, explore the CanWork BC youth tool Employment Navigation workbook (PDF 3.1 MB). This resource can serve as a reference for further learning or be shared with youth to help them confidently navigate the hiring process.
Employment support for youth
Want to support youth with disabilities in their employment journey? Share our CanWork BC youth tool, an interactive platform designed to help youth with disabilities navigate employment with confidence. This resource empowers youth with disabilities by providing self-guided information, activities, and support.
Disclaimer
The content above is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Please refer to the included links or consult official legislation and resources for current and accurate information.
This resource is intended to help employers understand their rights and responsibilities when hiring youth with disabilities. It provides information on key concepts and directs users to relevant resources.
Monitoring and reviewing goals
Setting goals is just the beginning. Consistent follow-up and support are essential to ensuring employees stay on track, feel supported, and adapt to any changes.
Regular check-ins
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Schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and needed adjustments.
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Use these meetings to celebrate achievements and provide constructive feedback.
💬 Example
Schedule the check-in by saying, “I will hold monthly check-ins with employees to discuss goal progress, challenges, and adjustments,” rather than saying, “I will check in as needed.”
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Adjust goals as needed
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Be flexible and open to modifying goals based on the employee’s growth, learning pace, and evolving job needs.
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Ensure any changes are clearly communicated and agreed upon.
💬 Example
Be adaptable by saying, “If an employee’s job role shifts or their needs change, I will work with them to adjust their goal to align with their strengths and current priorities,” rather than forcing a goal that no longer fits.
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Document progress
Keep records of goal achievements, challenges, and adjustments to inform performance reviews and future development plans.
💬 Example
Stay consistent by saying, “I will maintain a simple progress tracker where I document each employee’s goal milestones and challenges. I will review it before check-ins to ensure continuity,” rather than relying on memory to remember what was talked about.
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.
Celebrate successes
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Recognize and celebrate achievements, big and small, to keep employees motivated.
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Use accomplishments as opportunities for learning and career development.
💬 Example
Make intentional recognitions by saying, “I will make it a habit to celebrate small wins by recognizing employees’ progress in one-on-one meetings and highlighting team successes in staff meetings,” rather than letting small successes go unnoticed.
Many accommodations cost nothing, and those that do typically cost less than $500.