Why You Should Think About Child Care Hiring All Year Round

There are a few key times when you might start thinking about the child care hiring process: When you’re opening a new preschool, just before the start of a new school year, and likely as the school year draws to a close. However, hiring for your preschool should be top of mind all year around. You never know when you might need to fill a position unexpectedly!

Keeping child care hiring at the forefront of your mind is one of the keys to maintaining a great preschool program. Remember that for your educators, finding a new job, taking leave or retiring doesn’t always happen on a set schedule. You could find yourself left without essential staff if you aren’t ready to hire a replacement at a moment’s notice.

Or, perhaps your preschool is growing quickly and you need to hire multiple teachers to keep up with demand. No matter the case, it’s a good idea to think about the hiring process all year around.

Here are a few ways to ensure you’re always ready to find qualified candidates for your child care center:

• Have an up to date job posting and job description on hand, and update it regularly. Should new qualifications become required for educators in your region, make sure your job postings and job descriptions reflect that change. This way, you’ll always be prepared to list an open position if the need arises.
• Always be networking. Connect with other educators, industry leaders, parents, post-secondary educators, students – or anyone who might be able to put you in touch with outstanding candidates when your next round child care hiring comes up.
• Keep past resumes on file. Even when you’re not hiring, accept resumes from interested caregivers. File these away for future reference when you need to hire again. You might just find the ideal candidate. Know where to post your job. Have a plan in mind as to where and when you will post your job opening. Create accounts with some of the leading job boards, industry websites or even local employment centers so you are ready to post.
• Think about what you have to offer. Are you giving employees a great place to work, with fair pay, good benefits and an atmosphere that encourages professional development? Always be evaluating what attracts educators to your preschool and how you can retain them long-term.
• Think about hiring all year round. Hiring great educators for your classroom is not something that can be done once a year and pushed to the back of your mind! By keeping hiring at the top of your priority list, you’ll always be prepared to hire additional staff or fill a vacant position.

For more tips on hiring for your preschool, we recommend that you check out the following on the HiMama Blog:

• 7 Tips for Hiring a Preschool Teacher
• Why Invest in Child Care Staff Training and Development
• Addressing the Issue of Preschool Teacher Turnover