Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Posts tagged ‘hiring staff’

Staff Turnover in Child Care Centers

staff

In my 10 years of  being a center owner, I have noticed that the child care industry has a very high staff turnover rate. In fact, sometimes I get very irritated at the lack of commitment from many of the staff members, however, I know that I must grow as a leader in order to effectively deal with the challenges that come along with operating a center.

Moreover, I do not look forward to seeing the look on a parent’s face when their child’s teacher leaves the center, however, you must remain professional and  reassure the parent that you are seeking to hire the best teacher for the job.

I  have seen many staff members come and go; some employees have stayed for 3-weeks or less, my longest employed staff member was with me for over 7 years and several employees were on my team for two or more years.

As I think back on what inspired my employees to stay with me; I was  inspired to share with you, what I believe contributes to a High Turnover  and what causes employees to stay with you.

Why I believe that there is a High Turnover in Child Care Center

There are many factors to consider in terms of the staff turnover rate in child care centers and I believe that the top six are as follows:

  1. The Owner or hiring manager must be able  to select the right person for the center. *Every one is not a perfect match for your center
  2. When enrollment is low, Owners are forced to cut hours and this could lead to staff members search for new jobs.
  3. There is a need for more trained early childhood professionals
  4. The Staff members may not respect management
  5. Centers can use more financial assistance to help pay for higher salaries for Early Childhood Professionals
  6. We as Owners must develop vital leadership skills, so that we are empowered to handle staff issues that may lead to a high turnover

7 Ways to Make Your Center a Great Place to Work

  1. Pay your employees more than what they have made at a previous Job.
  2. Offer paid Holidays and Vacation Time
  3. Conduct an Orientation that introduces your new staff members to your center and the other staff members. ** be sure that it is full of excitement
  4. Hold Monthly Staff Potlucks
  5. Plan a fun event for all the staff to come together once a year. (shopping trip, visit a spa, etc)
  6. Be a Positive boss and your employees will be positive
  7. Offer opportunities or financial assistance for the staff to enhance their education
  8. Provide a cool and relaxing place for breaks
  9. Buy lunch 3-4 times a year, your staff members will love it!

For more tips on how to effectively manage staff or tips on how to build a Successful Child Care Center, Check out my ebook: The Art of Owning a Child Care Center.

With Your Child Care Business in Mind,

Shiketa

Category:

Business Management, Child Care Center, Hiring Employees, Staffing

Tagged with:

The “Bear” Necessities of Choosing the Right Staff

Seek to hire people who loved their previous Job

 

I titled this blog post after a book that I am reading called, The Bear Necessities of Business, written by Maxine Clark. Just in case you do not know who Maxine Clark is…She is the Founder and Chief Executive Bear at Build a Bear Work Shop.

I bought Maxine’s Book, The Bear Necessities of Business about five years ago while on vacation in Chicago from one of the Build-a-Bear Workshops.  In fact, I was inspired  to buy Maxine’s book, because I was quite impressed with the company that she created with the help of a great team.

Earlier this year, I went on a field trip to the St. Louis Galleria Build-a Bear Workshop with my preschool graduates and I was loving  the spirit of excellence throughout the store. Moreover, I really enjoyed working with the staff at the Build-a Bear work shop. The staff was so friendly, very knowledgeable about their job and seemed to really enjoy working at Build-a-Bear Workshop. Furthermore, the trip to that store, inspired me to read Maxine’s book again, because I really enjoyed the experience and that’s what I want to give my customers…an Experience.

The night before I wrote this blog post, I was reading a chapter of Maxine’s book and came across a statement that inspired me to evaluate the questions that I ask applicants during the interview process. Maxine wrote: “I am not interest in bringing on people who hated their last job. I want to hire those who loved where they worked and came to us with great habits and ideas they have learned on the job.”

Maxine, also suggested that you hire people who have worked for great businesses that you respect and admire. In my case, that would be Kinder care Learning Centers, Head Start  and any Accredited Child Care Facility, because I know that the teacher has worked in a Quality environment.

Also, Maxine recommends that you ask those you hire this question: “What are we not doing that your previous employer did?

WOW!!! I think this is the answer to the job turn-over in the childcare field. What do you think? Do you know how much trouble that you and I can save ourselves if we simply ask the question: So, how did you feel about your last job?

I agree with Maxine 100%, because I recently hired a teacher that loved her previous job and she came to work with me for the summer and she loves her job. In the past, I hired teachers that hated their previous jobs and they hated working for me.

In summary, I think Maxine shared a golden nugget by mentioning the fact that she does not seek to hire people who hate their previous jobs. So, now when you schedule your next interview, be sure to ask: So, how did you feel about your last job?

What do you think about Maxine’s Philosophy about not seeking to hire people who hate their former jobs? Do you plan to ask the questions mentioned above during your next interview? I look forward to your comments below.

Be sure to get your copy of Maxine’s Book, The Bear Necessities of Business Today! Don’t forget to schedule your next field trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop!

With your business in mind,

Shiketa

Category:

Employee Management, Staffing

Tagged with:

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