Recruitment and Retention for Early Childhood Professionals

If you are a director or board member looking for suitable candidates to join your child care center, you are in the right spot!

Below is a list of resources to assist you with:

  • Posting job openings
  • Attracting new employees
  • Promoting your company culture
  • Retaining your current staff

Post early childhood job opportunities here!

  Centers: Post Job Openings at this Link

Be sure to mention the job benefits, see below for examples!

Ten Ideas to Find New Staff

1. CCR&R Online Job Postings

  • Post your open position on the CCR&R Early Childhood Professionals webpage here.

2. Online Job Portals

  • LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, your local college job portal, local chamber career page

3. Social Media

  • Twitter, Facebook (your personal account), Facebook Swap sites, Facebook Job Groups

4. Staffing Agency

5. College or High School Students

  • Partner with your local school to post advertisements or work out internship opportunities

6. Local Job Fair

7. Community Partner Recruitment Assistance?

  • Bank, clinic, local shops, schools

8. Local Chamber or Betterment Organizations

9. Referrals from Current Staff

10. Community Clubs

  • 4-H, Girls Scouts, Church, civic organizations, coffee groups, PTA, Retirement communities, sports teams, stay-at-home parents, Foster Grandparents

Be Creative in How to get Child Care Professionals to Apply

Prepare: What is the story behind your organization? What does the job entail? What benefits do you have to offer?


Write a Compelling Job Description

Prepare: What is the story behind your organization? What does the job entail? What benefits do you have to offer?

Sample job descriptions:

Are you struggling with writing a job description contact your CCR&R Child Care Consultant for assistance!

You wrote the job description...

What else can you add to get child care professionals to apply?

Sell your benefits and opportunities!

 

Vacation Time

Flexible Schedules

Overtime Opportunities

No Late Nights

No Weekends

Personal Growth

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Iowa Scholarship

Free/discounted child care for employees

Working in the same center as your children

You get to be on the top of the list for child care openings

Bonuses

Free number of t-shirts (uniforms)

Able to order from food service

Child's pictures (free/discounted family pictures)

Simple IRA

Insurance

Sick time

Pay on inclement weather days

Free meals during work

Paid holidays

Paid personal days (birthday or work anniversary)

 

Promote Your Company Culture!

Think about all the ways your center offers services to your staff, community and families!

Improve a child's future

With a smile

Going out of the way to assist with everyday schedules

A fun, creative and loving career

Great staff

Change lives

Jean day

Potluck days

Offer Unique Incentives and Collaborate with Other Community Organizations to Attract Employees

  • Gym discounts 
  • Cell phone discounts 
  • Federal Student Loan forgiveness 
  • Scholarships for school (i.e. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Iowa) 
  • Giveaway ideas  
    • Food vouchers
    • Restaurant gift cards
    • Personal care items
    • Discounts to local businesses
  • Encourage community involvement
    • Businesses
    • Churches
    • Social organizations
    • Fire
    • Police
    • Emergency medical system (EMS)
    • City and county government
    • Parents
  • Reach out to your Child Care Consultant to brainstorm ideas on what else your center can offer!

Survey Staff Regularly to Assess Job Satisfaction and Improve Retention

Staff survey samples:

Post early childhood job opportunities here!

Centers can post their job openings here.

Be sure to mention the job benefits, find examples above!

   Contact a Specialist