Wanting to keep its newly acquired workforce engaged and satisfied after taking over two nursery groups, Partou completely overhauled its leadership, processes, business strategy and brand identity.
Dutch childcare operator Partou, which is now the seventh largest nursery group in the UK (Nursery Chains 2024: Groups by Size – Rise and Fall), says the move has seen its employee turnover in this country fall from 41 per cent to 31 per cent in just six months.
Partou acquired Just Childcare and All About Children along with its 2,500 employees last year, both of which now operate under the Partou brand, having completed a merger.
According to Partou, the internal communication tools used by the former nursery groups were ‘nearly nonexistent’, and staff felt that communication from head office was ‘too formal, confusing and inconsistent, leaving them feeling undervalued and disconnected’.
‘Employee feedback highlighted a significant gap in our recognition efforts. Monthly internal community and culture pulse checks revealed that only 29 per cent of team members felt we effectively recognised and appreciated each other. The majority were either indifferent (51 per cent) or dissatisfied (21 per cent),’ explains Partou’s people and culture director, Josie Mortimer.
‘Many employees were resistant to change, lacked trust in new leadership, and on top of this were feeling the strain of the rising cost of living, with many considering leaving the sector in search of better financial opportunities.’
With the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis, Partou recognised change was critical for the success of the business.
The nursery group rebranded its Human Resources (HR) department to the People and Culture Team, dividing responsibilities between a people experience team and people operations team, a move led by Josie in an attempt to move away from thinking of HR as ‘setting rules’.
‘The evolution from HR to People and Culture represents a shift in thinking, moving towards a more inclusive and supportive approach. I explain it internally that we are shifting the culture from rules and control to empowerment and trust’, she explains. ‘The people operations team are there day-to-day, in the field, managing employee relations, supporting recruitment and apprentices. They provide operational support on the ground, making sure that the nurseries are running really smoothly.
‘My aim was for the people operations team to be able to go to a nursery and staff not be worried that they’ve turned up. Nine times out of ten, when they see them [the operations team], it’s because they are there to investigate if something has gone wrong. I wanted to change that so nursery staff are pleased to see the team and can have conversations with them and provide support.’
Partou also brought in a new people strategy, its W.E. C.A.R.E. plan.
‘The W.E. C.A.R.E. – Well-being, Engagement, Community, Autonomy, Respect, Enrichment – strategy is our structured approach to how we support and develop our people. While our core values of care, compassion and continuous learning are what we stand for as an organisation, W.E. C.A.R.E. is the people and culture strategy that ensures we stay true to these values in practice. It’s a way to hold ourselves accountable to what we are trying to achieve for our people, ensuring that we provide an environment where they can thrive and feel supported’, explains Josie.
‘Our core values were chosen by our employees as things that are important to them and their personal values.’
The nursery group also introduced a programme to recognise its employees that includes milestone recognitions: birthdays and length of service, peer-to-peer recognition e-cards and manager-led awards.
The awards, which come with a monetary value, are posted on a virtual wall.
‘It’s like Facebook. You can post a virtual postcard and then people can comment and like it. There’s various different awards on there: Team Achievement, Five Star Hygiene Awards for the cooks; sometimes we do a Spotlight Award,’ says Josie.
‘All senior leadership teams can give out awards. Each member of the senior leadership team has a pot of money. They just decide how much they are going to give that individual. The money goes on a gift card that they can use on the platform.’
As of March, a total of £7.9k in awards had been issued to staff and more than 2,600 e-cards sent.
To effectively communicate with all staff, the nursery group recently introduced a new communication platform, EPIC – meaning ‘every person is cared for, celebrated, communicated and connected’ – where employees can read policies and information, as well as access discounts.
‘Given our large, young and dynamic workforce – 2,200 deskless employees across multiple sites, with 74 per cent being Millennial and Gen Z – we needed a fresh approach to recognition. The solution required a tech-enabled, multi-layered system that resonated with our brand and values’, explains Josie.
Onboarding
Josie says that one of the biggest changes they have made is how they onboard talent, starting with nursery managers, as they hold one of the most ‘pivotal roles’.
‘We’ve really ripped it all apart and put it back together again in terms of how we were onboarding managers.
‘It’s a challenge to make sure we get the right people and then retain them. So we decided we needed to do something a bit different. We’re now trying to make sure that new staff get at least two weeks off-site onboarding before they go onto their own site. The plan is to do this with every role.’
According to the company, the new process, which comes under the new Partou Academy, has been very well received.
Recruitment
Like most early years settings, Josie admits the nursery group’s biggest struggle is recruiting Level 3 staff.
She says, ‘It’s a real challenge for us. From a recruitment strategy point of view, we’re leaning into the fact that we are a relatively new brand, and people haven’t necessarily heard of us.
‘The demand for skilled, passionate childcare professionals is higher than ever, and attracting and retaining top talent in such a competitive environment is increasingly difficult. Candidates today are looking for more than just a job – they want to be part of a purpose-led organisation that values their wellbeing and personal growth.’ She adds that the biggest reason for people quitting their jobs continues to be because they want to leave the sector.
‘But we’re also seeing people coming back to the sector’, says Josie. ‘Post-Covid, I think everyone had a life-affirming moment of “what do I really want to do?” A lot of people chose to do something completely different. We’re seeing some people who did that for a couple of years and now want to go back into childcare.
‘I think a lot of candidates these days are looking for more than a job. They want to know what else we are doing as a business to support their own personal growth, and that their values are aligned to the values of a company they work for.’
Recruitment incentives used by Partou include a referral scheme – its Buddy Scheme – and a childcare discount, which the nursery group has recently increased to 60 per cent. Staff also receive free meals.
Partou is currently considering how it leverages digital platforms to ‘reach out’ to other generations.
Josie says absence is another challenge. A way the group is tackling this is by talking about it in a more positive way, supporting employees’ attendance.
‘As I spend time in our nurseries and meet the incredible teams working with the children, I’m reassured by the strong sense of purpose and passion that runs through the heart of our organisation. Our team bring so much dedication and enthusiasm to their roles, and it’s clear that we’re offering more than just a job – we’re creating a place where people feel they belong and are truly valued.
‘That’s why I’m confident that by continuing to invest in our people and nurturing this sense of belonging, we’ll not only rise to the challenge but thrive. Together, we’re building a place where everyone can grow and succeed.’
