Nursery World - Recruitment: Part 2

As part of a series unpicking the recruitment crisis and giving strategies to combat it, Charlotte Goddard explores ways that settings can sell themselves, and asks why candidates pick one job over another

A few weeks ago an early years candidate showed up a little late for an interview at a setting recently taken over by nursery group Children 1st. When the candidate finally arrived, she said she had been standing outside for a while, uncertain whether to go ahead because the setting had not yet been branded with its new identity. ‘I was worried this wasn’t actually a Children 1st nursery,’ she said. ‘I researched the training and career progression opportunities on the website, and it is specifically Children 1st I want to work for.’

Children 1st is aware of the need to attract the right candidate by making it clear what the group has to offer from the start. ‘We talk about progression in the interview, asking candidates their long-term plans,’ says Cathy Griffin, director at the nursery group. ‘We talk about the life they will have, how teams work together, the training opportunities, and the annual conferences where we all get together and share goals and award achievement.’

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included