Fears nursery recruitment incentives are fuelling 'job hopping'

12 April 2023

There are concerns within the sector that the financial incentives nurseries are offering new starters are encouraging 'job hopping', PHOTO: Adobe Stock

Nurseries are reportedly seeing an increase in practitioners ‘job hopping’ fuelled by new-starter incentives amid the continuing recruitment crisis.

A thread on the CNLF Facebook group reveals some childcare providers are promising new starters dream holidays and bonuses of up to £1,000 to work at their setting/s. One nursery is reportedly advertising a manager post as coming with a three-bed house and an annual salary of £50k.

However, concerns have been raised by nurseries that these grand incentives are encouraging practitioners to ‘job hop’, staying in a position just long enough to reap the financial reward before moving on to another setting, offering another incentive.

One user on the CNLF Facebook group said a former employee who left the setting just over a year ago to work at another nursery where she received a £750 joining bonus is now working in their third setting.

Pennie Akehurst, director of Early Years Fundamentals consultancy, called it a ‘worrying trend’ that may ‘exacerbate the recruitment crisis’.

She explained, ‘The more settings I visit, the more I’m coming across leadership teams that are pulling their hair out because new staff members are jumping ship six-12 months into a new post.

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