Recruitment, selection and retention seem to be a recurring problem. Once you've spent lots of time, money and energy finding the right person, the last thing you need is for them to leave six months later to work in a nursery down the road for an extra 10p an hour.
The first way to retain staff is to have a good induction programme. The new staff member needs to be assigned a mentor who can help them feel at ease. The mentor will probably be their immediate senior or a team colleague who will support and encourage, advise and motivate. The new member of staff must be allowed time to settle in and ask questions and not feel intimidated.
The next step is a good training programme. Staff who attend training on a regular basis are more enthusiastic, motivated and imaginative, which in turn creates staff loyalty and produces a happy and enthusiastic atmosphere in the nursery. I feel that it is essential for all staff to attend at least two training sessions per year.
Appraisals are essential for any organisation in communicating performance and assessing training needs. The process should begin with an appraisal form and all parties should understand what is involved. It should be a non-threatening experience for both manager and staff member, at which staff can feel valued, listened to and seen as a key part of the organisation. Appraisals are confidential, so everyone should feel they can speak freely. Appraisals increase performance, identify training needs and maintain motivation.
Introducing staff benefits are also essential. A contented staff needs a structured pay scale and holiday programme. Pay scales give them something to aim for and prevent staff whispering and discussing what others are earning. Pay rises should not be part of the appraisal process as you need to focus on performance and training needs.
Stakeholder pensions come into effect this April, so as a manager you'll have to administer several different pension schemes if you do not introduce one of your own (see left). A pension is a major incentive for staff to stay - they feel you are investing in them.
The early years workforce is predominately female, so it is inevitable that some of your staff will have children of their own. Offering some sort of discount scheme for staff, and job share options, will encourage the mothers to return to work. Consider the irony, if you have trained and highly motivated members of staff who have been with you for years, who have to leave because they cannot afford childcare! It is a false economy not to offer staff a discount on their childcare costs; recruiting and training a new member of staff is likely to cost you more, and there is no guarantee that you will find the right person for the job.
