earlyyears.teachwire.net
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nursery business
ARE YOU AN EMPLOYER
Nurseries must deliver job satisfaction and a happy working
environment to recruit great staff, says
Emma Rooney...
H
ard-pressed early years
providers getting to grips
with rising wage costs and
government underfunding
may believe they’re fighting a
losing battle when it comes to recruiting and
retaining talented staff. But if competitive
pay, benefits and profit-sharing top most
employees’ wish lists, ‘job satisfaction’ and
‘workplace happiness’ are a close second.
In fact, in the latest Investors in People
workforce survey, poor management and
‘feeling undervalued’ both outrank pay as
reasons for unhappiness at work, with one
in eight saying they just want to be told
‘thank you’ more.
As such, employers need to be more
proactive and creative in managing staff, to
entice recruits and encourage them to stay...
Offer a career
Happy workplaces are born in a shared
vision of what must be done individually
and collectively to achieve company
goals, which in turn keep stress levels to
a minimum. A comprehensive induction
process underpinned by a competency
framework, with clearly defined performance
expectations, career pathways and training
opportunities, will not only focus employees
on what’s required on a daily basis, but also
their long-term prospects.
Active mentoring means talent is
identified early and training can be
tailored to individual requirements, like the
20-month programme we’ve introduced
to deliver GCSE maths or English
alongside the Level 3 Diploma in Early
Learning and Childcare, or our Culture
and Leadership Programme, ensuring that
colleagues are prepared for ‘next-stage’
career opportunities before they arise.
Creating appropriate positions for
the newly skilled or qualified will always
be difficult, but supported employees
enjoying quality training are more likely to
stay with your company.
Provide a platform
Giving employees a range of forums
to express their views and ideas, and
involving them in the decision-making
process, creates a climate that promotes
innovation and quality. More importantly,
employees contributing to policy both
ensure new initiatives are workable and
are invested in making them successful.
Employee-elected representatives – we
have the Partnership Council – can canvass
opinion, elicit ideas, interpret policy and
provide valuable insight into company-wide
morale. Their work, supplemented by staff
surveys, can help ensure informed decision-
making at all levels.
Support development
The value of investment in an employee’s
personal growth, with opportunities to
broaden their horizons or undertake a
physical or intellectual challenge, shouldn’t
be underestimated. An energised and
motivated individual is better equipped to
meet workplace challenges and provide a
positive influence to colleagues.
Our ‘Once in a Lifetime Experiences’
have enabled company-sponsored teams
to take part in the Chicago Marathon;
conquer Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest
free-standing mountain; and conduct
training sessions in South African
townships, where past fundraising has
provided day care facilities.
A full calendar of social events
and regular ‘fun’ fundraising events
strengthens the bonds between
practitioners and provides the added
‘feel-good’ factor of making a difference
to a worthwhile cause. A recent ‘sleep-
out’ in our head office car park by 79
practitioners, managers and senior
staff not only raised about £7,000 for
the Children’s Air Ambulance, but saw
participants entertaining each other with
impromptu singing performances.
Mark achievements
Company award ceremonies for high
achievers – we have our ‘Best of the Best’
Annual Awards Dinner – should be the
highlight in a year spent recognising
individual contributions with, for example,
gifts for the idea that improved efficiency
or a prize for the team creating the best
imaginative environment to support child-
led interests in a nursery challenge.
Rewarding long service, celebrating
new qualifications or simply providing
pizza and chocolate for after-hours
meetings is an investment in staff
wellbeing with far-reaching benefits.
Not only are happy employees more
productive and loyal, they’re a great
advertisement for a business, and with
‘reputation as a good employer’ ranking in
the top three considerations for job-seekers,
they’re an invaluable recruitment aid.
Childbase Partnership
(childbasepartnership.com) is a
leading UK provider of childcare
and early years education, holder
of
The Sunday Times
‘Best for
Giving Back’ Award, and one of
only 165 UK organisations to be
awarded three-star ‘Extraordinary’
status by Best Companies, the
workplace engagement specialists –
five years running.
OF CHOICE?
Emma Rooney is
Operations Director at
Childbase Partnership.
