Tips For Welcoming New Child Care Employees

Do You Have an Employee Onboarding or Welcoming Program?

Much time, effort, and expense are spent on job postings, screening, and interviewing potential employees. However, once a candidate is hired, some childcare businesses do not have clearly defined procedures for welcoming the new employee. The lack of a structured process for welcoming and ensuring each new employee gets off to a great start leads to the new employee not feeling part of the organization and team, being confused about work expectations, and often leaving the childcare business.

The difference between a new employee being a success or failure is often down to how he or she is welcomed in the first few days and weeks. Here are tips on how to welcome your new employees.

Have a new hire orientation or procedures for welcoming new employees. A new employee’s first few days should not be left up to chance. Clear procedures and processes need to be in place to ensure the new employee feels welcome. In addition, the new employee’s perception of your childcare business must be positive—things are well organized, the onboarding and training are intentional and structured, expectations are clearly defined, and systems are in place to ensure things run smoothly.

Give your new employee a warm welcome. Start by touring the entire childcare center and introducing the new employee to their new coworkers. Instead of this being a rushed 10-minute experience, allow the new employee to explore each classroom, chat with the teachers, and observe the activities in each classroom. Describe daily activities, special facility features, security, and safety measures during the tour.

To give them time to adjust and feel comfortable, pair them up with a coworker, a friendly, experienced worker who will show them the job and work with them for the first week or two. This might be a management team member, a lead teacher, or a curriculum coordinator. The goal is to provide each new employee with a “coworker friend” to whom they can ask questions to help clear up any confusion, help put the new employee at ease, and quickly help them assimilate and feel part of the team.

Telling the new employee to read the “Employee Handbook” and let you know if they have any questions is woefully inadequate. You or a management team member should review this information with the new employee. Cover the most important topics and allow the new employee to ask questions. If you have more than one new employee, this can be completed one-on-one or in a small group setting.

Explain your new employee’s responsibilities and describe their job functions in detail. Please don’t leave it to the other employees to teach them the basics unless there is a trained member of staff whose job it is.

Let your new employees know what you and the company expect from them. This includes proper work ethics, productivity, teamwork, and appearance.

Explain the specific conditions and employment requirements, including hours, pay, pay periods, holiday pay, sickness provisions, benefits, lateness, and, when necessary, how disciplinary actions are handled.

Be clear about the safety rules, policies, procedures, and regulations. Explain and demonstrate the proper use of safety devices, evacuation procedures, lockdowns, impending weather preparations, transportation safety guidelines, and all safety measures and guidelines for children, employees, and parents.

Often, the employee’s experience during the first few days will positively or negatively impact their comfort level, attitude, and whether they become a long-term employee or did not come back from lunch on day two.

What Can You Do Today to Improve Your Employee Onboarding and Welcoming Program?