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In 2021 FDCA launched the national Family Day Care Educator recruitment program, we have seen over 3000 applicants come through our recruitment process, over 1400 phone interviews completed with potential applicants considering family day care as a career move, over 350 educators screened and referred to FDCA members, and over 140 educators start their own family day care nationally as a result of the recruitment drive.
As we continue to develop the support we can offer in this critical space, what have we learnt we can share with our members?
Job boards are one method of attraction, yet quite often are the only one used when recruiting. Considering other areas to source applicants suitable to your local area and keeping them fresh and updated is key, other methods of attraction can include: social media campaigns, recruitment/local community events, setting up a dedicated, simple careers page on your website, accessing local early childhood education and care RTO’s, applicant referral programs, accessing resume databases, promoting to parent and other community groups.
Starting a business can be a daunting concept, If you have ever applied or enquired about a job or new career, your first impression, the recruitment and onboarding process can make or break your decision to progress or recommend that process or organisation to others, even if not successful, a thorough and effective communication, engagement, onboarding process will set both the service and the educator up well and provide future referrals.
Creating an effective talent pool of potential or active applicants is a useful recruitment strategy, the immediate recruitment need sometimes excludes applicants who maybe work towards being the perfect candidate in the future, having an active and passive talent pool and pipeline to refer to and communicate with regularly means you can always draw on it first before going externally.
Due to the nature of the childcare sector and people’s day to day work/life activity, answering a phone is not always possible during busy times, making yourself accessible with specific contact details is key, there are several diary management tools and SMS services to help applicants and the recruiter/manager connect and arrange a suitable time to talk.
A strong, effective and rigorous recruitment process should be employed but also communicated to applicants so they are aware of what is expected of them, verbal reference checks for example are more effective than written forms or reports, this might include talking directly to past managers or supervisors including those in other jurisdictions or countries if needed, a history of frequent job changes, multiple sites, organisations accompanied by residential changes should be investigated, including questions around reasons for leaving, interactions with children, and if they would be hypothetically rehired given the opportunity.
With over 10,000 family day care educators and over 400 approved family day care service providers in operation, if 10% of this network were to refer 1 new educator to the sector, this would lead to over 1000 potential referrals into the sector, so what are service providers doing?
In consultation with family day care providers, we have seen tiered gift vouchers systems on offer for new or existing educator leads, this ranges from $250-500 per referral and is aimed at current employees and educators contracted under the provider.
Other incentives have included discounted levies or insurance premiums for a period.
As FDCA continues to support its members with educator recruitment as part of the “Your Business, Their Future” educator recruitment and referral program, be sure to let us know where your service needs educators by registering your service’s interest by clicking the button below.
FDCA service members can also book a time with our National Recruitment Manager to discuss or seek advice on your educator recruitment plans and strategies. To book a time, click here.
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