Let’s get you signed up for a call
+
Marissa Schneggenburger

6 Tips for Hiring Childcare Staff

  • June 3, 2021

Like most childcare providers, you’re probably looking for new staff members at your center. Hiring and retaining quality childcare staff is a prominent issue facing the industry. Now more than ever, providers are looking for employees who will help their center grow and flourish by adopting their core values and mission. The process of hiring new childcare staff can be tedious and time-consuming. It can be hard to know where to look for qualified candidates and even harder to figure out how to get them to stay. 

To help make this process easier and allow you to find the staff that you need, we outlined helpful tips to set you apart and find the staff members you need. When you’re staffed at full capacity, the quality of care for your children improves and you can focus on growing your business. Keep reading to learn more about hiring childcare staff. 

What Current Hires are Looking For

Hiring staff is a pressing topic for childcare providers. There’s a range of circumstances that have affected the current hiring process. For today’s candidates, flexibility is most important. Staff members are expecting flexible hours and generous time off. However, this is not feasible for all childcare centers. 

During this time, it’s important to think outside of the box. It might not be ideal, but hiring multiple part-time employees instead of full-time employees can help you fill in the gaps. Throughout this process, be sure to follow your center’s mission and vision. This will help you stay focused on the right candidates. 

If you’re finding you’re still not able to hire quality employees, check out the helpful tips below.

Tips for Hiring Quality Childcare Employees

1.Host call back nights

      • During these sessions, take the time to call back any new applicants as well as past employees who might be interested in rejoining your center. This will widen your pool of applicants and give quality past employees a chance to come back to your center. 

2. Utilize a CRM

      • Use a CRM to track new and old candidates. This will make it easy to set up applicants on a drip campaign and keep them engaged during the hiring process.

3. Offer bonuses for referrals

      • Try offering an incentive through a sign-on or referral bonus. These types of bonuses can be constructed in a multitude of ways. As an example, you can offer a sign-on bonus of $500 for new hires once they reach 60 days of employment. When it comes to a referral bonus, you can offer your current employees a bonus of $500 once their referral reaches their sixtieth day of employment.

4. Be flexible with schedules

      • Hiring multiple people to get you to full capacity might be overwhelming at first. However, this will ensure you have enough staff and leaves room for schedules to open up. 

5. Start a mentor program

      • Assign mentors for new staff members at your center to help them learn the ropes and quickly become engrossed in your community.

6. Ask current staff members to write a review

      • Testimonials from happy staff members will go a long way when hiring new staff. Potential employees want to know they’re entering a positive work environment when job searching and will be eager to join your center and your community. 

We hope these tips and tricks help you along your journey to becoming a fully staffed and thriving center!


Kangarootime is the leading all-in-one childcare management software for daycares and preschools. With billing and invoicing capabilities, parent communication and staff management tools and classroom automation, Kangarootime helps childcare centers grow and scale. To learn more about optimizing your center with Kangarootime, visit kangarootime.com.

related resources

Are you aware of how your childcare management software is performing? Auditing your childcare management software helps ensure it’s performing…


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

[Buffalo, NY] 

Kangarootime, the innovative leader in…


Childcare software is essential to manage your business, meet industry demands, and grow your school. With differing platforms, it can…



related resources

Teacher burnout, staff retention, and overall stress are difficulties faced by childcare centers. With the staffing crisis, hiring and retaining…

Understanding utilization across your school(s) can be difficult. With Kangarootime’s new utilization reports, you get clear insight into FTE, spots…

In a recent webinar, Jay Whitney joined us to discuss what goes into assessing the value of a childcare business….


Stay connected
Subscribe to receive new updates from Kangarootime