One Surefire Way to Boost ECE Staff Retention
Before we talk about staff retention, If you’re new to my site, don’t forget to snag my FREE Interview Guide to hiring quality staff for your program before you leave!
Now, let’s talk about your staff. Do you have high staff turnover? If so, let me ask you a few questions. How well do you know your staff? Do you know what your team wants? Do you know their desires, needs, and work satisfaction level?
As ECE leaders and directors, it's easy to assume your team is happy as long as they are showing up for work every day and not complaining, but the truth is that most of your staff will not voice their concerns or give feedback unless you ask them.
If staff are unhappy, they will often keep it to themselves and tough it out as long as they can until they can't take it anymore and find another job or leave.
Not knowing what your staff members need and want explains why you might have a great employee unexpectedly give you a two-week notice that you never saw coming.
Wouldn't it be great if you knew what they needed and desired so that you could offer better support to ensure their overall work happiness before it's too late?
One surefire way to boost childcare staff retention is to give your team an employee survey to find out what they desire, gauge your culture, uncover issues within your daycare, and develop ways to correct them.
Staff surveys give employers insight into what is engaging (and disengaging) employees so they can make informed decisions about how to move forward.
Surveys also give your staff a voice and allow every employee to share their opinions and be heard by managers and leaders.
When asking your staff to fill out an employee survey, it's best not to require names. When surveys are anonymous and confidential, your employees are more likely to respond openly and honestly—and your response rate will be higher.
Here are some great questions to ask in your staff surveys.
How likely would you be to recommend your workplace to a friend or family?
How would you describe the leadership and management style within the organization?
What aspects of the business do you love and enjoy the most?
What aspects of the business could be improved to make it a better workplace for you?
How would you describe your workplace culture in three words?
Do you feel appreciated? If not, please explain.
Do you feel listened to and able to contribute ideas? If not, please explain.
Do you feel supported with access to enough training, knowledge, and information to do your work properly?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the positivity of the culture? and why?
Do you feel that you have a healthy work-life balance?
How satisfied are you with your work schedule? What would your dream schedule look like? (days/time/hours)
How satisfied are you with your position/class/age group?
Do you think the organization accurately relays its missions and values?
Do you align with the company's values?
Do you have access to the necessary material resources to do your work properly (equipment, supplies, etc)?
Do you feel like you are part of a team? Please explain.
Want to start incorporating staff surveys? You can download my FREE ready-to-print Staff Culture Survey here. Just download, print, and pass out to your team.
Download my free Family Screening Guide for a complete list of screening questions to ask and to access my Family Information Card to give during a tour.
Conclusion:
Giving your staff surveys is a great way to gain insight into how you can give employees what they want before it's too late and you lose yet another valuable employee. Yes, it can be vulnerable and uncomfortable to read their honest thoughts and feedback, and it's easier to stick your head in the sand, but if you want satisfied long-lasting employees, you need to ask the tough questions.
Did this article help you? Please share your comments below! And be sure to share this blog post with your fellow child care providers! Together we can make a difference!
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