FSF Event - Breakout Room Question 3 - What has worked well for you in terms of recruitment and retention in your team?

[Stephen]

[Helen]

Flexibility is key, I think. being able to offer staff the hours that they need means they will be more likely to stay in the setting rather than moving elsewhere. Of course, this can be a logistical nightmare, but one participant in the breakout room I attended at the FSF conference said they were able to employ a much loved staff member just to cover lunchtimes, so staff could get their breaks. That suited both the setting's organisational needs and the staff member herself.

[Mouseketeer]

I’m hoping flexibility is the answer, I try to accommodate when staff want to change hours, and am trying to recruit at the moment and have been flexible with the advert, rather than this is the hours I want to cover it’s more of a ‘tell me what you want’ 🤞

I try to let them have special times out for their own children or whatever when I can cover them, though that is trickier as I’m often in ratio now compared to a few years ago when I was supernumerary, though still try my best.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Mouseketeer

[Stephen]

I often found some of my best educators started their journey as volunteers.  I found it was beneficial to everyone concerned.  Experiencing day to day life in an early years environment can be the best indicator as to whether the role is suitable, as well as giving leaders an opportunity to see someone in action.  I could usually tell within a few minutes whether someone was going to be good or not!  I actually started advertising for volunteers some of whom became permanent members of staff.

 

One thing i will say is that it doesn't always work out, and can be time consuming going through the process of registering and sorting a DBS, particularly if they don't come back after one session, but more often than not it was worthwhile.

[JackTapestrySupport]

Someone in my breakout room recounted a really nice experience they've had this year with a brand new teaching assistant. This person was brand new to education and to the early years. The practitioner in the group spoke so passionately about how it was a great thing they had no prior experience, how them coming in as a blank slate made it really easy to teach them what their high-quality provision looked like.