1. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION One thing that makes our lives easier as leaders is who we hire and how we do it!

2. GROUP WORK What are your current challenges in recruiting and retaining quality staff?

3. Recruitment and retention strategies are important means for attracting and retaining skilled employees particularly when there is high staff turnover, a competitive job market and labour shortages. HOW DO WE PREPARE TO MEET BETTY?

4. GOT YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW?

5. In preparation to meet Betty, we need to make sure that our “ducks are in a row” – that we as an organization have carefully considered what we have to offer to attract and retain quality Early Childhood professionals.

6. ASK YOURSELF…… What do people want in their jobs? What are their motivators? What does my program offer that prospective employees desire?

7. In many instances, employee performance is determined by 3 things: Ability (training can be provided) Work environment (environment can be altered) Motivation (this solution is more complex!)

8. Research shows that employee motivation falls into 2 categories: Maintainers & Motivators MAINTAINERS (factors that must be kept at a satisfactory level): Salary & fringe benefits Organizational policies Working conditions Job security Supervision

9. MOTIVATORS (factors that create an inner desire to work by satisfying certain needs that are important to the individual employee): Achievement Recognition Job position Responsibility Advancement

10. RANKING MOTIVATORS… Rank the following motivators in terms of how effective they would be for motivating you. Now go back and identify what you think your staff would choose.

11. LESSONS LEARNED…. 1. What motivates you may not motivate them! If we misinterpret or assume what is important to our employees, we may choose methods of motivation that are entirely off base! 2. Not all employees respond to the same motivations. Motivation is an individual thing!

12. 3. As a manager, you cannot motivate anyone! You can only provide an environment that encourages employee’s self-motivation. Motivation is getting people to do what you want them to do because THEY WANT TO DO IT! 4. Offering various motivators to fulfill individual needs!

14. Salary & Fringe Benefits Most people are motivated by money at least for their basic needs Money not often the primary motivator – some nonfinancial motivators are more effective than extra cash in building long-term employee engagement We do have to ensure however that we are equitable within our market

15. Organizational Policies Know your organization’s vision and values (this will be important both in recruitment and retention – embodies what we care most about and what we stand for!)

16. THE VALUE OF VALUES Our values embody what we stand for and provide the basis for our decisions Our values direct how we respond and react to situations VALUES EXERCISE – In your group, choose the value most important to you. In your group, share your value and why it is important. How is it reflected in your work?

17. VALUES EXERCISE Look at the photos provided and define what values may be at work. How does this make you feel? Can you relate this to your own experience? How could you use this tool for staff development or interviewing?

18. Organizational Policies (cont.) Be involved in regular conversations about why we have the policies we do and what they look like in real practice Defined job description

19. Working Conditions Research shows that staff leave or do not join an organization for many reasons including better job opportunities, more positive working conditions, career advancement, and better work/life balance (particularly for women as changes to the family tend to impact upon them) HOW CAN WE SUPPORT BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES?

20. 10 Most Essential Work Life Balance Retention & Attraction Strategies (As identified by the Gov’t Health Sector) 1. Flexible working hours 2. Part-time work or job sharing arrangements 3. Reasonable working hours 4. Access to child care 5. Flexible leave arrangements 6. Safety & Wellbeing

21. 7. Personal needs 8. Casual staff on board 9. Job mobility 10. Leave in single days WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE IN OUR SETTINGS?

22. 1. Flexible working hours (consultative rostering arrangements) 2. Part-time work or job sharing arrangements 3. Reasonable working hours 4. Access to child care (on site, cost reduction, payroll deductions) 5. Flexible leave arrangements (time off for school holidays, appt’s, child illness)

23. 6. Safety & Wellbeing (appropriate breaks, access to staff room, access to health & wellness programs, onsite parking) 7. Personal needs (telephone access, schedule meetings taking into consideration needs of employee’s family,) 8. Casual staff (having relief staff available alleviates stress)

24. 9. Job mobility 10. Leave in single days (personal leave days as part of sick package, mental health days) Working conditions also include quality of environment (access to materials needed, physical layout)

25. Job Security / Supervision Providing regular support / feedback and opportunities for reflection with Supervisor and peers Regular staff meetings to come together as a group to share experiences

26. Achievement / Recognition Recognizing contributions Respect for employees as unique individuals

27. Job Position / Responsibility / Advancement Encouragement of learning, growth & skills (PD opportunities paid for, time provided, etc) Interesting work Knowing how I fit in Knowing why things are being done (transparency) Getting information about organization Promotion opportunities (internal jobs, tasks) Having control over how I do my work Involvement in decisions that affect me (task)

28. Decision Making Categories include: 1. Unilateral – decisions best made by you alone. 2. Consultative – decisions that are best made by you with input from your staff 3. Collaborative – decisions that can be made jointly by you and your staff 4. Delegated – decisions that should be made by the teachers exlusively

29. TASK: Share a list of decisions that have been made at your program using the descriptions above. Take time to complete Exercise 6 – review the listed items relating to areas in which teachers typically want more decision making influence. Indicate those things that you currently do, and those you may be able to implement in the future.

30. Interesting Fact… It has been estimated that the cost of replacing a staff member is anywhere between $20,000 - $50,000 per employee (advertising costs, time to interview/orient to bring new employee up to level of departing employee) Improving staff retention must therefore generate cost savings!

31. Reflective Homework…..Consider your Hiring Protocol For our next time together, please bring samples of: Job advertisements Job descriptions Interview questions