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Winnie
We know how daunting finding high-quality candidates for daycare and preschool jobs can be. The hiring process can take a lot of a director's time and energy, from weeding through online applications to scheduling interviews and everything in between.
At Winnie, we are all about making the lives of daycare and preschool directors easier, by doing all the legwork for you— so you can focus on providing quality care and early education to the families that you serve.
We’ve created this hiring guide to provide tips and tricks for every step of the hiring process, from writing high-quality job descriptions to where to post your jobs to get the most traction.
Overview
Job Descriptions - by job type
Interview Questions - by job type
Post your job openings online
Once you have drafted job descriptions for the positions you are hiring for, it’s time to start spreading the word. One of the easiest ways to reach job seekers is by posting your job openings online. There are a variety of different job sites, and they all have their benefits and drawbacks.
Winnie only posts daycare and preschool jobs, so you know any applicants you receive are specifically looking for jobs in early education. Plus, you can use your Winnie provider page to reach new families and job seekers at the same time which is super convenient.
Tap into your network to help you spread the word
As important as an online presence can be for daycare and preschool programs, word of mouth is still a huge aspect of marketing your program. Odds are, you have people in your network who’d be happy to help you find new staff.
- Ask for referrals from your staff and families, both previous and current. Current families will be motivated to help find staff to ensure their child’s program keeps running smoothly. Current staff may also be motivated to help with the search, because they may not want to cover extra shifts if your program is understaffed.
- Offer incentives to people who bring you candidates who wind up working for you for over six months. Gift cards to local restaurants and shops are usually a big hit.
- Take inventory of your current staff. You may have substitute teachers ready to commit to a permanent position or part-time teachers ready to go full-time.
- Hang flyers in your local libraries, grocery stores, and pediatrician’s offices.
Reach out to qualified candidates ahead of time
Sometimes it ends up being easier if you reach out to applicants yourself. You can search through resumes on job sites or send emails to people you know through your network.
You can send them an email encouraging them to apply, and requesting a time to talk more about the available jobs. It might be easier for you to have an initial phone conversation before you meet in person, to get a feel for whether they’re a good fit for your program.
Here is a sample email you can send:
Dear (candidate’s name),
My name is (your name) and I am the (your title) of (your daycare). I am in the process of hiring for a (position you are looking to fill) for our daycare center located in (your city).
I came across your resume on (job site) and think your background and experience in (previous job experience) would be a perfect fit for our program.
I would love to discuss the details of the position with you if you are interested. What days and times would work best for a quick phone call?
Looking forward to getting to know you better,
(Your name)
Post your job openings anywhere families can find you
Sometimes early childhood job seekers search for daycare and preschool programs in their area and check their websites for a list of open positions. If you are not listing your open positions on your website, you’ll miss out on capturing this group of candidates.
Place your job openings in an obvious place, so that when someone is on the homepage of your website they will see it. Plus, this allows parents to view your open positions and apply themselves if they are interested in working at your program.
If you don’t have a website for your program, you don’t have to do the work of creating one. Your Winne page can act as your website— allowing you to upload photos of your program and post your jobs and open spaces all in one place!
You may also want to post your openings on your social media account and tag local parenting blogs or neighborhood groups so they can share your post.
How do I use Winnie's template to create my own job posting?
- Open the template by clicking below
- Copy the content and paste it into a new document
- Use the highlighted prompts to help you fill in the details
- Make sure to delete the instructions and get rid of the yellow highlight
