New Year, New Horizons: Navigating the Early Childhood Education Job Market

Key Takeaways
- Early Childhood Education centers can set the stage for a successful year through evaluating recruitment goals and writing effective job advertisements to attract candidates who fit in with those aims. It’s also important to focus on employee retention, and career development.
- Candidates seeking new roles and new challenges should focus on their goals, the importance of evaluating the prospective center, and how to ask the right questions during the interview process.
By Beth Kroutch, Director of Human Resources, Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning
At this time of year, many Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers, and professionals within the field, start reassessing their plans and goals. This period of reflection is crucial for setting the stage for a successful and impactful year ahead.
For ECE center managers, this is a prime opportunity to evaluate recruitment goals and determine the skills necessary to find the right fit for their team. It should also include specific employee retention plans, such as career development, assessing ways to ensure existing staff have the tools they need to succeed, and ways to support internal candidates who may be considering applying for upcoming vacancies. Also, existing employees are a crucial part of onboarding new hires, so it’s important to take their needs into consideration.
For ECE professionals seeking new roles and challenges, it’s a great time to think about where they see their careers in the future.
At Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS), as we embark on the hiring process for exciting new opportunities at CHS New Danville (expected to open next year), I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my recruitment tips.
Writing an Effective Job Advertisement
- Highlight Mission and Values: Start by clearly articulating the mission and values of your center. Candidates should understand what drives your organization and how they can contribute to your mission. At CHS, for example, we focus on creating high-quality learning communities that nurture, educate, and empower children and families in social and financial need to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
- Detail the Role and Responsibilities: Provide a comprehensive overview of the role, including key responsibilities and expectations. Don’t just give a list of the duties, asit may feel the center just needs someone (or anyone) to complete tasks. Connect the role with the broader aims of the organization.
- Showcase Career Development Opportunities: Candidates are often looking for roles that offer growth and development opportunities. Highlight any professional development programs, training, or career advancement opportunities available at your center.
- Create an Inclusive and Welcoming Tone: Candidates should feel that your center is a supportive and inclusive place to work. Avoid jargon and keep the language clear and accessible. Don’t assume (for example) that all candidates are young and female, as casting a broader net can attract some exciting new candidates. Candidates and staff that represent the community they serve tend to make strong and positive connections to the children and families.
- Get the Message Out: Think about non-traditional places to advertise, such as community centers, farmers’ markets, libraries, or coffee shops. Let families and community partners know you are hiring and contact local educational institutions, including vocational schools that offer ECE programs.
Finding the Right Fit
- Ask Questions: Asking the candidate what ‘good’ or positive culture means will help assess how they will fit with your organization. You aren’t looking for ‘sameness’ but someone who complements the team within the department and as part of the broader organization.
- Behavioral Interviewing: Use behavioral interview questions to assess candidates’ values and competencies and how they handle various situations. For example, ask candidates to describe a time when they had to demonstrate patience or creativity in their work with children.
- Involve the Team: Involving current team members in the interview process not only helps assess the candidate’s fit with the team but also gives candidates a sense of the team dynamics and culture.
- Provide Realistic Job Previews: Give candidates a realistic preview of what it’s like to work at your center. This can include a tour of the facility, meeting with potential colleagues and observation in the classroom, or even a trial day.
Advice for Job Seekers
- Know Yourself and Your Goals: Ask yourself what you are you looking for in a role and reflect on your career goals. Consider what are your ‘non-negotiables’ and what are your motivators. Check if they have professional development programs and opportunities for career growth. Along with the job description, salary is commonly a driving factor of interest in a role, but many employers offer expanded benefits that make for very attractive total compensation and should be considered.
- Research the Center: Look for information about their mission, values, and culture. Have questions that produce answers that are example based rather than policy or philosophy. Examples could include asking the interviewer, “Can you share with me the circumstances around your organization’s last internal promotion?” or “What role did the organization’s development planning play in the person moving to this next level?” These can be very helpful in learning what you could expect if you’re looking to grow, and an organization invested in growing their people will celebrate the opportunity to share their success!
- Look for Red Flags: Be mindful of any potential concerns during the interview process. For example, if the center seems disorganized, if there’s a higher-than-average rate of turnover, or if the interviewers can’t clearly articulate their mission and values, these may be signs that this is not the role for you.
My final words, both to hiring managers and potential candidates is to be transparent and authentic as you navigate this competitive, and exciting, market. I wish you all the best of luck!