Especially in September, this is a perspective worth taking. The staff changes during the summer were a few weeks ago, new employees and trainees are familiar with the most important processes, and initial routines have been established. Now it becomes clear where teamwork is working well and where uncertainties remain. Targeted employee retention in daycare therefore does not begin with major benefits, but with reliable leadership, good work organization, and a culture in which professionals can make a meaningful contribution.
Employee Retention Begins After the Welcome
A friendly welcome creates trust. However, long-term retention only develops when the experiences of the first few weeks confirm this promise. A new employee pays close attention to how schedules are created, how the team deals with workload, and whether pedagogical questions can be discussed openly. A new team member quickly notices whether their ideas are welcomed or whether participation only exists on paper.
For daycare managers, this means that onboarding and employee retention should not be viewed as two separate projects. Onboarding provides orientation. The subsequent retention phase answers the question: “Can and do I want to contribute here in the long term?”
Five Signals Managers Should Pay Attention To
The new professional hardly asks any questions anymore, but does not seem genuinely confident.
Agreements are understood differently or are only communicated informally.
Breaks are missed, overtime is accumulating, or the work schedule is frequently changed at short notice.
The same people always speak up in the team, while others are withdrawing.
Feedback mainly takes place when something is not working.
None of these signals proves that someone is planning to leave. Together, however, they can indicate where an early conversation or organizational improvement would be useful.
The 30-60-90-Day Framework for Everyday Daycare Work
A simple 30-60-90-day framework helps structure the period after someone starts a new position. It is not a rigid evaluation form. Instead, it ensures that important conversations do not get lost between quick day-to-day interactions and staff scheduling.
After 30 Days: Review Orientation
The first check-in is about clarity. Does the new professional know who is responsible for what? Are they familiar with the educational concept, emergency procedures, and communication channels? Do they have access to all the information and materials they need for their work?
Good questions include:
What is already clear to you, and where do you still need guidance?
Which situation has positively surprised you?
Where do our introduction and the actual day-to-day reality still differ?
What support from your supervisor or manager would be helpful at this stage?
The conversation should end with no more than two concrete agreements. For example, the new professional could accompany a parent meeting the following week or receive a structured introduction to educational documentation. Small, measurable steps are more effective than a long list of good intentions.
After 60 Days: Shape Collaboration
After two months, the professional knows their group and the most important routines. The conversation can now focus more strongly on collaboration and impact. Where can they contribute their experience? Which responsibilities match their strengths? Which interfaces within the team are causing friction?
A practical example: A new employee brings extensive experience in nature-based education. Instead of simply assigning them to the existing weekly schedule, they could work with a colleague to develop a recurring outdoor or forest morning. They take responsibility without immediately being solely responsible for it. At the same time, the daycare gains an activity that can also be authentically highlighted in its daycare profile.
After 90 Days: Agree on the Next Steps
The third conversation combines reflection with the future. Which expectations have been met? Where is further support needed? What professional or organizational responsibility could the person take on over the next six months?
It is important not to assess the probationary period only from the management’s perspective. The professional is also evaluating whether the daycare is the right fit for them. Therefore, ask explicitly:
“What do we as an employer need to do so that you can do your best work here?”
This question signals partnership and often provides more concrete insights than a general satisfaction question.
Four Levers That Help Daycares Retain Staff
1. Create Predictability in Everyday Work
Reliable schedules, transparent replacement arrangements, and protected breaks may seem unspectacular, but they shape the employee experience every day. Not every last-minute change can be avoided. What matters is whether changes are understandable, distributed fairly, and communicated early.
A simple team rule could be: changes are announced through a defined channel, the affected person receives direct feedback, and recurring staffing shortages are reviewed monthly. This turns improvisation into a learning process.
2. Connect Educational Quality With Work Quality
Professionals want to build strong relationships with children. If documentation, meetings, or staff shortages continually come at the expense of this work, a contradiction arises between expectations and reality. Employee retention in daycare therefore also means clarifying priorities together.
Managers can regularly ask:
Which task is pedagogically necessary?
Which task can be simplified or combined?
Which activity requires uninterrupted working time?
Where are professionals carrying out tasks that could be distributed differently?
These questions will not automatically reduce the workload every week. However, they show the team that quality and workload are being considered together.
3. Enable Development in Small Steps
Staff development does not always have to begin with a lengthy external training course. Job shadowing, case discussions, working in pairs, or leading a small project can also strengthen professional skills. What matters is that learning goals are visible and supported with dedicated time.
Example: An employee wants to become more confident in challenging conversations with parents. First, they prepare a conversation with the group manager, take responsibility for a specific part of the discussion, and reflect on its impact afterwards. The next time, they lead the conversation themselves and receive targeted feedback. This creates professional development close to everyday practice.
4. Make Recognition Specific
A general “Thank you for your effort” is friendly. More effective is feedback that identifies both the behavior and its impact:
“You structured the transition after lunch calmly today. This helped the new children orient themselves better and gave the team clear responsibilities.”
Specific recognition strengthens not only motivation. It also makes it clear which behaviors contribute to the daycare’s culture. At the same time, appreciation should never be used as a substitute for fair working conditions. Praise cannot compensate for missed breaks, constant overtime, or unclear roles.
Stay Conversations Instead of Exit Interviews
Many organizations only ask what they could have improved when someone leaves. A stay conversation reverses this timing. It takes place while the collaboration is still fundamentally working and asks about the conditions needed for a positive future together.
A Simple 25-Minute Structure
Arrive: What is currently working well for you?
Understand: What makes it difficult for you to do good work?
Retain: What would you like to learn or take responsibility for here?
Agree: What one change should we test before our next conversation?
Stay conversations should not feel like hidden performance reviews. Only document the agreed points, clarify confidentiality, and communicate what can realistically be implemented. If a request cannot be fulfilled, an honest explanation is better than a vague promise.
What Professionals Can Do to Support Retention
Employee retention is a leadership responsibility, but it is not a one-way street. Professionals can actively shape their working environment by asking for clarification early, describing workloads specifically, and formulating development goals.
It is helpful to use the language of observation. Instead of saying, “The planning is always chaotic,” you could say:
“The work schedule has been changed at short notice three times in the last two weeks. As a result, I have not been able to plan my private appointments reliably. Can we agree on how changes should be prioritized and communicated?”
This makes a problem easier to discuss without attacking individuals.
A small personal development question can also provide direction:
“Which task would I like to become more confident in over the next three months?”
Bringing this question into a check-in conversation makes it easier for management to provide concrete support.
What Parents Notice About Stable Teams
Parents do not need to know the details of internal staff processes. Nevertheless, they can sense team stability: familiar contact persons are reliable, information is communicated consistently, and handovers feel calm. Conversely, frequently changing contact persons and contradictory information can create uncertainty.
Daycares can strengthen trust by clearly communicating responsibilities, explaining staffing changes objectively, and introducing new employees professionally. Private reasons for staff changes do not belong in communication with parents. What matters is the impact on childcare, contact persons, and daily routines – as well as the measures being taken to ensure continuity.
A Practical September Plan
A small rhythm is enough to get started:
Week 1: All new employees receive an appointment for their next check-in conversation.
Week 2: Management reviews schedule changes, overtime, and missed breaks for recurring patterns.
Week 3: Each group identifies one task that can be simplified, combined, or distributed more clearly.
Week 4: A short team meeting is used to review what has improved and what the next step should be.
This makes employee retention in daycare tangible. It is not a one-time project, but a series of reliable experiences.
Conclusion: Good Professionals Stay When Good Work Is Possible
Long-term employee retention is created neither by a single team event nor by attractive wording in a job advertisement. It grows where expectations are clear, schedules are organized fairly, professionals have a sense of influence, and development is possible. September is the right time, after the summer staff changes, to ask not only whether everyone has been successfully onboarded, but whether they can stay under good working conditions.
Kinderkrippe.ch connects Swiss daycares and professionals along this journey: from visible employer positioning and targeted job advertisements to the next suitable career opportunity. Present your daycare authentically, reach qualified professionals, and create the foundation for a team that is a strong long-term fit.
