Start of Training: The training program to become a certified childcare professional (Fachfrau/Fachmann Betreuung EFZ) begins in August. Trainees bring plenty of motivation, but little practical experience and therefore require particularly close guidance.
Starting a Career After Training: Those who completed their training in the summer are now starting their first position with full responsibility – often at a different daycare center than their training organization.
Replacement Hires: Resignations in childcare are particularly common at the end of the operational year. As a result, new employees often start in August.
Onboarding New Children at the Same Time: At the same time, new children are settling into the daycare. This means new employees are joining a team that is already working at full capacity – and are therefore often trained alongside daily operations.
This combination of factors makes structured onboarding particularly important in daycare centers. When time is limited, the only solution is a plan that is prepared in advance.
What Poor Onboarding Really Costs
The first few weeks shape how employees perceive their employment more strongly than any later phase. Those who feel left alone during this period rarely change that impression completely.
The consequences are concrete and measurable:
Early Turnover: Resignations during the probationary period or within the first year are often linked to poor integration rather than a lack of professional ability. Every resignation means a new job advertisement, new interviews, and another round of onboarding.
Pressure on the Existing Team: When a new childcare professional leaves after three months, the remaining team has to deal with the staffing gap all over again.
Lower Quality of Childcare: Frequent changes in caregivers have a direct impact on children. Consistency in relationships is at the heart of quality childcare – and staff turnover is one of its biggest challenges.
Damage to Your Employer Brand: The childcare sector in Switzerland is highly connected at a regional level. Experiences spread quickly and can influence future applications.
In short: onboarding is not an administrative task, but the logical continuation of your recruiting strategy.
Phase 1: Preboarding – The Time Before the First Day
There are often two to three months between signing the contract and starting the job. This time is often overlooked – even though it is one of the best opportunities to build a connection with new employees.
What works well:
Personally confirming that you are looking forward to working together, rather than sending only a formal contract confirmation
Inviting the new employee to a trial day or team event before their official start
Sending the educational concept and key internal procedures in advance
Sending a message around one week before the start date with all practical information: start time, contact person, clothing, parking or public transport information, lunch arrangements
Informing the team in advance so everyone knows who is joining, when they are starting, and which group they will work with
A short call from the daycare manager around four weeks before the start date can significantly reduce the risk of someone withdrawing before their first day – a phenomenon that has become increasingly relevant in the tight childcare labor market.
Phase 2: The First Day
The first day should not be left to chance. Plan it deliberately as a day focused on relationships, not productivity.
Welcome rather than assign tasks: The daycare manager or group leader should personally welcome the new employee. Starting a job when nobody is prepared leaves a lasting negative impression.
Prepare the workplace: A locker space, keys, access to scheduling software, and access to documentation should all be ready on the first day.
Introduce the team and spaces: A tour of the daycare, introductions to the team, and an explanation of the daily routine provide important orientation.
Assign a buddy: A designated contact person within the team – ideally someone other than the direct supervisor – makes it much easier for new employees to ask questions. This is one of the most effective elements of the entire onboarding process.
Do not give full responsibility immediately: On the first day, the new employee should observe and work alongside the team rather than taking sole responsibility for a group.
Phase 3: Structure the First 100 Days
An onboarding plan for a daycare does not need to be a lengthy document. Two pages with clear goals for each stage are usually enough.
The First Week: Orientation
The focus is on the children and the team. The new childcare professional gets to know the children's names and individual needs, understands the daily routine, and learns the most important rituals. More technical topics such as observation documentation or parent communication can remain in the background initially. A short conversation at the end of the first week helps address any initial uncertainties.
The First Month: Professional Training
Now the more detailed topics are introduced: putting the educational concept into practice, hygiene and safety requirements, observation and documentation, emergency procedures, and the employee's role in conversations with parents. Responsibility should be transferred gradually, for example by assigning the employee responsibility for a specific activity.
The Probationary Period Review
Hold a structured review before the probationary period ends – depending on the contract, this usually lasts between one and three months in Switzerland. The conversation should work both ways: What is going well? Where is additional support needed? How does the new employee experience the team? A review that only evaluates the employee misses one of the most valuable sources of feedback about your own organization.
After 100 Days: Confirming Integration
A final conversation after around three to four months marks the transition from newcomer to a fully integrated member of the team. This is also the right time to discuss development opportunities and further training – this is when long-term employee retention in childcare is truly built.
Supporting Trainees Properly – The Role of the Training Supervisor
Trainees need their own onboarding approach. They are not only starting at a new workplace, but also entering a new stage of life – many of them directly after compulsory schooling.
Clear responsibility: The training supervisor is the main point of contact throughout the entire training period. Their availability should be reflected in the actual work schedule, not just exist on paper.
Fixed learning periods: Schedule regular, recurring time slots for reflection and learning documentation. Anything that is only done “when there is time” rarely happens in practice.
Communicate realistic expectations to the team: First-year trainees are not substitutes for qualified childcare professionals. When the entire team understands this, pressure decreases on both sides.
Establish a culture where mistakes are part of learning: Trainees who are afraid of making mistakes are less likely to ask questions – and that can lead to problems in everyday childcare.
Well-supported trainees can also be your most effective long-term response to the shortage of qualified professionals: Many remain with their training organization after graduation when they have experienced their training period as supportive and appreciative.
Onboarding as Part of Your Employer Branding
The way you welcome new employees gets talked about – at universities of applied sciences, vocational schools, and within regional industry networks.
Use this actively: After a few months, ask new employees to describe their experience of starting at your daycare and use these testimonials in job advertisements and on your daycare profile. Authentic insights have a much stronger impact on applicants than generic statements about having a “family-like team.”
This closes the loop: Good onboarding not only reduces turnover, but also improves the quality of your future applications.
Good onboarding starts with selecting the right people. Employees who fit your educational philosophy and team from the beginning integrate faster and stay longer.
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The advantage for your onboarding: Less wasted reach means more relevant applications – and better-matched applicants mean fewer poor hires that you need to correct during the probationary period. See how easy it is to publish a job advertisement under Easy Job Posting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does good onboarding in daycare take?
Plan for around three to four months until the employee is fully integrated. The most intensive phase is the first four weeks, when daily access to a contact person is particularly important.
What should an onboarding plan for a daycare include?
Goals for the first week, first month, and first three months, a designated contact person, scheduled review meetings, and a checklist covering key professional topics such as hygiene requirements, emergency procedures, and observation documentation.
How is onboarding for trainees different?
Trainees need a dedicated training supervisor, regular time for reflection, and significantly closer guidance in their daily work. They are not only starting at a new workplace but also beginning their professional career, so expectations within the team need to be adjusted accordingly.
Why do new employees resign during the probationary period?
Usually not because of professional reasons, but because they do not feel integrated, do not have a clear point of contact, or find that the reality of the job differs significantly from what was presented during the recruitment process. Honest job advertisements and a structured start can help prevent both situations.
How can I reduce staff turnover in my daycare in the long term?
Through careful candidate selection, structured onboarding, regular feedback conversations, and visible development opportunities. Everyday appreciation has a stronger impact than one-off initiatives.
Conclusion
August brings more new employees into Swiss daycare centers than any other month – while teams are already under significant pressure due to new children settling in and summer holidays. This is exactly why onboarding should never be left to chance.
By using the preboarding period, deliberately planning the first day, structuring the first 100 days, and providing reliable support for trainees, you gain more than well-trained employees: more stable teams, fewer replacement hires, and noticeably better quality of childcare for children. Recruitment does not end when the contract is signed – it ends when the new professional feels truly integrated.
Fill Your Open Positions with Professionals Who Stay
Even the best onboarding plan is of little use if the initial hire is not the right fit. Reach qualified childcare professionals across Switzerland – without wasted reach and without long waiting times.
Post your job advertisement now on Kinderkrippe.ch and attract employees who are a long-term fit for your daycare.
