| You’ve done your planning and decided that | | | | in useful when drawing up the advertisement. |
| you’ll need additional help. So how do you ensure | | | | • Do you need the candidate to be proficient in any |
| that you get the best candidate through your door? | | | | tools or equipment such as the computer or musical |
| All business owners need to understand the | | | | instrument? |
| importance of human resource (HR) planning. HR | | | | • What’s the working environment of the |
| planning is not a fancy term for large organizations to | | | | candidate? E.g. What are the working hours? Will the |
| execute. Even small businesses need to ensure that | | | | candidate be on shift? Where is the candidate |
| their HR is in order to function properly. Failing to | | | | supposed to be stationed, especially if you have more |
| manage your HR properly could result in a shortage of | | | | than one outlet)? How many children does the |
| manpower when you need it or too many manpower | | | | daycare centre care for? What are the age groups? |
| when you don’t need them and therefore incurring | | | | • What will be his/her working relationship with |
| unnecessary cost. | | | | fellow colleagues. Who will the candidate be reporting |
| So, what is HR planning? Marketing has its 4Ps whilst | | | | to? Will there be any staff that he/she will be required |
| HR has 6Rs. It is ensuring that you have the Right | | | | to supervise? |
| staff in the Right numbers, doing the Right job, at the | | | | • What are the job requirements? |
| Right time and at the Right place and most importantly, | | | | - What are the qualities that the candidate should |
| do the job right. | | | | possess? Do you want the candidate to be able to |
| Finding the right staff in the right numbers | | | | handle children and be patient with children? |
| There are a number of options to manage temporary | | | | - Do you need the candidate to possess prior |
| shortages in manpower. Firstly, you can hire part-time | | | | experience in childcare? |
| workers. They are a good option especially when you | | | | - What are the qualifications you would like them to |
| have a lot of children under half-day care. You can | | | | possess? Do they need to possess a Diploma or |
| also think about engaging temporary employment | | | | Certificate in Early Childhood? Do you need the |
| agencies. This option is more suitable for less critical | | | | candidate to have first aid training? |
| positions such as teacher assistants rather than the | | | | Doing the job right |
| caregiver. The next option is to have your staff work | | | | Finally, you need to sort out what you’ll need to do |
| longer hours and pay them overtime for it. | | | | to attract candidates of the above qualities to apply |
| For permanent manpower shortages, you’ll need to | | | | for the position and perform their job well. |
| a recruitment campaign to hire. You can do this either | | | | • You need to decide what are the benefits you will |
| via advertisement, referral or hire an employment | | | | be offering to the candidate; e.g. annual leave, |
| agency to help you with it. | | | | insurance, subsidy (if they put their child at your |
| Doing the right job at the right time and right place | | | | daycare centre), etc. |
| There are a number of factors to take into | | | | • Most importantly, you need to decide how you |
| consideration to ensure that you hire the right person. | | | | intend to remunerate the candidate. |
| You need to look indepth into a number of factors: | | | | Finding the right candidate is only the tip of the ice berg. |
| • What will be the candidate’s duties and tasks. | | | | The challenge after that will be to think of ways to |
| Try to be as specific as possible on the job duties that | | | | retain your staff. |
| is required of the candidate. This information will come | | | | |