Welcome back to “Daycare Onboarding Made Simple,” our course that will have your staff excited and ready on day one. This is Lesson 2: Getting Ready for Onboarding.

Recap from Lesson 1

In the first lesson, we talked about:

• What most people think onboarding is
• Who benefits from the onboarding process
• Why onboarding should be a celebration
• The consequences of not prioritizing onboarding

In this lesson, we’ll discuss what you need to do before your new assistant or teacher starts and introduce a special tool to make the onboarding process easier. Ready? Let’s get started!

Pre-Hiring Prep

Preparation is key when it comes to onboarding. Here are three essential steps to take before hiring:

1. Identify Repeat Tasks: Every time you perform a business task that you do more than once, jot it down on a Post-It or note card.
2. Delegate Tasks: Determine what tasks can be delegated. This might sound obvious, but it’s crucial because often the hardest tasks to let go of are the ones you enjoy. Remember, you’re hiring staff to make better use of your time. Focus on high-level, high-impact tasks.
3. Document Routine Tasks: Over the next month, write down or record how you tackle routine tasks. Make sure the steps are easy enough for an eight-year-old to follow. These will become your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

What Are SOPs?

SOPs, or Standard Operating Procedures, are your how-to guides or manuals for performing tasks. Think of them like the instruction manual that comes with an appliance. They detail step-by-step how to do a specific task correctly.

For example, in my business, we use an app for daily daycare notes, reminders, and signing in and out. When I hired a new assistant, I realized I didn’t have an SOP for the app. It took me weeks to find time to write down instructions for something we use every day. Imagine if I could have just sent her a link to an SOP on day one!

Importance of SOPs

SOPs ensure jobs are done completely and correctly every time. They are especially important because they can outlive current staff. Here are five principles for effective SOPs:

1. Centralized Location: Create PDFs that can be easily accessed online or in a notebook.
2. Shared with All Relevant Staff: Make sure everyone who performs the task has access to the SOPs.
3. Regular Updates: Update SOPs regularly to keep them current.
4. Comprehensive Coverage: Every recurring task in your business should have an SOP.
5. Clarity: SOPs should be so clear that an eight-year-old could follow them.

Tools to Help You

To help you get started, I’ve included a few resources:

• Checklist: Use the “List Your Tasks” checklist to document all your daily tasks.
• How-to Worksheet: The “How to Do This” worksheet to document step-by-step procedures.
• Create an SOP Worksheet: This will guide you in creating SOPs for your business.

Take the time to create SOPs for your daycare business. Start with top-tier tasks and then move on to others. Remember, everything in your childcare business that happens more than once should have an SOP. By creating SOPs, you’ll streamline your onboarding process and be well-prepared.

What’s Next?

In the next lesson, we’ll dive into things to include for better onboarding, how to customize the process, tools to use, and how to automate onboarding. I’ll see you in Lesson 3!