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Early Childhood Leaders Pivot from Recruiting to Attracting Teachers to their Program
ECE Leaders move beyond job ads to become...
Jennifer Sprafka
July 23, 2025
Welcome😊🖍️
As we once again begin the process of filling open teaching positions, it's important to recognize that finding great educators involves more than filling vacancies; it's about building a mission-driven workforce that reflects our values.
In today’s early childhood landscape, educators are looking for more than just a job. They want meaning, community, and alignment. This week, we explore how to move beyond traditional recruiting and start attracting educators who are eager to grow with us.
The Case for Attracting, Not Just Recruiting
A Strategic Shift in Leadership Mindset for Hiring:
In today’s competitive hiring landscape, early childhood leaders must rethink how we bring talent into our programs. Traditional recruiting- job ads, quick interviews, and filling vacancies out of urgency, is no longer enough. Instead, we need to extend an invitation to educators who align with our values and want to grow within our mission.
This is the heart of attraction-based hiring: creating a workplace so rooted in purpose and culture that the right people seek you out and stay. When we attract, we don’t just hire; we build lasting, value-aligned teams.
➡️The Current Hiring Reality🙋🏼♂️:
National staffing shortages in early childhood
Burnout and turnover in the field
Traditional recruiting methods aren’t working
➡️The Deeper Need💟:
Educators want meaningful work, not just a paycheck
Values-aligned hires stay longer and contribute more
A strong culture is your best hiring strategy
➡️The Leadership Opportunity📈:
As leaders, we have the power to shape environments that people want to be part of. When we lead with authenticity, clarity, and intention, we naturally attract the kind of educators who will help our programs and our children thrive.
Attraction is proactive, sustainable, and culture-driven — and it starts with us.
Recruiting vs. Attracting: What’s the Real Difference?
Recruiting (Reactive) | Attracting Talent (Proactive) |
Starts when there’s a vacancy | Ongoing, even when you’re fully staffed |
Focusing on filling a need quickly | Focuses on building a long-term pipeline of aligned talent |
Includes posting a job ad | Includes sharing your mission, values, and culture year-round |
Reviewing résumés and conducting interviews | Building a positive reputation in your community and online |
Aims to fill roles efficiently | Aims to inspire people to want to work with you |
Often transactional | Deeply relational and value-driven |
Little visibility into staff culture | Highlights team stories, classroom life, and staff voices publicly |
Limited to job boards or hiring events | Expands to social media, word-of-mouth, and internal ambassadors |
May attract candidates who need a job | Attracts educators aligned with your vision for children and teaching |
6 Ways to Start Attracting Early Childhood Educators Today!
1. Clarify and Communicate🗣️ Your Mission: Make sure every staff member knows and lives your core values. These should show up in how you hire, train, and communicate with families and the community.
2. Audit Your Culture🪴: Do teachers feel supported, recognized, and heard? Collect anonymous feedback and take action based on the responses.
3. Refresh Your Online💻 Presence: Update your website and social media channels to accurately reflect your organizational culture. Share highlights about staff, classroom activities, and professional development initiatives.
4. Reframe🖼️ Job Descriptions: Start with the "why" rather than just listing tasks. Use warm, human-centered language, and emphasize what makes your program unique.
5. Turn Staff into Storytellers📖: Encourage current team members to share what they love about their work. Feature teacher quotes, testimonials, or videos that highlight their experiences.
6. Build Relationships Year-Round🔁: Organize open houses, shadow days, or informational sessions. Stay connected with strong candidates, even when there are no job openings available.
As early childhood leaders, we must move beyond urgent hiring to cultivating a workplace that draws the right people in, those who share our beliefs about children, equity, care, and community. When we lead with clarity and culture, we don’t just fill roles, we build teams that last.
Let’s stop chasing candidates and start creating spaces they want to be part of.
Till Next Time,
Jen Sprafka📋
P.S. What is one small change you can make this month to better attract aligned educators to your team? Reply to: [email protected]
P.P.S. I want to leave you with this quote…
The goal is not to hire people who need a job, but to hire people who believe what you believe.”
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