The beginning of a new year in early childhood services is always an incredibly busy period and often with many new team members joining at the same time. Research demonstrates that effective induction ensures that staff are set up to succeed, supporting worker retention and a positive workplace culture. When we know what the expectations are, what our role entails, and what processes are in place, we can ensure children are safe, teams work together effectively, and that high-quality education and care can take place.  

At Gowrie, induction is a key element of our learning and development journey. We have a broad range of staff—educators, cooks, trainers, coaches and more—and we ensure that within the induction process, all new team members also come together to learn about our vision, values, philosophy and safety in the workplace. Zoe, our Learning and Development Manager at Gowrie is passionate about how strong inductions support quality practice. “Any investment you make in induction processes pays back by 100%” she says, “we aim to ensure that it’s not just about role-specific tasks and setting mutual expectations, but also about our organisation and our values, and to support everyone who’s new to feel confident to ask for help when needed.” 

To support early childhood services with their induction processes, Gowrie has created a new range of free eLearning and resources for the Department of Education. The collection supports both inductors and inductees through a blend of digital checklists, fact sheets, and short online courses. These materials are available on the Department’s Early Learning Hub, a new platform designed to provide high-quality and accessible professional development for teachers and educators across Victoria.  

Here’s three things you need to know to support high-quality inductions: 

Induction takes more than one day 

Many services have a one-day induction process, where the new inductee spends time with a leader, has a tour of the service, reads through service policies and processes, and perhaps completes a checklist of tasks. In reality, we know that settling into a new workplace takes time—and your service’s induction process should reflect this.  

To address this, we’ve mapped out the induction process over six months to challenge the notion that induction is just a one-off event or limited to just the first week. Instead, it’s a journey with key stages with resources or support available based on what the inductee’s needs are. The Induction Support Module for Inductors recommends you touch base with the new employee on the first day, at the end of the first week, first month, months two and three, and beyond ensuring they’re comfortable, confident and set up to succeed. For these regular meetings, you should have topics which are pre-prepared—for example, you could use a First Day Checklist—or you could have increasingly challenging topics to discuss each time, starting with toileting procedures and moving towards more complex topics, such as child safety or pedagogical documentation. 

These regular check-ins provide an opportunity for leaders to address any early red flags or uncertainty before they become habits, or clarify expectations as issues arise.  

For the inductee, time with the leader can support them to feel noticed, acknowledged or valued. This will build confidence and support the new starter to be able to ask questions, or seek help when needed.  

Induction isn’t just about policies 

If you’re wanting to create a positive workplace culture, have a low staff turnover rate, and have educators who are building their skills, and contributing to the service’s continuous improvement journey, then we need to ensure that their induction doesn’t just focus on policies and procedures. An induction which talks about workplace culture, the expectations of the role, how to manage workload, as well as highlighting how to get support when needed will display to staff that you’re willing to invest in them.  

Another important part of an effective induction is gaining insight into the strengths that each new staff member brings. An educator who can play a musical instrument, who speaks another language, or who is an excellent painter can draw on these talents in meaningful ways to support the service. Celebrating and sharing the strength and skills of educators shows that they are genuinely valued as part of the team.  

Be clear  

We all perform best when we know what’s expected of us. Ensure that all new staff are made aware of expectations—from nappy changing procedures and opening or closing tasks to how to plan for children’s learning. Early childhood settings are complex workplaces, with many roles that overlap. 

We need to offer feedback that reflects the whole picture—not only what needs improving, and not just the positives. Balanced feedback helps new educators understand what they are doing well while also giving clear, respectful guidance on where to grow. This approach builds a culture where learning is ongoing and feedback feels normal, not punitive. 

Clarity isn’t just about tasks. It also involves communication style, how we speak with families, who to inform when issues arise, and what effective teamwork looks like during busy parts of the day. If you’re using a workplace mentor, pair the new educator with someone who feels like an authentic match for them. 

Just as every educator is different, induction should be flexible enough to meet each person’s strengths, needs and learning style. A thoughtful and responsive induction process helps new staff feel supported, confident and ready to excel in their work. 

You can access the Induction Supports online courses and the Induction Toolkit through the Department’s new Early Childhood Hub.