Approximately 80% of Childcare Workers 'Struggle with Workplace Communication'; Creating a Positive Workplace Environment for the New Fiscal Year is Crucial

Asuka Co., Ltd. (Head office: Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture; Representative Director and Chairman: Hideaki Kato), which operates human resource services specializing in the childcare industry nationwide, conducted a survey targeting childcare workers regarding "workplace communication."

April, marking the start of the new fiscal year, is a time when workplace environments undergo significant changes due to the acceptance of new employees and changes in staff assignments. This survey aimed to clarify the actual situation of "communication," which becomes crucial amidst such changes, in childcare settings.

The results revealed that approximately 80% of childcare workers have experienced difficulties related to communication. Furthermore, 97.5% responded that it "affects their work," highlighting a significant issue in childcare settings.

Approximately 80% of Childcare Workers Have Experienced Communication Difficulties

In this survey, 79.7% responded "yes" to the question, "Have you ever had trouble with workplace communication?"

While teamwork is indispensable in childcare settings, the reality is that many childcare workers feel unable to communicate smoothly due to the busyness of daily tasks and the difficulty of human relationships.

Approximately 30% Currently Report "Difficulty in Communication"

To the question, "Is communication easy in your current workplace (or most recent workplace)?", a total of 26.4% responded "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult."

This indicates that a certain number of childcare workers still perceive communication as a challenge.

As new staff join for the new fiscal year, the establishment of relationships with existing staff and the manner of information sharing are considered to become even more important.

97.5% Feel That "Communication Affects Work"

In response to the question, "Do you think improved communication affects your work?", 76.4% answered "strongly agree" and 21.1% answered "somewhat agree," totaling 97.5% who feel it affects their work.

This suggests that communication in childcare settings is not merely about human relationships but is a crucial factor significantly impacting the quality and safety of childcare, as well as operational efficiency.

Characteristics of Workplaces Where Communication is Easy

Many respondents cited the following reasons for "easy communication":

・An atmosphere where it's easy to casually speak up
・Good relationships among staff, making it easy to consult
・Information is shared thoroughly

It is believed that an environment where one can speak with psychological safety and a system for daily information sharing lead to smooth communication.

Factors Making Communication Difficult

On the other hand, the following were cited as reasons for "difficult communication":

・Insufficient information sharing and handover

・Busy, making it difficult to find a timing to speak
・An atmosphere where it's hard to express opinions

From these results, it is clear that communication issues are not individual problems but are largely influenced by the "workplace environment" and "systems."

Real Voices of Childcare Workers: Concerns like "Hard to Ask Questions" and "Insufficient Handover"

Many real voices from the field were received in response to the open-ended question, "Please share 'common childcare worker episodes' where you struggled or worried about workplace communication."

・"I don't know when to ask questions because they look busy."
・"Information sharing is not going well due to insufficient handover."
・"People say different things, which sometimes causes confusion."
・"There's an atmosphere where it's hard to express opinions."

It can be inferred that the "slight difficulty in speaking up" and "lack of clarity" felt in daily work lead to stress for childcare workers in the field.

The "Onboarding System" for the New Fiscal Year is Key to Retention

The results of this survey reconfirmed that "ease of communication" is a crucial factor for childcare worker retention, in addition to salary and benefits.

Furthermore, in a previous survey conducted by Asuka (a survey on childcare philosophy), approximately 83% of childcare workers responded that "good human relationships" were a condition for continuing to work long-term, suggesting that human relationships and the communication environment significantly impact their continued employment.

Especially in the new fiscal year, with the acceptance of new employees and changes in assignments, the quality of communication is likely to affect the entire workplace. It is believed that establishing an onboarding system and information sharing mechanisms will significantly contribute to preventing early turnover and promoting workplace retention.

Asuka Co., Ltd. assigns a dedicated coordinator to each facility, conducting thorough preliminary interviews to match candidates based on workplace atmosphere and human relationships. We also provide interview accompaniment and regular follow-ups after employment, working to reduce communication issues and support retention after employment.

Asuka will continue to support the creation of environments where individual childcare workers can work with peace of mind, and will also strengthen support for childcare facilities from the perspective of talent retention. We aim to contribute to resolving the labor shortage in the childcare industry and realizing higher quality childcare.

About Asuka Group

List of Operated Sites

Asuka Group Overview

■Asuka Co., Ltd.

Representative: Hideaki Kato, Representative Director and Chairman

Location: Inoue Building 8F, 265 Yashima-cho, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture 370-0849

Established: December 1994

Business Activities: General worker dispatch business / Fee-charging employment placement business

Capital: 39 million yen

■Asuka Create Co., Ltd.

Representative: Hideaki Kato, Representative Director and Chairman

Location: Sonic City Building 21F, 1-7-5 Sakuragi-cho, Omiya-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture 330-8669

Established: September 2004

Business Activities: General worker dispatch business / Fee-charging employment placement business

Capital: 30 million yen

URL:https://www.asuka-hu.co.jp/