I posted this elsewhere, in answering a question. Thought I'd share it here as well.
Everyone has their own methods and there is no one, precise, correct method. What we know is that where to lay must be developed as a learned, flock behavior. I'd rather spend a little more time at POL with young pullets than fuss with this for a couple of years.
If you have an older hen in the pullet flock, my goodness, does she often do a great job of pointing the way. But in any case, with young pullets at point of lay, I keep them in the coop, focused on what they are to do, until 3 in the afternoon, let's say. That still gives them 5 or 6 hours of outside time each day. Once they master this laying where I prefer, for my convenience, ie, the box provided, they usually never abandon it for a nest of their own making somewhere on the property. All we're really doing here is applying the chicken's own instinct to claim a nest and the social pressure of "follow the leader", ie the superior hens.
I'm too old for Easter egg hunts and don't enjoy them. I had a "trainer" hen in with my POL pullets this year and I had 100% laid in the nest from 100% of the pullets. Not one laid in the corner, or off the roost or dropped outside, zip, none of that. I didn't have to use golf balls or wooden eggs, nothing. As they had watched the older hen, through the netting for months and months, I suspect they became very interested in watching her lay her egg as their own time approached. Before POL, I took down the netting and integrated. Since she was a solitary hen, integration went very smoothly. Two weeks later, whenever the lead hen entered the nest, all the young pullets watched. It was a hoot. It looked like a concert on the lawn, where folks all sit around an watch a performance. They couldn't wait to "monkey see, monkey do".
Chicken social dynamics are a hoot. Still so much to learn about their behavior structures.