This day and age, finding the perfect employee can prove to be a challenge. The process requires time and effort if you want to keep your floral company blooming. Attracting and retaining a talented floral staff is key for creating a thriving floral business and avoiding the high cost of employee turnover. As floral designers, we blossom in creative environments, so ensuring the right balance of innovation and structured systems will help create a productive and satisfying environment for employees.
1) Define your Mission
What is your company's mission statement? Is it embedded into the work you do every day? Defining your culture and communicating your core values in your work, company handbooks, and processes will ensure everyone understands your culture and company mission. Ask yourself these questions: what sets your business apart from the competition? What is your signature concept? Having a purpose-based mission will help everyone remember the bigger picture.
2) Create Systems
Have you created employee contracts, an employee handbook, or created clearly defined roles for your floral talent? Having these systems and policies in place will help keep employees, and employer alike, on the same page. By creating set-in-stone expectations, you can be confident that your employees will be able to start out on the right foot.
3) Offer Creative Perks
Don't underestimate the power of a small reward system to keep employees happy and productive. Something as simple as ringing a victory bell each time your staff closes a new account can go a long way. Constantly look for new ways to find opportunities to celebrate achievements. Lead your team into understanding your mission by hosting regular collaborative meetings. Here at Details Flowers, we enjoy a daily morning meeting to set goals and discuss the day's events. We also host fun events like Whiskey Wednesday and are open to bringing in yoga instructors and massage therapists to treat our employees. These seemingly small perks do not require substantial time away from the business, but they will motivate your team to do their best.
4) Invest in Your Staff
Instead of only conducting exit interviews when employees depart, consider conducting periodic "stay" interviews to discover what your employees are looking for in their personal development and career path. This is a great time to help them set short-term and long-term goals and revisit previous ones. You can find ways to invest in their personal growth through additional training, courses, or new software and products. 
How Details Flowers Software Can Help
Details Flowers Software can help your business bloom by streamlining proposals and ensuring you remain profitable according to individual arrangements. It is a support team, an extra hand in the back office, and a source of design inspiration, all in one app! Have you ever wished that your designers could easily create your visions? Well, Details Flowers Software can do that, too! Click here to start your FREE 7 day trial!