Good Help is SO Hard to Find!
By Beverley Woodburn, Floral Industry Coach

As a business owner/manager, no doubt at some time or other you uttered these words! It’s not as if we need to have professionals with loads of degrees to work in our shops, we just need to have honest and personable people who can relate to our clients needs. Staff turn over is a growing concern for all small business owners, especially in the floral industry. Since we are in the business of “creativity”, maybe its time we got CREATIVE about finding the perfect new staff member.

During a recent holiday, I noticed several classifieds ads offering “Signing Bonuses if new hires stayed for as little as 90 days in fast food takeouts!” I’ve heard of signing bonuses for members of unions who agree to a new contract or to professional sports teams for signing up for a particular team but, sign up bonuses to encourage staff to remain on the job for 90 days! A sign of the times…good help is hard to find and harder yet to keep them employed!

“We can’t find good help!”…  With the economy bustling, there is no doubt that small business owners are having a challenge finding the qualified help they need.  Florists are no exception . . .

Consider this Idea - Hire for HIPA – Train for Skill!

HIPA is an acronym for Honesty, Integrity, Personality and Attitude. You know these are traits we cannot teach or instill in anyone. These are the basic qualities that ALL employers are seeking in future employees.

Honesty and Integrity – the foundations upon which trust is built – both are essential values sought in everyone you choose to bring into your business.

Personality includes their natural ability to smile and be cheerful, their level of self-confidence, their willingness to learn, and their enthusiasm.

Attitude includes a good healthy work ethic, their eagerness to serve and “go the extra mile” for your clientele, their ability to work under pressure, solve problems, think for themselves, and their passion to be creative.

Everyone agrees that without these four attributes, we, as owners, have NO interest in their skill levels – their knowledge of flowers or their design experience. 

Self-improvement courses are growing in popularity across North America. Companies are looking to professionals to assist in developing their employees. You might consider contacting The Academy of Floral Design when you are seeking new employees or even send your prospective floral designers and assistants to the Academy for three weeks of training. Although this is not a “quick fix” solution, it is a sound, sensible method to develop the people you need to build and grow your business.

The Academy of Floral Design offers a professional, intensive, 3-week, hands-on, full-time, floral design program in the Vancouver area. The program includes all the basics of floral design, care and handling of fresh flowers and plants, wedding and sympathy work, and an exciting trip to the second largest floral auction in the world and a tour of several local wholesalers. The students make a floral arrangement their first day; their training also covers elements and principles of design, colour wheel clarity, corsages, European hand-tieds, ethnic customs, and novelty design ideas.

One major advantage of attending the Academy of Floral Design is the students are able to observe the daily workings of a fully functioning flower shop while they study. The phone rings, customers come and go in the flower shop in front, the trucks arrive laden with a wide selection of fresh floral products from the Auction, deliveries leave, flowers are cleaned and stored, and the classes continue. The students love the excitement of observing The New Westminster Floral Company in action and with a busy hospital across the street, there is always something happening.

The design program is government approved and fully tax deductible. Classes are kept to a minimum of 12 to 15 students - every participant is assured the special attention they deserve to earn this accredited diploma.

Here is what you do! Advertise in your local paper and to your customer base that you are seeking candidates “willing to learn.” They must have the HIPA qualities outlined above, and YOU are willing to hire them, after they’ve attended this 3-week, professional floral design course. You know they will need time to build their speed and refine their skills after graduation. You will provide the “polishing” after their training, once they return back “home.” You will explain to them the likes and preferences of your clientele. They learn the basics of design in class, and your mould them into the style of floral help you need – willing, capable, cheerful, conscientious, and hungry for more knowledge and practice.

You may choose to pay their way to attend school, with a written agreement that they will stay with you for at least one year after graduating. If they choose to leave before the agreed-upon time commitment, the full tuition will be due you, and deductible from their final checks. Or you may be willing to pay half, and have them pay half – whatever offer you choose to make is directly proportional to your need for good, well-trained staff. You decide – it’s your offer!

You can solve your staffing challenges!

Take a few moments right now to plan your strategy. You can Hire for HIPA and send your candidates to the Academy of Floral Design in New Westminster, BC, for basic skills training in floral design. This is your answer to finding new, enthusiastic help, and you’ll provide someone who always dreamed of becoming a florist, a creative, innovative way to achieve his or her dream! Everyone wins!

For more course details and class schedules, visit www.learn-flower-design.com or www.floralynx.com.