Dear Madeleine,
Running a small business has always been my dream, and I finally went for it about seven years ago. Since then, my one little flower stand has grown to three locations and I have developed a reputation for top-notch plants. I also have a couple of designers who do plant installations for a few private clients and some local businesses. Covid was a nightmare, of course, but the PPP loans really helped out. I was able to keep most of my employees on payroll through the worst of it.
Employee retention is my big issue. I have some die-hard folks who have been with me from the start, and they are great. I just can’t seem to hang on to the new ones—it feels like a revolving door.
I pay competitive wages and the work is not brutally hard or boring. When I ask the young people why they are leaving, they tell me that they don’t see the job as a long-term prospect where they can advance. I guess that’s fair since we are small, although business is reliable and steady. I feel held hostage by my stores because on any given day the person who is supposed to open just doesn’t show up.
I hate to complain about “kids these days,” but I am constantly disappointed. I have asked my old-timers what they think, and they are very negative. What can I do to change this situation?
Can’t Keep ‘Em
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Dear Can’t Keep ‘Em,
This sounds very frustrating and I appreciate your sense that it probably isn’t fair to blame the kids. Based on the principles of servant leadership, Blanchard’s point of view is that it is the leader’s job to adapt to their employees, not the other way around. And the only person you have any control over is yourself, so that is the best place to start.
Research tells us that Millennials and Gen Z want jobs or careers that deliver:
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- purpose and impact,
- balance and flexibility,
- growth and learning,
- financial security (but not just financial), and
- trust, culture, and belonging.
Younger generations are redefining traditional job expectations by prioritizing well-being, values, and meaningful engagement alongside practical concerns like pay and security.
What does this mean to you? The first place to look might be your hiring practices. You could emphasize that applicants should have a love of flowers and plants and will have the opportunity to learn a lot about them. You might share the values you lead by in an effort to attract like-minded job seekers.
You could also devise a way of scheduling your newbies so that there is more flexibility. I have no idea how to do this, because the one thing I know about owning a brick-and-mortar store (my sister had a knitting and wool store for many years) is that remote work is not a thing. Could you perhaps switch up shifts and schedule the early birds for opening and the night owls for closing? Some creativity will be required here.
When it comes to culture, you are getting a clue from how negative your long-timers are that the younger folks might be catching a lot of attitude from them. That can’t be good. One recent study found that 19% of Baby Boomers are planning to retire early because they are tired of dealing with Gen Z at work. At the same time, 28% of Gen Z respondents are actively searching for a role where they will not have to interact with Baby Boomers as much.
There might be an opportunity to challenge your seasoned folks to take an interest in the kids, be curious, get to know them, and even potentially mentor them in flower and plant wisdom. This could create a warm and welcoming environment and an engaging atmosphere. And you might ask your floral designers to train—and share their secrets with—the younger employees. I worked in flower shops for years when I was a kid, and I can tell you the designers acted like they were royalty and treated the “hourlies” (as they called us) as if we were sub-human. I would have loved to have learned about floral design, but it was out of the question. This was a long time ago, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that dynamic still exists.
As a leader, make sure everyone is getting the right amount of support and direction they need for new tasks. Neuroscience research reveals that the brain likes the exact amount of autonomy that will ensure we aren’t at sea with a new task but we won’t feel micromanaged if we know what we are doing. Your veterans should know when to back off and let others be, even if the job isn’t being done exactly the way they would do it. If you want more detail on how to adjust your management style, you will find it here.
I know you say you pay competitive wages, but there might be more to do there. You might consider retention bonuses or bonuses based on reliability and any other factors you want to encourage. There may be some value in hosting an annual awards ceremony for, well, anything that might be worth recognizing. This would not only create some competition to display more of the behaviors you are looking for, but also give you an opportunity to host a fun event every year. This kind of thing creates camaraderie and connection.
Finally, I would recommend talking to the newer folks who are already working for you and the ones who have yet to join. Ask them for their ideas of what might make the job more attractive to them, what strengths they have that they hope to build on, and how they want to be recognized for good work. Essentially, this amounts to asking what will make them want to stay before they have already made the decision to leave. Make sure you let them know you can’t promise anything, but you are committed to retaining them and will do everything that makes sense and is within your power to do.
Open up the lines of communication early and use them often. This will almost certainly change things.
Today’s young people are our future. We need them. Writing them off is not an option. Just because people aren’t like us doesn’t mean they are bad or wrong. It means they are different. Understanding the differences and learning to work with them is your key to success.
As a fellow plant lover, I thank you for making the world a greener place. And I wish you good luck becoming a Gen Z whisperer.
Love, Madeleine
About Ask Madeleine
Ask Madeleine is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.
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