How Cannabis Business Owners Can Establish a Positive Culture Among Employees

Hiring the best workers for your cannabis business is important for obvious reasons. However, keeping them is equally important. According to research, the average cost of turnover per employee is $15,000. You simply can’t afford to lose workers.

This is less likely to happen if you prioritize establishing a positive workplace culture. When employees are happy to show up every day, they’re not only less likely to seek employment elsewhere — they’re also more likely to be engaged and productive.

These tips will help you achieve this goal. If you own a cannabis industry business, be sure to keep them in mind.

Have a Mission

Business experts point out that establishing a set of values for your business is key to establishing a positive culture. This is more important than ever before. According to surveys, today’s young employees aren’t content to work for companies where making money is the sole aim. They want to find meaning in their work.

You can provide your workforce with that sense of meaning by defining your mission and sharing it with everyone in the company during recruitment, on-boarding sessions, yearly meetings, and any other occasions when it makes sense to do so.

What should that mission be? The answer will vary from one company to another. For instance, one cannabis business may have the chief goal of providing patients with greater access to medicinal cannabis. Another might seek to help people who are new to cannabis develop their tastes and preferences. What’s most important is that the mission be genuine. If the company’s stated values don’t align with its behavior, the impact on your workplace culture will be negative.

Recruit with Culture Fit in Mind

As a cannabis business owner, you are the individual most responsible for establishing your company culture.

That doesn’t mean you’re the only person who contributes to it. On the contrary, your employees will also play major roles in developing the working environment, and the company’s overall values.

This is why you need to prioritize culture fit when recruiting in the cannabis industry. Someone who is qualified may still not make a great addition to your team if their values and attitudes don’t align with those of your other employees.

That’s not to say you need to only hire people who are dramatically similar. You’ll actually get better results when you seek diversity. However, you do need to exclude candidates when culture fit is an issue. For example, if you run the type of cannabis startup where people wear many hats, a job applicant who prefers to work in an environment where roles and hierarchy are clearly defined probably won’t succeed at your business.

Acknowledge Employee Contributions

It’s much easier to cultivate a positive company culture when your employees feel they are recognized for their hard work. This is particularly important in the cannabis industry, when people need to work hard to help businesses grow. Simply recognizing employee contributions has been shown to significantly boost engagement.

Don’t forget how essential this is. Again, your business is only as strong as its workforce. Your employees are more likely to thrive if the workplace culture supports them.