Cannabis Industry Recruitment : 3 Essential Skills to Look For

Jul 28, 2023

No matter what type of cannabis business you run, you need strong employees in order to succeed.

Finding them can be difficult in the legal cannabis industry. Because cannabis hasn’t been legal for very long, job candidates may be reluctant to discuss their experiences with it. Getting them to open up about the topic should be one of your top goals during cannabis industry recruitment. You want to hire people who are genuinely passionate about your products and services.

That said, experience with the plant isn’t the only type of experience, skill, or qualification you should be on the lookout for when filling roles at your company. While the specific qualifications a candidate needs will vary depending on the job to which they are applying, the following are other skills and professional experiences that may indicate someone would be a strong member of your team.

Startup Experience

Many cannabis businesses are fairly young. That makes sense. The industry itself is also fairly young. Thus, it helps to look for job candidates who have experience working at startups. The atmosphere of a startup is simply different from that of an established business. It’s one built around camaraderie, a shared passion for achieving a goal, and a willingness to adapt to change. Someone who has successfully worked at other startups may thus make a good addition to your company.

Customer Service Experience

This is particularly worth keeping in mind when filling budtender positions. To ensure customers have the best possible experience, you want to hire someone who can work with them professionally and courteously. Having knowledge of various strains isn’t the only qualification necessary for success as a budtender. Although it helps, a budtender also needs to know how to represent the company professionally, and how to help customers find the ideal products for their needs. Someone who already has a history of strong customer service experience may thus be well-suited for the role.

Creativity

This can be a difficult skill to identify from a resume and cover letter alone. You may want to ask questions about it during interviews to get a better sense of how creative given applicants may be. For instance, you could ask how they applied creative or critical thinking to generate effective solutions or new ideas in their previous roles. The more detail a candidate provides when answering, the better.

Once more, the legal cannabis industry is still somewhat new. Companies will have to be inventive and innovative in order to thrive in this competitive landscape. Because of this, they need employees who can not only think creatively, but who are eager to apply creative thinking in ways that helps companies grow. For example, a creative and ambitious employee with an interest in technology may identify ways your company can use new tools to better serve customers.

You need the kind of team members who have that drive. By looking for professional, creative individuals who are comfortable working in a fast-changing environment, you’ll boost your odds of finding the right employees for your company.

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