Cannabis Industry Recruitment Tips: How To Find Employees Who'll Make the Right Impression with Customers

If you work in the legal cannabis industry, you probably don’t need to be told there are many stereotypes about “stoners” that can give people the wrong impression of your business.

It’s important to not let those assumptions impact your brand. Thus, you should prioritize hiring employees who will represent your business professionally when interacting with customers. This is particularly crucial when hiring for jobs such as budtender, where customer interaction is a natural component of the role.

These cannabis industry recruiting tips will help you find those employees. When hiring workers for your business, keep them in mind.

Pay Attention to How Thoroughly They Answer Questions

No matter what role you’re filling, it’s often important for someone working at your business to have at least a degree of familiarity with cannabis. This is a dynamic field where the success of a company can hinge on how passionate its workers are.

Many people claim to be thoroughly familiar with cannabis. That said, few can actually demonstrate it. That’s not helpful when a candidate’s job will involve discussing the topic with customers. For instance, a budtender can’t be vague when describing the effects of a given strain. They need to be clear and thorough.

Thus, clarity and thoroughness are two qualities worth paying attention to when recruiting in the cannabis industry. Your goal is to hire experts who can confidently demonstrate their expertise.

Look for Previous Customer Service Experience

The legal cannabis industry isn’t that old. As a result, finding employees who have experience working in it directly may be a challenge.

That’s not to say you can’t find employees who have similar relevant experience. When filling roles that involve some degree of customer interaction, look for candidates who have work experience that’s relatively close to what they’ll be doing at your business. More importantly, look for candidates who sound enthusiastic when discussing their experiences working in customer service. 

For example, a prospective budtender may have once been a bartender at a bar that specializes in craft beer. If they enthusiastically discuss how they enjoyed telling customers about the different beers available, they may also be enthusiastic when describing strains of cannabis to your customers.

Look for People Who Separate Themselves from the Stereotypes

Once more, one of your major goals may be to ensure stereotypes about cannabis don’t negatively affect the way customers perceive your business. 

A strong job candidate will understand this. They won’t show up to the interview dressed poorly, casually discussing their numerous illegal cannabis experiences (and referring to it as “weed” or “pot”). They’ll appreciate the fact that you’re running a legitimate company, and will thus treat the job interview with the respect and professionalism the process deserves.

This indicates they’ll also treat customers with the respect and professionalism they deserve. In this relatively new, clearly competitive industry, making the right impression on customers is essential. These cannabis industry recruitment tips will help you find employees who know this, and behave accordingly.