Why do all budtenders seem to be quitting?
Budtender turnover is a problem in the cannabis industry, but how to fix it>
The cannabis market has grown a lot compared to before. More players have been introduced, each with a specific role they play in order to achieve the business goal. Budtenders are one of the main focal points that customers interact with when they enter the cannabis dispensary. They educate consumers about available products, the potency of different cannabis strains, expected effects, and how to get the best results. This has led her to help marijuana brands get their message across to consumers, among other forms of marketing.
Just as is common in the pharmaceutical industry, various cannabis brands have been known to gear up their sales force to educate budtenders about their products. This has significant economic implications, but tends to get the job done with significant results. However, a growing trend to increase sales by budtenders in the cannabis industry is severely hampering the efficiency of such ventures. Read on as we dive into the main factors causing this issue and the various ways the industry can improve it.
How bad is the problem?
Headset is a Seattle-based data analytics company and recently published a report on budtenders who worked in both the US and Canada over a 12-month period. The report’s findings showed that 55 percent of the people who participated in this study left their jobs within this time frame. This shows the magnitude of the sales problem affecting the health of such an important factor in the market structure.
Many were quick to acquit the cannabis industry of this problem that plagues many sectors and industries. They did so in the belief that the cannabis industry is not like most traditional businesses and should therefore be immune to such problems. Many also translated the industry’s burgeoning sales to mean that all active players will be comfortable in their roles. However, this has not come true as the effect is even worse than many predicted.
What factors lead to this trend?
Marc Rodriguez is the President of Greenleaf Business Solutions, a brand that provides payroll services to marijuana businesses. In an interview with MJBizDaily, he shared some of his views on the factors causing this trend while providing possible clues that can help solve them. We will draw conclusions and points from some of his opinions as it is evident that he is an authority on the subject.
The first factor that Rodriguez identified as a problem is the company’s illegitimacy. One could quickly discover that the cannabis industry is now legal in a number of states across the US for either medicinal or recreational purposes. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the FDA, which makes it illegal by the federal government. This means some aspects of the company aren’t handled like other companies, affecting things like the employee experience.
Good pay and benefits paired with the right motivation from the management of the company are factors that keep employees. While budtenders may lack good benefits and proper leadership from their bosses to some extent considering that they can boast of good pay. Many workers are paid cash by their employers because they do not want to incur additional costs by using the services of financial companies. Likewise, most do not have the modern benefits that workers are used to at other companies, such as: B. Online stubs and 401(k) plans. This usually harms the health of such companies, who have to leave such employees at the first opportunity.
The lack of proper motivation from the leadership of the company is also an important factor that should not be underestimated. Budtenders are official actors and stakeholders in the progress of a cannabis dispensary and should be treated as such. When a budtender works for a boss who just thinks he should come, do his job, get his salary and that’s all, it’s only a matter of time before he leaves. Employees want to be seen as important and valuable. If they are not perceived as such, there will be a high turnover.
As a rule, some entrepreneurs are not bothered by the high turnover of employees. Unfortunately, this is detrimental in a cannabis dispensary where much is done to equip the budtender’s knowledge base and their relationship with customers. This is because losing such human resources means taking the gamble of educating and rebuilding relationships with clients for another budtender who may also be leaving. When you couple this with the additional hiring costs that the company must repeatedly incur, you can see that there is a big problem in the hands of the company.
How can it be improved?
First, it must be stated that most cannabis business owners can do little before the federal government to address the illegality of the business. While there is hope that the federal government will soon legislate to favor the industry, for now we can only hope. Another factor that has embarrassed entrepreneurs is how expensive it is to get services for the benefits that other companies offer employees. Rodriguez stated that his company handled no less than $60,000 in payroll and benefits for cannabis companies in a year. These are large sums that many companies shy away from, but something needs to be done.
One of the things that needs to be done is that cannabis companies need to be conscious about employee retention. This can be accomplished by adding career incentives and benefits that encourage employees to stay for the long term. This increases job satisfaction and reduces fluctuation. It’s a common practice used by other industries. Another step that can be taken is to create a growth structure within the organization that employees can aspire to and encourage. This can help solve the recurring problem of budtenders leaving cannabis companies and improve the longevity and health of such companies.
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