by Kara Bradford, Viridian Staffing

As our industry continues to grow and develop, it is important that we make sure that our human resource practices are in line with that of other established industries. This includes the recruiting and hiring of employees…the most critical part of this process being the interview. Here are a few things to keep in mind when interviewing potential candidates for your cannabusiness:

1.  Set the tone and boundaries of the interview from the beginning

If you set expectations from the beginning of the interview that you will only be discussing the individual’s work experience and how this qualifies them for the role, you set a tone that will hopefully avoid any disclosure of information that could put the organization at risk. What makes interviewing candidates in this industry more difficult than others is that many have a very personal relationship with the plant and launch into telling you the story about this relationship if you don’t initially set the tone. Why this could end up being difficult for employers is that the information a candidate may want to volunteer could potentially put you at risk. Hiring decisions should be based on an individual’s qualifications for the job and culture fit for the organization.

For example, if an individual begins to address a health condition as a reason for their interest in the industry, this could put you in a challenging position. If for some reason an interviewing candidate discloses a health condition during the interview process, divert the topic immediately and move on to something else. You will also want to keep this information to yourself so other interviewers are not biased to make a hiring decision based on this information. Again, hiring decisions should be based entirely on a person’s ability to do the job and their culture fit for the organization. Ask questions that allow them to shine, while still getting to the heart of the matter regarding their experience, skills, and temperament to assess whether or not they would be a good match for your organization.

The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is the division of the U.S. government that enforces violations of discrimination. They ensure that job applicants and employees are not being discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Be mindful of the kinds of questions you ask so you don’t expose your company to accusations of unlawful discrimination.

 2.  Train your interviewers

Interviewing is not something that comes naturally to everyone. In order to make sure you are interviewing potential candidates appropriately, train your interviewers! If you are less than confident that you’re observing best practices, an experienced HR or staffing professional should be able to bring you and your fellow hiring managers up to speed.

 3.  Be careful when requiring ‘tests’

Many of you might want to administer ‘tests’ to employees as a way to determine their qualifications. While this may seem like an easy way to weed through the good and bad candidates, you must be cautious using this approach. Make sure your tests are relevant to the job in question to help shield your company from charges of discrimination. In addition, not all companies offering testing services are created equal. Make sure you do your research and ask questions around the potential liability of using their testing services.

 4. Provide a great candidate experience

The cannabis industry is still a very small community. If you don’t provide a positive, professional candidate experience during the interview process, not only might you miss out on that candidate but you may miss out on other great candidates due to negative word of mouth, blogs, or social media. If you are less experienced in this area, I suggest engaging the advice of a seasoned HR or staffing professional to help in development of your organization’s candidate experience.

*Please note that while she is an HR Professional, Kara Bradford is not an attorney. Any recommendations in this article are not to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult your attorney.

Kara Bradford, MBA, is Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer of Viridian Staffing. She has been an HR professional, specializing in Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, Employer Branding, Compliance, and Organizational Design for over 14 years. Her career has spanned multiple Fortune 100 companies in a wide variety of industries. Kara has an MBA in Human Resources & Organizational Behavior and is PRC, CIR, and CSSR Certified. She also sits on the Board of a Global Recruiting organization. Kara has spoken and is slated to speak at several National conferences this year in both the Cannabis and HR industries. 

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Please reach out to NCIA development officer Bethany Moore at bethany@thecannabisindustry.org.