FlowerHire has successfully filled over 1,000 roles in the cannabis industry in over 28 states. Finding Talent in Cannabis is what we do best and it’s what makes us trusted by the industry’s leading cannabis companies.
FlowerHire recruiters bring a deep understanding of how to attract and retain high-caliber professionals – those who are the most likely to be successful in a role long-term.
When FlowerHire represents a company, it lends credibility to both the employer and the candidate. The candidate can trust that the organization is an ideal place for their own long-term personal career growth. And the organization can trust that they’re receiving a quality, vetted candidate.
FlowerHire’s strategic and meticulous process facilitates matches that lead to lower turnover rates. By understanding the unique nuances of different cannabis roles and operators, we ensure the best match on both sides, leading to a fruitful, long-term employer/employee relationship.
FlowerHire proactively gathers feedback and ensures the core interviewing team is informed about candidates’ perspectives and other stakeholders’ expectations. Only the most suitable candidates are considered, which saves time and ensures a quality recruitment process.
“After taking over as President for Justice Cannabis, it was refreshing to see the caliber of leadership talent FlowerHire had helped recruit for this organization. It makes my job easier to already have core team members in place who are experts in their respective fields.” –Alexzandra Fields, President at Justice Cannabis
The biggest obstacle that holds companies back from hiring a recruiting agency is cost. But the benefits and return on investment (ROI) can be substantial for management and executive roles.
In this article, we dive into the benefits of working with a recruiting agency and when to use FlowerHire versus when to hire on your own.
Why use FlowerHire cannabis recruiting agency for hiring? Here’s why.
Why use FlowerHire for management-level roles?
Extensive experience in cannabis placements
FlowerHire has an unmatched understanding of the industry’s landscape and its unique demands. FlowerHire has been specializing in cannabis for over 7 years and has successfully filled over 1,000 cannabis roles. Our team knows the key operators, where to headhunt, and how to identify talent that’s poised for their next big opportunity.
Expertise in candidate education
We believe candidates must have a strong understanding of the positives and negatives of the industry to make sure they believe cannabis is right for them. Candidate education ensures they stick at your company long-term.
A strong part of our success lies in our ability to effectively educate candidates about the industry, especially those who have no prior cannabis experience. We discuss the industry’s purpose-driven culture, the potential for upward mobility, and set realistic expectations about work-life balance. We communicate the realities of working in this fast-paced, constantly evolving field.
Recruiting candidates with industry experience
With placements in 28 different states, FlowerHire has an extensive cannabis community full of potential candidates, allowing us to source local candidates with industry experience.
Some roles that have a national scope demand industry experience. Our broad and diverse talent pool allows us to more easily source local candidates and avoid relocations. Candidates with industry experience have already been thoroughly educated on the realities of working in cannabis and are ready to embrace cannabis opportunities, regardless of previous work experience.
FlowerHire has also been a trusted resource for salaried, management, and executive-level candidates currently working in cannabis. Many passive job seekers trust FlowerHire to keep them informed of career opportunities within the industry that present growth potential.
Passive candidate recruitment
In addition to our extensive network of pre-screened candidates, FlowerHire also proactively hunts for passive candidates that have yet to be activated based on a specific client’s needs.
Many skilled management-level individuals are not actively seeking new opportunities but are open to hearing about job opportunities within an exciting and emerging industry. We know how to sift through the canna-curious job seekers to find the ones who have the experience, expectations, and attitude to succeed in cannabis.
Passive candidate recruitment widens the talent pool and increases the chance of finding the perfect fit for specialized roles. This is incredibly important, alongside the historically low unemployment we see today.
Effective screening process for candidates without prior cannabis experience
FlowerHire’s screening process is designed to identify candidates who will be successful in the cannabis industry, even if they don’t have prior cannabis experience. We reduce turnover by quickly identifying candidates who have the required experience, have growth potential, align with a company’s culture and values, and are genuinely excited. We present only the best candidates to make hiring more efficient.
Understanding of career narratives and tailored job framing
FlowerHire excels at understanding the story behind each job and candidate, which is invaluable in matching the right talent with the right opportunity. Our frequent deep dialogues with management-level professionals have honed our ability to pitch jobs in a way that resonates, generates genuine excitement, and addresses wants and concerns. FlowerHire understands what the current and future career landscape looks like for cannabis executives more than any other resource.
Financial expectations management
FlowerHire addresses compensation expectations early in the process to ensure candidates have realistic expectations about salary before engaging in detailed discussions with potential employers. This step is crucial for making lateral moves into the cannabis industry, where compensation structures might differ from other industries.
“I recently used FlowerHire to fill 3 high-level leadership positions in our fast-growing organization. I primarily worked with Julia Swensen, their Director of Talent Services and she’s been fantastic. Within a week of explaining to her what we were looking for in each position, she presented several excellent candidates from across the industry and even outside of it. From initial screening of candidates, to scheduling interviews and conference calls, to helping make offers and communicating benefits packages to finally helping us get offers extended and employment agreements executed, Julia was extremely professional, easy to work with, and very responsive to all of our feedback and questions. I would recommend FlowerHire to anyone looking for help with staffing.” –Jon Marshall, COO at Deep Roots Harvest
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Request a free talent consultation to learn about executive hiring, compensation, and equity in the cannabis industry.
“We couldn’t have been happier with the exceptional service and value [FlowerHire] brought to the experience of identifying our first major sales hire. We will absolutely work with FlowerHire again for our leadership needs.” –Matt Gilson, Director of Operations at Leaf Labs
Why use FlowerHire for executive-level recruitment?
Streamlined, expert candidate vetting
FlowerHire excels at distinguishing truly qualified candidates from a sea of executive-level applicants who are not the right fit for this industry today. We have a deep understanding of the skills and experiences necessary for success in executive cannabis roles. We present candidates who can both do the job and want the job, which limits wasted time from key stakeholders trying to interview non-viable candidates. This ensures that companies only engage with candidates who have a proven track record in building processes, managing hyper-growth, and achieving significant outcomes as managers and leaders.
Deep relationships with current executive leaders within the cannabis industry
With over seven years of commercial track record, we understand which present-day executive leaders in cannabis have been successful in building teams, building processes, and hitting goals. Cannabis executives trust FlowerHire to represent job opportunities of the highest caliber available within the cannabis industry.
Not all positions require a candidate with cannabis experience. But with nearly 500,000 people working in cannabis, FlowerHire knows if there’s an executive-level candidate who already has a playbook and can come in and hit the ground running in a specific position.
Alignment of expectations among company leaders
Executive roles often entail cross-functional responsibilities, which requires a clear understanding and agreement on role expectations among all stakeholders.
For example, a board member who is heavily involved in operations may have a different idea of which experience a chief of operations officer should have compared to a board member heavily involved in finance.
During our discovery process, FlowerHire ensures that all involved parties have a unified vision of what the role entails and what is required for success. FlowerHire creates a smooth recruitment process by aligning expectations and creating a unified vision for all key stakeholders. We know how to track and share feedback amongst the interviewers to enable a smooth decision-making process on a hire.
A holistic focus on fit, beyond skills
FlowerHire understands that successful executive placements in the cannabis industry go beyond mere skill alignment. We emphasize the importance of both skill alignments and the ability to integrate into the company’s culture and ethos. This holistic approach ensures executive hires are both capable on paper and a fit for the company’s unique environment.
An example of this is when FlowerHire found Ziad Ghanem, current President and CEO of TerrAscend. Ziad had spent 14 years in cross-functional leadership and innovation at Walgreens. At the time we met him, he was in his first cannabis job at a Florida-based, vertically integrated operator, where he was quickly promoted to spearhead all US operations as president. His experiences, combined with his passion and tenacity, made him a holistic fit compared to other top candidates because he combined traditional industry and cannabis experience.
Executive search TerrAscend case study
Prepared and educated candidates
From the first conversation the employer has, candidates presented by FlowerHire are already educated about the company and the cannabis industry. This preparation means candidates are genuinely excited about the role and ready to discuss how their experiences align with the company’s needs. The company can skip selling the role and get straight to gathering detailed information about the candidate to assess alignment.
“Working with FlowerHire Advisors was a great experience. Beyond bringing me a marquee confidential executive opportunity in cannabis, they also understood exactly how to impact the process and advocate for both sides appropriately to reach a favorable outcome. I would recommend any executive-level candidate use FlowerHire, and I plan on using them now as a client when needed to build out my team.” – Ziad Ghanem, President and Chief Operating Officer, TerrAscend
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When NOT to use FlowerHire: Staff-level roles
There’s no need for a third-party recruiting firm for staff-level roles. Job seekers commonly apply for positions through platforms like Indeed or CareerinCannabis.com, which are well-suited for the cannabis industry’s opportunities. Given the industry’s potential for upward mobility, it’s advantageous to promote supervisory roles internally. Additionally, the high turnover rates associated with hourly positions complicate the measurement of ROI when using external recruiters.
Apply for jobs on CareersinCannabis.com
