Large group of unrecognizable business people waiting for a job interview.
As the pandemic ebbs and corporate America is struggling to fill job vacancies right now, the cannabis industry is also feeling the pinch. Top cannabis recruiter Vangst reports they’re currently having trouble filling over 200 open positions on their temporary jobs platform. Is supplementary unemployment assistance the reason employers are having a difficult time hiring? Or are there other factors at play? Kelsea Appelbaum, head of community partnerships at Vangst, offers some answers.
This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
Iris Dorbian: There’s a belief that the retail sector and restaurants are having a hard time filling jobs because many do not want to work low-paying jobs when they are currently getting a supplement to their unemployment benefits. Is that the reason why the cannabis industry is also having a hard time filling jobs? Or are there other reasons?
Kelsea Appelbaum: The country is still bouncing back from the pandemic, and one of the lasting effects when it comes to employment is that low-paying roles are still hard to fill because of the unemployment benefits that individuals are receiving. This challenge has affected the cannabis industry as well, but we’re seeing things starting to go back to normal.
Dorbian: Is there a particular area within cannabis or a particular job that is hardest to fill right now?
Appelbaum: The cannabis industry has experienced challenges with filling roles that are low-paying. Some of these roles include budtenders, trimmers, cultivation techs, etc. The majority of the roles in cannabis continue to be highly competitive with a high barrier of entry.
Dorbian: Are cannabis employers offering incentives as mainstream employers are doing in order to fill vacancies?
Appelbaum: Companies in cannabis are constantly evolving when it comes to the benefits they’re offering their team. A few years ago, it was rare to find a company that offered competitive benefits to those outside of the industry; but now it's much more comparable. Cannabis companies understand that in order to attract top-tier talent, they need to help make the transition into our growing industry easier, with benefits being a large factor in this.
Dorbian: Is there any area with the cannabis space that is not having this problem filling jobs?
Appelbaum: This challenge exists almost solely in lower-level/low-paying positions due to unemployment benefits that exist right now. Almost every other position in cannabis continues to have an abundance of candidate interest, especially after the industry was considered “essential” during the pandemic.
