Training Hacks for Your Dispensary Staff
As a new dispensary owner or manager, you’re tasked with multiple responsibilities, not the least of which is assembling a stellar team. Building a top-notch staff isn’t just about hiring the right people; it’s also about training them the right way.
Here are 5 Training Hacks for Your Dispensary Staff:
1. Compliance & Technology
Since cannabis is a highly regulated industry, compliance should always be top of mind. The first step to building your training manuals will be establishing the compliance requirements that pertain to your business along with the technology you will have in place to support the operations.
From there you can then start to create your standard operating procedures. SOPs should include all of your procedures that outline how things are done within an organization. These procedures ensure that employees know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Compliance discrepancies from employee errors like inventory reporting, labeling, and cannabis tracking can all lead to hefty fines.
2. Setting Up Your System
Some retailers choose to use experienced employees for all of their training needs, while others prefer to standardize their training protocols and materials through a third-party provider.
Partnering with an education provider like Cannabis Career Academy, can help you streamline the onboarding and training process. Our online, on-demand, nationally accredited courses, ensure each one of your employees receives top-notch, consistent training.
We can also build in a custom module with your own SOPs so your team is on the same page when it comes to your daily operations and compliance regulations.
3. Customer Experience
Your budtenders are the face of your brand and will ultimately make or break your guest’s experience. Your staff needs to know the proper sales techniques for approaching and interacting with each individual customer.
A standardized onboarding process ensures each new employee receives the same caliber of training from the get-go. This approach helps eliminate knowledge gaps and sets a strong foundation for all staff members.
If you have (or plan to open) multiple stores. You will want to make sure you keep the customer experience consistent across all of your locations. Utilizing a third-party provider like Cannabis Career Academy can help keep your training process uniform from store to store.
4. Interactive Learning
Using multimedia—videos, podcasts, and interactive quizzes—to make the learning process more interactive. The more engaged your employees are, the more they’ll retain.
You’ll also want to make sure your training materials and media are all housed in one place so employees can easily access the information and complete the training. When you partner with a third-party provider like Cannabis Career Academy your employees will have access to our interactive learning management system anywhere, any time. You’ll also be able to track your employees progress and provide completion reports.
5. Continuous Education
The cannabis industry is ever-changing, with new products and technologies frequently entering the market. Regular training ensures your staff stays ahead of the curve, giving your dispensary a competitive edge.
While a certification can set the standard for initial training, you should always incorporate additional training. Work with your vendors to plan a brand training session. This allows your team to get some one-on-one time with their brand rep to get to know more about the products their selling and ask any questions they might have.
Don’t leave the success of your dispensary to chance. Invest in structured, professional training through Cannabis Career Academy and cultivate a team that’s equipped for success.