Marijuana Business Magazine - March 2018

WHAT TO LOOK FOR At Temescal Wellness, a vertically integrated medical marijuana com- pany with dispensaries in New Hamp- shire, Massachusetts and Maryland, Director of Retail Kevin Powell wants people who can make customers feel at home. “We need folks who can gather a lot of information from patients in a nonthreatening or intrusive way,” Powell said. “We need people in the management role who have the abil- ity to show empathy for folks.” To determine if a candidate pos- sesses those qualities, during the interview process Powell presents a real-world situation and evaluates that person’s response. For instance, he’ll ask the inter- viewee to recount a time when he or she dealt with a patient who was agitated or upset. It’s a three-part question: • What was the patient’s issue? • What did you do to bring down the anxiety level or intensity? • How did you resolve the issue to make the patient feel like his or her needs were taken care of? To Powell, a passing answer clearly shows evidence that the respondent listened and provided reassurance that he or she was personally trying to address the patient’s needs. WHAT TOWATCH OUT FOR F or Kevin Powell, director of retail for Temescal Wellness, a vertically integrated medical marijuana company with dispensaries in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maryland, a major red flag is a candi- date with an outsized ego. He prefers candidates who approach the job interview in more of a listening mode so he has additional opportunities to pose questions. “The one red flag for me is when candidates make an attempt to dominate the conversation,” Powell said. That behavior could indicate the person is difficult to manage and doesn’t take direction well. Plus, Powell noted, people who don’t listen well will suggest the course of action a patient should take before the patient has clearly communicated what he or she needs. “It’s more about people who can put their ego aside and learn from the patient about what struggles they’re having so they can respond appropriately,” he added. Tim Smale, co-founder of Remedy Compassion Center dispensary in Auburn, Maine, doesn’t want any surprise visi- tors. If a candidate shows up without an appointment, that person is disqualified. He goes out of his way to make an interviewee comfort- able, and he wants to see the candidate relax, at least to a point. “Nervousness is OK because it puts you at the top of your game,” he added. “But if someone can’t speak because of it, they’re look- ing for the wrong job.” Andrew Jolley, owner of The+Source Dispensary in Las Vegas, avoids people who aren’t honest about what they know or don’t know. “We have a pretty good BS meter,” Jolley said. “When peo- ple start making stuff up either about their experience or cannabis knowledge, that’s a huge turnoff for us.” He gets dozens of resumes for available positions, and people like to overstate their cannabis know-how, he said. “That’s usually pretty easy to detect,” Jolley added. “Helping out your brother-in-law in California for a week two summers ago doesn’t mean you’re a master grower.” – Bart Schaneman Kevin Powell is director of retail for Temescal Wellness, a vertically integrated medical marijuana company with dispensaries in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maryland. Andrew Jolley is the owner of The+Source Dispensary in Las Vegas. 98 • Marijuana Business Magazine • March 2018