8 Types of Budtender Interview Questions You Need To Ask

Are you a cannabis dispensary owner, who is looking to hire a great budtender? Then you are going to need to know what budtender interview questions to ask them to ensure they are the right fit.
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Asking the right questions is crucial, because your budtenders play a huge role in the success of your dispensary. How they work as a team and interact with your customers will define your brand and who you are as a business, so you need them to be knowledgeable, friendly, dependable, and loyal.
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Additionally, if you're looking for a full hiring guide, you might like to check the ultimate dispensary hiring guide!

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Back to business, conducting strategic, careful job interviews is an essential skill to master.
That’s why we recommend you ask these 8 types of interview questions for budtender candidates who applies for the job.

1 - Questions about their past employment.

The cannabis industry is lucrative and rapidly growing—unfortunately, dispensary owners face extremely high turnover rates among employees. 
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A candidate's resume doesn’t say it all. Many other dynamics play a part and are equally important in the hiring process.  When asking the candidate questions about their past work experience, be sure to inquire about past supervisors, their relationships with management, and other team members.  
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You may also want to ask about any notable accomplishments. This will help you understand their work habits and how they work with others.  

Consider asking the following budtender interview questions:

• What are some of your career successes and how were these achieved?
• We all make mistakes—what would you say were some of your mistakes or failures in this position?
• Who did you report to and what was their position?
• What was it like working for your past supervisor?
• What is your best guess as to what your supervisor honestly felt were your strengths, weak points, and overall performance?

Did you know that you can also leverage applicant tracking software to customize and filter budtender applicants before they even get the interview?  Check out our helpful article here on the 6 tools that make hiring a breeze.

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2 - Inquire about their knowledge of technology and tools.

It’s essential you understand your new hire’s breadth of knowledge when it comes to the tools they will be using on a day-to-day basis. 

Although candidates can acquire knowledge on these topics, hiring someone who already has a solid understanding of the following is a huge asset when looking for a budtender.  Perhaps they would be a good candidate to open or close the store based on their comfort with the following.
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Consider asking the following budtender interview questions:

• Have you used point of sale software? What one?
• Have you used  scheduling software?
• Have you used time clock software?
• Have you ever done a “cash out”?
• Do you know how to use a scale? 
• Have you ever used inventory tracking software?

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3 - Their familiarity with laws.

As a business owner in the cannabis industry, you know the importance of complying with industry regulations. 
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While it’s unrealistic to grill potential hires on the ins and outs of purchasing limits and product labeling regulations, you need to know that they take compliance seriously and have an understanding of the laws they are required to follow.  
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Ensuring that your potential hires are versed in laws and regulations, and understand how to serve clients, is important as it will help you stay in business.  

A common question that comes up when we dig into dispensary hiring best practices is do budtenders need certifications to work legally at a dispensary?  The answer is, that it depends.

While depending on the country certifications could be mandatory or not, it is always a way of showing experience, knowledge, and skills. That's why you might want to know more about it, in our complete guide to budtender certifications!

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Consider asking the following budtender interview questions:

• How do you properly ID someone before selling them a cannabis product?
• What are the cannabis laws in your province or state, and what does that mean in the store?
• What are the state or provincial legal limits around cannabis and edible consumption for each product sold by the dispensary?

4 - Questions about the product. 

Don’t skip knowledge-based questions just because you don’t want to put someone on the spot. Going too easy on candidates during job interviews is one of the most common hiring mistakes business owners and hiring managers make. 

While you can do a lot to train employees on product knowledge, they should know the basics before they start if they have an interest in the industry.

Consider asking them some knowledge-based questions that will be relevant when hiring for the budtender position.

Consider asking the following questions:

• Can you explain to me the differences between cannabinoids and terpenes?
• What is the difference between indica and sativa?
• What is the difference between THC and CBD?
• How would you recommend a cannabis product to someone who had never tried it before?

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5 - Their goals and future plans.

Hiring people whose long-term goals align with yours  is a key part of building a great team.  Ask questions that will help you understand your candidate’s career goals and how you might play a part in this employee's long-term employment plan.
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Consider asking the following budtender interview questions:

• What are you hoping to accomplish in taking this job?
• What are you looking for in terms of this job?
• What are some of your long-term career goals, and how do you see this position helping you accomplish them?
• Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

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6 - Self-reflective questions.

Being reflective and willing to learn is an important trait when it comes to any hire. A great hire will be self-aware of their weaknesses and strengths and be open to working on them without claiming a damaged ego.  Ask them what they feel their strengths and weaknesses are and how they imagine their previous manager would grade them on these areas.  
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Consider asking the following budtender interview questions:

• What would you consider your greatest strength?
• What is something you are the best at?
• What is something you need to work on? 

7 - Industry-specific, situational budtender interview questions.

When looking for a budtender, you are going to need a person with some degree of specialized knowledge in the field, but also somebody capable of thinking quickly on their feet.

Asking some industry-specific questions is a key part of finding someone who has the skills, qualifications and interest in this role.  

Consider asking the following questions:

• What do you think makes a good budtender?
• Tell me about a strain you personally love.

• In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a great dispensary?

• How do you advise a customer if they’ve previously had a bad experience with cannabis?

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8 - Do you have any questions for me?

While most of the questions on this list could be rewritten, switched out or customized based on your individual business and staffing needs, this is an absolute must-ask question in just about any interview. It gives the candidate an opportunity to learn about you, your business, and your goals and expectations. What they choose to ask you also gives you an idea of their priorities and level of interest in what you do.

Make strategic hiring part of your long-term approach.

A solid HR management strategy starts with who and how you hire. Your employees are your human capital, how you acquire, manage, and optimize your greatest resource—your people—impacts every aspect of your operations. 
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Easily access and stay on top of things like payroll, scheduling, and time-tracking, and actively monitor and manage labor costs and other data through regular reports in one location.
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When hiring a budtender, utilizing tools like HR software can help you simplify, streamline, and centralize your hiring processes and measure the effectiveness of specific policies and practices. 

Looking for more information on how to recruit, interview, hire and retain great budtender talent? Download our free guide below!