Lifestyle

The Hottest Companies in the Cannabis Industry This Year

Ever since the legalization of marijuana, Indeed has witnessed tremendous growth in job postings in the cannabis field. In fact, during the first six months of 2019, the share of cannabis-related jobs postings rose by 41%. The increased number of cannabis-related job postings has also been met by elevated interest from...

By Kelly Kalirai /

  

 

  

Ever since the legalization of marijuana, Indeed has witnessed tremendous growth in job postings in the cannabis field. In fact, during the first six months of 2019, the share of cannabis-related jobs postings rose by 41%. 

The increased number of cannabis-related job postings has also been met by elevated interest from job seekers. In July 2018, shortly after the announcement of the legalization, searches for cannabis jobs were four times higher compared to the same time in 2017. Moreover, the share of cannabis-related job searches spiked 33% on October 17 compared to the week prior.  

Fast forward to 2019, and the industry continues to be blazing hot. But, what cannabis companies are attracting the most interest from job seekers? To find out, Indeed looked at the average click-through rates to derive a list of the 10 hottest companies in the cannabis industry according to job seekers. Let’s take a look at the findings. 

The 10 hottest companies in the cannabis industry

Interestingly, the top three companies garnering the most interest from job seekers aren’t licensed producers. Coming in at number one is Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), the Government of Alberta’s Crown company that oversees the gaming, liquor and cannabis industries in Alberta.

Cannabis Compliance Inc. comes in at number two. Its main function is to help obtain licences for prospective producers, as well as aid their navigation of the government’s regulatory framework. Rounding the top three is Alberta-based retailer, Plantlife Cannabis.

Coming in at number four is extraction service company MediPharm Labs Inc. The company extracts oils from marijuana to make products such as gel capsules and edibles. According to the Financial Post, due to increased demand for marijuana in oil form, companies focusing solely on cannabis extraction are playing an increasingly important function in the industry as a whole. 

Of course, a handful of producers also rank among the hottest cannabis companies, including WeedMD Rx Inc. (#5), The Flowr Corporation (#6), Zenabis (#7), Tilray (#8) and HEXO Corp. (#9). 

Rounding the top 10 is BC Liquor Distribution Branch, a branch of government responsible for the beverage alcohol industry in the province. 

While supply and demand for cannabis-related roles are higher than they were in the pre-legalization days, certain roles are more popular than others. What kind of jobs are most attractive? Although one marijuana-specific job ranks high, marijuana budtender, the opportunities that piqued the highest interest from job seekers at these companies are mostly traditional roles: account manager, accountant and retail sales associate. Meaning that people who have generally worked in more mature, traditional industries, are now considering roles in this sector. 

Tips for attracting more interest from job seekers

There are always a few companies within an industry that are able to capture a large portion of interest from job seekers. But how can other companies—both big and small—attract more attention from job seekers? Here are some tips to win over talent:

  1. Turn your focus to employer branding:This is more than a HR buzzterm. Employer branding—promoting your company as a great place to work—is an important consideration for job seekers. In fact, 92% of workers said insight into a company’s employer reputation would be important when considering a new job.

One of the best ways to enhance your employer brand is by curating content about your culture and company perks through social media, video, blogs and third-party sites such as Indeed Company Pages.

  1. Offer flexibility: 83% of job seekers say that flexibility is important when considering whether to accept a job offer.* Many companies recognize that this is a huge perk for job seekers and a great way to remain competitive. In a recent survey, 54% of small business owners said they offer flexibility to help compete with larger companies.
  2. Improve your candidate experience: Your candidate experience plays a huge role in enticing job seekers to apply to your roles and endure the hiring process. It also motivates employees to stay at your company. In short, the candidate experience comprises three stages—apply, interview and onboarding. 

Find ways to improve each stage of the process. For example, reduce the amount of screener questions in your application process, set candidates up for success by giving them information prior to the interview and ensure you have a set onboarding process to ensure that new hires have the support they need to succeed in their role. 

Methodology:

The share of postings was calculated by looking at postings (per 1M) containing cannabis related terminology from January 2019 to July 2019. The hottest companies were calculated by looking at the click through rate (clicks/impressions) and the total number of cannabis-related job titles between January and July 2019 to derive an average click through rate for each company. The companies on our list received the highest average click through rates by job seekers. 

*Lucid Data, 2019 (Canada)