How to Get the Best Cannabis Employees—and Keep Them
Lessons from Our Very Own Taylor Mullen on the Dispensary Marketing Podcast
Hiring in cannabis isn’t like hiring anywhere else. There’s no plug-and-play formula, no corporate cookie-cutter you can copy and hope for the best. Between patchwork regulations, constant compliance curveballs, and a talent pool that’s either fiercely competitive or painfully small—depending on your state—you need more than a “now hiring” sign to win the war for talent.
That’s why when our very own Taylor Mullen joined Brandon Quan on The Dispensary Marketing Podcast, she pulled back the curtain on what really works—not just to attract top-tier cannabis employees, but to keep them for the long haul.
Why Taylor Knows Her Stuff
Taylor’s not your average HR and payroll pro. Since 2016, she’s worked with industry giants like ADP, Paychex, and Paylocity, mastering the fine print of payroll and HR before taking a leap into the cannabis space with Paragon Payroll.
Her “why” runs deep—rooted in watching her mother and stepfather battle cancer, and how medical cannabis in California helped them through chemo. That firsthand connection fuels her mission: to protect, empower, and educate the businesses that keep this industry alive.
Lesson #1: Pay Correctly, or Lose Them Before You’ve Even Begun
Sure, culture matters. Training matters. But as Taylor put it bluntly:
“If you pay people the wrong wage, they will never come back.”
Cannabis pay compliance is a maze. Different states—and sometimes different roles within the same business—play by different overtime and tracking rules. Some require you to track the hours employees are physically touching cannabis. Others don’t. Agriculture workers often follow a totally different overtime clock than retail budtenders.
Bottom line: If you’re not 100% confident you’re paying correctly, you’re not just risking morale—you’re risking lawsuits, audits, and your license.
Lesson #2: The Novelty Wears Off—Culture Is Your Glue
A job in cannabis might seem “cool” at first, but whether they’re behind the counter or in the grow, reality sets in fast. It’s still retail. It’s still farming. It’s still hard work.
The businesses that retain talent are the ones that:
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Live their brand internally—Employees will leave if your values are just a poster on the wall.
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Offer unique benefits—From pet insurance in dog-loving Denver to monthly team outings, find the sticky perks.
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Provide access to earned wages—79% of employees say they’d switch jobs for early wage access. We’ve built that into our platform for exactly this reason.
Lesson #3: Onboarding Is Not Paperwork—It’s a First Impression
A clunky onboarding process screams chaos. A smooth one signals stability and care. Taylor’s golden rule: Automate everything you can.
Digital onboarding means employees fill out tax forms, benefits, and direct deposit info themselves—reducing errors, saving time, and making day one about connection, not forms.
Lesson #4: Career Progression Must Be Written Down
If growth paths live only in your head, they don’t exist. Document pay scales. Define beginner, intermediate, and senior roles with clear expectations. Publish it in your handbook so employees can see exactly how to level up—and hold you accountable.
Lesson #5: Transparency Beats Damage Control
Sometimes, projections don’t pan out. Raises get delayed. Opportunities shift. Taylor’s advice? Tell them early and honestly. Employees are more forgiving of bad news when they trust you’ve been straight with them from the start.
Lesson #6: Bare Bones HR Is Better Than No HR
Skipping HR until “things calm down” is like boarding the Titanic without counting lifeboats. Even if you can’t outsource everything, you can:
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Pay fairly from day one.
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Clearly communicate your company’s “why” to attract the right people.
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Tap into the cannabis community for guidance—this is one of the few industries where competitors often share hard-earned lessons.
The Paragon Takeaway
Your people are your most expensive—and most valuable—investment. Getting the best cannabis employees and keeping them isn’t luck. It’s a deliberate mix of compliance, culture, and consistency.
That’s why at Paragon Payroll, we’re not just running payroll. We’re here to future-proof your workforce, protect your business, and keep you compliant without losing sight of the humans at the heart of it all.
🎧 If you enjoyed listening. Feel free to check out more content on our Learning Center
📩 Talk to Taylor: tmullen@paragonpayroll.com
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