‘Having people that are really passionate about the industry, about the company, is important’: How Katrina McFadden is building culture, breaking stigma, and driving change
“It’s all about the people, and it’s all about the relationships you build.”
For Katrina McFadden, Chief People Officer at Organigram Global, Canada’s leading cannabis company by market share, this isn’t just a philosophy – it’s the foundation of her leadership style and a key to recruitment and retention in the cannabis industry.
As an experienced HR head in the manufacturing and innovation industries, McFadden has learned that success depends on forging strong partnerships across organizations at every level and cites it as a key to the success of any ambitious HR leader.
“We don’t accomplish our end goal on our own within the HR space, we need the buy-in and commitment and execution by the leaders across the organization,” she explains.
“That’s why you really have to work with your leadership to make sure that what you are bringing forward as solutions to those business problems... they’re committed to it, and they’re willing to do their part, because otherwise you will have no traction whatsoever.”
McFadden’s approach is rooted in collaboration and mutual respect, starting from before day one with a new team; she prioritizes joining teams that are eager to partner and share in the HR vision. “What I’ve learned is to always make sure that I’m going into a team that wants to partner with me. Because otherwise I won’t be successful.”
Navigating change in a new industry
The cannabis sector is unique, McFadden shares, in that being a new and growing market, it is ruled by rapid change, evolving regulations, and a need for adaptability at every turn.
She points out that that aspect of unpredictability is mirrored in HR itself, which is moving into a more strategic role in many organizations.
“Everything we do in the HR space is always change,” she says, adding that at Organigram, this has been a reigning theme.
“We were building processes that other organizations will have had for years and years and years... at Organigram, we were building from scratch, and there was so much to do.”
Understanding an organization’s capacity for change is crucial, she notes, especially in a fast-growing industry. Rather than arriving with a “laundry list” of initiatives, McFadden advocates for a measured, multi-year plan.
“You come in, you assess what the organization needs, and then you build a multi-year plan, starting with what’s critical and then adding on to that,” says McFadden.
“Because otherwise you will exhaust the organization, and you will exhaust yourselves, and you won’t get the buy-in and adoption of what you need to implement.”
Willingness to be nimble is also a crucial aspect for HR leadership and strategy, she says, adding that this approach is a key piece to remember when working in fast-moving, innovation-based organizations.
“Especially in a company like Organigram, where there’s so much to do, everybody will have an opinion about what they want to see done first,” she says.
“If you try to tackle everything at once, it’s, it’s impossible. So you’ve really got to have that plan.”
Recruitment in the cannabis industry: tackling stigma and building legitimacy
McFadden is candid about the challenges of working in cannabis HR, particularly when it comes to public perception – when it comes to recruitment, tackling stigma is one of the biggest hurdles she and her team faces, she says.
“Stigma in the cannabis industry is absolutely a real thing,” she says.
“This is such a new idea, this idea of legalized cannabis. And I think people really have a lot of misconceptions, they have this sort of pre-existing idea of what it means to work in the cannabis industry, who somebody is that works in the cannabis industry.”
To counter that stigma, an important recruitment strategy for Organigram is transparency and openness about what the company does and also what it’s like to work there. Part of this strategy is bringing potential candidates on site, McFadden says.
“When people come to our facilities, they are blown away. They just don’t expect what they find,” says McFadden.
“They don’t expect to find such a professional space, state of the art equipment… The people are professional and passionate, and they just don’t expect it.”
Creating a dynamic, values-driven workplace
That communication extends to online, where McFadden’s team makes sure the company’s professionalism and positive work practices are showcased for potential talent.
“If you follow us on LinkedIn, you’ll see lots of posts around our facilities, and what our facilities look like, and the science behind our cannabis products, the innovation, the R and D,” she says.
“It’s really a growing field with so much research and development happening, and we really try to emphasize that, to kind of build it up as this interesting, fascinating, legitimate space.”
McFadden is also focused on ensuring Organigram offers “all the benefits and people programs and cultural experiences that you would expect in any employer of choice… where we focus on diversity, we focus on well-being, we have great benefits and vacation and recognition programs.”
Hiring for fit and leading with integrity
Organigram’s recruitment story is consistent, transparent, and based firmly in values, McFadden explains, which is crucial for organizations that are growing at scale. Integrity tops the list of the company’s values, which also includes passion, curiosity and teamwork – core tenets that run through every layer of the organization.
“Values help guide decision-making. They help guide who’s going to be successful in your organization, whether your organization is going to be successful,” she says.
“Integrity is one of our values, but you’ll see passion in there too… in this space that’s incredibly important, because it’s challenging. Having people that are really passionate about the industry, about the company, is important.”
