At Greyston Bakery, we are incredibly honored to have our CEO and President, Joseph Kenner, recognized as one of the Social Innovators of the Year 2023 by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. This recognition highlights the importance of changing how hiring is done in order to create opportunities for those whom traditional hiring practices may have left behind.
As a company that has pioneered the Open Hiring® model since its inception, we know firsthand the impact it can have on individuals, communities, and society as a whole. Open Hiring® battles the current labor shortage by offering work on a first-come, first-hired basis, with no interviews, background checks, or resumes. This approach has proven successful for our bakery, which is well known for the brownies used in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
At the World Economic Forum, Joseph Kenner called upon business leaders in industries with high numbers of job openings, such as transportation, accommodation, and food, to adopt Open Hiring®. The pandemic has revealed deep structural inequalities in society, and it has become increasingly clear that traditional hiring practices are not working for many people.
We are honored to be recognized by the Schwab Foundation for our approach to creating opportunities for those whom traditional hiring practices may have left behind. Greyston has shown that the Open Hiring® model can give employers access to a labor force that is willing and able to work, grow, and propel companies forward – they just need to be given the chance – especially in a rapidly changing economic environment.
We are also excited to be working with other organizations including The Body Shop, Ikea, and Bonduelle to replicate the Open Hiring model across the U.S. and provide employment opportunities to at least 40,000 of the ten million Americans facing barriers to employment.
Want to learn more about how Open Hiring can benefit your business? Contact us today for more information.