A bakery in Yonkers has been using a so-called open hiring model for decades. Now it’s hoping that mainstream businesses warm up to the practice, especially during a time when diversity and inclusion are part of the national discussion.
Greyston President and CEO Joe Kenner wants open hiring to be a key ingredient for mainstream companies.
Greyston is a nonprofit social justice enterprise. Greyston Bakery is a commercial operation, producing 40,000 pounds of brownies daily. Kenner says the time is right for corporations to adopt open hiring because inequities have been laid bare — from health care to employment. Kenner says open hiring is a practice and philosophy.
So far, open hiring has been mainly relegated to B-Corporations, which are companies whose mission is to earn profits while maintaining a social and environmental conscience.