What if businesses removed barriers to employment and gave job seekers a fair shot at self-sufficiency? For the formerly incarcerated, unhoused, or people with limited education, getting a job can be extremely difficult. In 1982, Greyston Bakery piloted Open Hiring, a recruitment practice where simply putting your name on a list could get you hired — no work experience, background checks, resumes, or interviews. Now adopted and scaled by companies like The Body Shop, Open Hiring continues to unleash human potential and uplift populations that have been historically excluded from the workforce. In this episode, B Lab explores barriers to fair employment, the economic and social benefits of equitable hiring practices, and why inclusive hiring is a step towards tackling poverty, inequality, and other global challenges.
Featured guests include:
- Chidi King — Branch Chief, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Joseph D. Kenner — President & CEO, Greyston
- Antonia Tony-Fadipe — Inclusive Hiring Lead, The Body Shop
- Juan Pablo Larenas — Co-founder of Sistema B and former Executive Director, B Lab Global
Listen to the episode below, or wherever you stream your podcasts.
