The Challenge

Greyston Bakery is a pioneer in radical open hiring practices – no background checks, no resumes, no interviews – you walk through their doors and have a job. Greyston, which was the first B-Corp in New York State, focuses on investing in ensuring people are successful ON the job rather than creating barriers to them getting a job. Greyston’s innovative model for open hiring has eliminated barriers for thousands of people in its own community. In 2018, they set out to replicate, share and scale their success model to other employers and sectors.

The Solution

Greyston hired APCO Impact (then The Tembo Group) as the start-up partner to launch the Greyston Center for Open Hiring. APCO built the Center’s scale strategy, codifying decades of experience within the Bakery. We constructed a replicable model that could be adopted and piloted within companies worldwide, helping expand Greyston’s no-questions-asked hiring approach. We also developed a readiness assessment tool to help companies assess their readiness (and identify barriers) to implementing a successful open hiring process.

The Result

APCO Impact’s support laid the foundation to expand Greyston’s business model. We helped pilot the model within large companies, opening opportunities for thousands of people facing barriers to employment. The Center continues to utilize the assessment tool to audit and analyze an employer’s hiring practices, and to inform recommendations to make their hiring model more inclusive.