Greyston Bakery, located in Yonkers, NY, makes scrumptious brownies. You may not know it, but if you’ve eaten Ben and Jerrie’s ice cream, you’re already familiar with the Greyston brownie.
Shortly after the now-iconic ice cream maker was founded, Ben Cohen agreed to purchase Greyston Bakery brownies for chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. But this is not the bakery’s principal claim to fame.
The bakery that produces as much as 40,000 pounds of brownies a day and provides the ice cream legends with the brownies for their flavors Brownie Batter, Half Baked, Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yogurt, Non-Dairy Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Non-Dairy Peanut Butter Half Baked and Chocolate Fudge Brownie also help to alleviate poverty within the community of Yonkers. With a progressive, open-door hiring policy, Greyston welcomes people who may have faced barriers to employment before: such as a lack of education or work experience, a criminal record, or homelessness. Not only does this model help rescue those who may be in a desperate situation, but it also helps to reduce the stigma associated with hiring people who have criminal records.
The company pioneered the practice of open hiring in the early 1980s. This is a unique concept that allows anyone who applies for a job to be hired without any questions asked. There is no need for a resume, interviews, or background checks.
The profits from the bakery are funneled back into the community, funding programs such as after school care, low income housing, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Mike Brady, former CEO, says: “We don’t care what people have done in the past. We’re only concerned about what they’re going to do in the future, and we invest all our money and all our support into helping them be successful in the future.”
Blair Philogene, a QA Technician who has been with Greyston Bakery since early 2022, had spent six years before that in prison. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a job, Blair found Greyston: “I met April [Director of Research & Development and QA]. And she’s just been helping me so much since I got here. Like, she is an angel sent from heaven. She actually got me to start work at the bakery and then a promotion, too. I got lucky. Greyston is an amazing place with amazing people.”
Founded in Riverdale, New York, by Bernie Glassman, a Zen Buddhist, although it is a for-profit company, its profits go to its non-profit parent organization, the Greyston Foundation, where they are used on behalf of the local community.
Prospective applicants put their name on a waiting list. When a name gets to the top of the list after a number of months, that person is offered a paid apprenticeship, initially at slightly above minimum wage. The apprenticeship lasts six or more months, as required to train the employee. At the successful completion of the apprenticeship (reached by about 40% of new hires), the employee is given a permanent position.
The success of the Greyston Bakery’s open hiring model has inspired other companies to adopt similar practices. For example, Ben & Jerry’s did an employee swap where Greyston bakers visited Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont to learn more about how their hard work fits into the bigger Ben & Jerry’s story, and likewise, a handful of Ben & Jerry’s employees got to visit the Greyston bakery to see Open Hiring in action in New York.
The company has also launched several programs aimed at helping people overcome barriers to employment. These programs include the Center for Open Hiring at Greyston, which provides training and support for other companies interested in adopting open hiring practices.
Surprisingly, the Bakery has also been able to grow its revenue while operating the Open Hiring Model, working with large customers such as Ben & Jerry’s and Whole Foods.
An impressive example that it’s possible for a business to do well for itself while also supporting its community.
