Bumped into this fascinating story of Greyston Bakery that uses the practice of open hiring (I swear I Googled the term to find relevant sources that’ll give me insights into the actual meaning and origin of the practice… couldn’t find any)! The concept is pretty simple — first come, first hired. No questions asked.
Around 25 years ago, Ty Hookway, founder of the upstate New York-based janitorial services company CleanCraft, was driving past one of their client’s houses when he noticed one of his workers’ cars parked in front. It was late–around 11 p.m.–so Hookway stopped to check in and see if everything was okay. Inside, he saw Sanford Coley, a man he’d recently hired, vacuuming. It was hot, and Coley was wearing shorts, not the CleanCraft uniform pants, and when Hookway looked down he noticed a band around Coley’s ankle. “I didn’t know what it was, so I asked him, and he told me it was an ankle monitor.” Years earlier, Coley had robbed a bank.
“We did background checks–I don’t know how I missed it,” Hookway says. But Coley was a good worker and trustworthy; Hookway didn’t want to fire him. So he didn’t. Today, Coley is a manager at CleanCraft.
I invite you to read the story in its entirety. You won’t regret it. If this inspires you, my job as a curator is worth the time and effort that I put in.
Do pass it on to the ones who would care enough to appreciate second chances.