YONKERS, NY — At the World Economic Forum, also known as Davos 2023, Joseph Kenner, president and CEO of Greyston, was named a Social Innovator of the Year by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Onstage at Davos — named for the town in Switzerland where the forum takes place — Kenner shared with the global business community the need for all industries to embrace the concept of open hiring, a trademark of Greyston.
Kenner identified open hiring as a key tool in addressing the dramatically changing labor market. Greyston, known for producing brownies used in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, is also known for pioneering the open hiring policy, which offers work on a first-come, first-hired basis with no interviews, background checks or resumes.
Although open hiring has been a pillar of Greyston’s mission since the company’s inception, its value was further illuminated during the pandemic and the labor shortages that soon followed.
“The pandemic revealed deep structural inequalities in society, and it has become increasingly clear that traditional hiring practices are not working for many people,” Kenner said. “This recognition highlights the need to change how hiring is done, and it comes at a time when the world is facing a growing need to disrupt the employment process.”
The US Chamber of Commerce has identified the food sector as an industry with the most job openings. Greyston’s hiring model has proven that providing access to people who are willing and able to work is a viable way to help companies grow and prosper. In turn, it allows these individuals the opportunity to thrive in a rapidly changing economic environment.
