Last year, The Body Shop, a global retailer that employs 2,000 people across North America, hired more than 200 seasonal hires for its distribution center. Candidates were just asked three questions: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.? Can you stand for up to eight hours? Can you lift over 50 pounds?
Anyone responding yes to all three questions was hired on the spot. No resumes needed. No high school degree. No background checks. No drug screening.
The company is defying tradition by embracing “open hiring,” a business model developed in 1982 by the Greyston Bakery in New York, which also supports the Center for Open Hiring to help other companies adopt its strategy. The idea is to help people find a job who lack a high school degree, served time in prison or face other employment barriers.
“We exist to fight for a fair and more beautiful world,” says Trish Patton, head of people, North America, at The Body Shop. “We got calls saying, ‘Are you really not doing drug screening and background checks?’ Then once the word got out, we filled all our requirements earlier than we normally would.” FULL ARTICLE