Alex Lee, Inc.’s Post

“We don’t hire people to bake brownies, we bake brownies to hire people.” I've posted about Greyston Bakery before, having met CEO Joseph Kenner at an event in Rome, but their "Open Hiring" approach is so novel that it came back into view again this year and is worth sharing. At Greyston, job seekers put their name on a list and when the next opening comes up, they get the job, no questions asked, no background checks or anything. What they are doing is unlocking human potential through inclusive employment. The magic question: how does a 40 year old company that bakes brownies for Unilever, Ben & Jerry's’s and Whole Foods Market keep their standards high enough to meet stringent customer requirements with this kind of hiring policy? A lot of it has to do with gratitude and loyalty. Greyston employees in many instances have been given a second chance at life, and they deliver because they're proud to have an opportunity that no one else was prepared to give them. This comes together in a magical way: employee engagement, profitability and social responsibility working hand in hand. It’s very courageous and bold, it's also very impactful. And who doesn't like brownies? Applying our minds, what other industries could this work in? Check out https://www.greyston.org/ if you want to learn more... #openhiring #animarem #consciousbusiness #strategy #purpose Conscious Capitalism, Inc. B for Good Leaders B Lab U.S. & Canada

The cashier at my local Publix rang these up for me—a bit amazed that I was buying the all-black jelly beans. He asked me if I knew what I was buying. “Yes” He asked me if I actually liked them. “Yes. I wait for them all year” He said I had never met anyone who liked the black licorice jelly beans. “Well, now you have” If he'd asked one more question, “Why do you wait for them all year?” he would have learned they were also my grandpa’s favorite and that I bought him a bag every year since the first year I had a job. Now I buy them in his memory, fondly remember enjoying them with him while we sat at the dining room table and watched the spring songbirds nest in the birdhouses he'd built in his backyard. A good lesson in talent acquisition… be genuinely curious. I get it... time is of the essence in so many ways. But in taking the time to learn the things your candidate didn't include in their resume, you can start to determine if the role they've applied for fits their needs... or if they're better suited to something neither of you'd considered before. And, suffice to say, since #YouAreWhoYouHire, you're growing yourself as well as your candidate. Sow your seeds (or jelly beans) and see what grows. #HiringWithoutBoundaries #TalentAcquisition #Recruiting #HiringForSkills #RelationshipBuilding #Networking

Post Expo seems like a great time for this. Allow me to reintroduce myself...my name is Wade Yenny, and I'm looking for my next professional opportunity/journey. Born and raised in Ohio, I spent the first part of my career in the restaurant business. Starting as a short order cook in high school and working my way into salaried management while still only 18 years old. I learned all aspects of that business, from front of house, to back of house, managing, and culminating in me actually owning my own restaurant for over 2 years. I transitioned into the grocery business with the same mindset. I needed/wanted to learn all areas of that business, so I spent a full year working every area of Center Store (and beyond). Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, Beer/Wine, Receiving, Night Stock, Merchandising, Cashier, Carryout--you name it-I did it. Eventually, I was promoted to be a salaried Grocery Manager. I made the move to corporate buying about 20 years ago and have worked with a variety of companies ranging from 4 stores to 161, covering formats from family owned conventional to high end natural organic to focused specialty. I've held various positions from Buyer to Vice President, and have been promoted at every company along the way, all the while building people, relationships, and brands. I've been asked...what do I want to do next? I've said I'm open to any/all conversations, but at the core, I want to do what I do best... Develop and Build. -People. -Relationships (both internal and external). -Brands. That's me in a nutshell...so... Do you want to #workwithwade? Or...do you know of an opportunity that might be a good fit? Reach out...and let's talk. “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take”  -Wayne Gretzky #grocery #cpg #sales #retail #crawlwalkrun

Meet Caleb! One of our dedicated Baristas in our Pyrmont Support Centre ☕ We sat down with Caleb to talk about his career journey and why he loves working at Hanes: Q: How did you get your job at Hanes?  A: AimBig Employment helped me on my job search. I've had two other barista roles previously before getting my current role at Hanes. Q: How did you find the recruitment and onboarding process? A: Everyone was really helpful, I transitioned into the role very easily and felt very welcome. I was given a tour of the office and got to help figure out a good spot for the coffee machine with the support of my job coach. Overall the process was quick and easy which I really liked. Q: What's your favourite part about your role and working at Hanes? A: Getting to meet and talk to lots of new people all the time. I like making coffees for the friends I've made and get to hear about their day-to-day. I've also enjoyed having the chance to set up systems and routines that work for me in my role, I feel like my own boss a little bit! Q: Do you have any advice for anyone with a disability who's starting a new job? A: Be happy and open to feedback, I always ask if anything I'm doing can be improved so I can do the best job possible. #beingoodcompany #goodpeople #goodimpact #goodcareers

What was your first job? Mine was at a Fabric and Haberdashery shop at age 16. I asked my team this question, here's what we found out: Someone helped their parent at a weekend market stall, another at McDonalds, a few waited tables. A short and sweet glimpse into shared - or varied - experience. Ice Breakers are fun. I'm telling you. You learn so much! You may even try asking your customers or friends. Could lead to a very interesting conversation. Tell me, what was your first job? Why did you love it or loathe it? #teambuilding #icebreakers #customersuccess #workculture #myfirstjob

As many of you know my bro Luke was the People & Culture Manager at Supie. That means this week I have had a front row seat to a show no-one wants to watch. Luke's career path was up the Ops ladder, before he morphed into People & Culture - because he genuinely cares about both people and culture. This makes him a very hands on, practical and loyal person to have at a start up like Supie. Not only has he hired people, he has worked alongside them at literally all hours of the day, night and weekend doing whatever needs to be done. But above all else he cares. A lot. The last couple of days I’ve seen him worry far more about everyone else than himself. They’re all hurting, and many are understandably angry, but Luke is still working so hard to do whatever he can for them. So I have a few asks: 🙋♀️ If you know of any opportunities, especially in South Auckland, that might be suitable for any of the Supie team, or can offer any other help, then send him a DM. 🤗 If you’re hiring a Supie person, be understanding that they haven’t had time to process this and are job hunting while worrying about paying the bills - that’s a lot. 👉 He's focusing on others, but it's a sister's job to look out for him - so let him know of any Ops/People & Culture Manager opportunities in the Waikato (or remote).  He can offer a lot - especially to a growth company. He’s awesome at finding a path through chaos, and getting sh*t done while growing your culture alongside it. 🌲 If you’re into the outdoors then give him a follow - he’s got big ideas about combining his love for the outdoors with people and culture and he posts lovely photos that cleanse your feed. 🙌 Give kudos to Supie’s founder Sarah. I don’t know Sarah, but from all I’ve heard there is no-one that wanted this to work more. As a founder trying to disrupt a tough market there is no doubt that she and everyone at Supie have worked bloody hard and should be proud of what they did achieve. Whilst it hasn't worked this time and that hurts - Sarah has driven important conversations and made a difference to those who will hopefully follow in her footsteps. Supie has been purpose driven from the start and walked the talk on sustainability. As a female founder seeking investment in this market the research suggests she’s also likely had an uphill battle on that front. All of that deserves kudos even if it hasn’t worked out. 🧡 When commenting on what feels like a faceless article remember that there are humans that are hurting that can’t help but read the comments. 👍 Give a shout out to awesome humans like Mandy Mella who’ve already jumped in to help out, and those with kind words and check ins. 🤑 Buy from a start up that's giving it a crack - it makes a difference to the humans behind it. I can already hear Luke saying “Sis you can shut up now” - so that's it from me, other than sharing a hope is that good things come to the good humans impacted by this crappy situation. 🧡

Opportunity

The first job I had was repo/demo, then I went on to do framing/flooring, then general contracting (under a contractor), Nordstrom rack (Westlake aka a store clerk nightmare), then Nordstrom selling shoes, then bartending. I also washed dishes throughout college. Here are the biggest 2 takeaways from working customer service and physical labor jobs: 1) When you work a job that is physically challenging that you do not necessarily enjoy, it teaches tenacity and humility. 2) When you work a job that requires you to cater towards people in this world it opens your eyes to how difficult it is to be a server, store clerk, or any other role in customer service. You become a more empathetic person. Both of these lessons have had a major impact on who I am as a person, how I treat others, and how I go about business now.

A few things I’ve learned while working at Costco Wholesale is that I have to stay consistent, focus on working, and finish all my tasks. The reasoning for all this is to leave a good impression on managers and supervisors so you can be their first pick for anything that can come up. I think I would be happy with my performance if I was my manager, because I am always trying my hardest to do my work. Three career goals I can set for myself is to continue working hard, help out the company in a positive way, and influence those around me to do better. Some things I can consider doing to go above and beyond at my job is to push more carts, see if there’s any other job positions I can use training in, and do my best work. #RiverRidgeWBL #GeorgiaWBLworks