Milling & Baking News - March 13, 2018 - 31

Industry Activities

Bakers fill workforce gap with non-traditional
candidates, including ex-convicts
CHICAGO - As the wholesale baking industry navigates
the workforce gap, more and more companies are coming
up with creative staffing and seeking out workers from
some unlikely places. At the American Society of Baking (A.S.B.)'s BakingTech conference, Genevieve Martin,
executive director, Dave's Killer Bread (D.K.B.) Foundation, Milwaukie, Ore., and Jeff Anderson, vice-president
of purchasing and operations for Chicago-based Eli's
Cheesecake Co., shared their best practices in hiring nontraditional workers.
D.K.B.'s model for hiring ex-convicts originated with
the company's founder's brother, Dave, who after four
stints in prison, went to work at the family
bakery and was tasked with making bread
cool again.
A few years later, in looking for capable
people who were willing to show up on time
and put in a hard day's work, the bakery
collaborated with local groups that helped
people returning from incarceration gain em- Martin
ployment in the community.
"We decided we needed to partner more meaningfully
and help figure out how we can play a role in helping these
individuals be more successful," Ms. Martin said.
Today, of more than 250 employees, almost 40% have a
felony conviction in their past.
"They perform remarkably well, so I'd like
to debunk some of the misconceptions about
hiring them as part of the workforce," Ms.
Martin said. "In general, these employees
just want to come to work; they want to do
the job, make a paycheck and return home to
their families, just like everyone else."
Anderson
Likewise, Eli's Cheesecake also looked to
alternative resources to fill many positions at the bakery.
"We pride ourselves on being an inclusive manufacturer," Mr. Anderson said. "Being located in Chicago, we have
access to a very diverse workforce, and we believe very
strongly in tapping into that, particularly in terms of nontraditional pathways."
About 10% of Eli's staff consists of refugees and individuals with cognitive disabilities and hearing impairments through partnerships with organizations such as
Refugee One.
Ms. Martin noted that the first step is shift in mindset
over the readiness of non-traditional potential employees.
"We don't have a special program for these candidates,"
she said. "What we have is a special commitment and a
special dedication to making sure anyone on our team, regardless of background, is successful. It starts with finding
the best fit for the job, and sometimes that means the person is going to come from a non-traditional background,
whether that's a felony conviction or coming to our country
as a refugee or even a military veteran."
The D.K.B. hiring process is the same for all candidates,
but within the pipeline of workers with felony convictions,
the company looks for two specific criteria: ownership and
accountability for the actions that were taken that led to the
conviction and what the candidate has been doing since.
"We don't need to know the details of your background,
but we need to know who you were then and how you've
changed," Ms. Martin said. "If a person can hit those two nails
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

on the head, you're a good bet for us, and we'll take you in."
Neither company has had to work hard to publicize their
programs; through word of mouth and partnering with
agencies, D.K.B. and Eli's have had access to a whole new
talent pool.
"Once you place that first person and it goes well, it's
amazing how the communication starts going back and
forth," Mr. Anderson said. "It's almost like it's a gateway
for hiring more associates."
In fact, Mr. Anderson noted that a large portion of employees in leadership roles at Eli's - ones who have been
with the company 15 or 20 years - are those with a refugee
background.
While open mindedness is key to developing a non-traditional workforce, it's also important to be cognizant of how
much of their stories employees are comfortable sharing.
"We don't share that information at all," Ms. Martin said.
"It's not our business or the business of anyone on our
team, but if individuals want to share their story, they're
more than welcome to."
D.K.B. offers those with felony backgrounds opportunities to share their story through platforms such as speaker
panels, but those are strictly optional. In terms of privacy,
the information is treated in a similar manner to a medical
condition. MBN

Since 1929, Knappen Milling Company
has been producing soft wheat
products that have been exceeding
customers' expectations. Throughout
the years we have expanded our
milling capabilities and product mix to
meet our expanding customer needs.
Today we mill soft white and red
wheat ﬂour and clean soft white, red,
and hard red wheats. Let us put our
expertise to work for you. Get exactly
what you are looking for in a miller.

KNAPPEN MILLING COMPANY
110 S. Water Street | Augusta, MI 49012
269-731-4141 or 1-800-KNAPPEN | Fax: 269-731-5441
www.knappen.com

Milling & Baking News

March 13, 2018 / 31

http://www.knappen.com http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - March 13, 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milling & Baking News - March 13, 2018