In season four of Since Sliced Bread, we’ve told the story of how Greyston Bakery uses open hiring to gain loyal workers from populations typically barred from employment. In this week’s episode, we hear about how Main Street Gourmet has partnered with the International Institute of Akron to hire from another untapped labor pool: refugees resettled in the United States.
In 2008, the International Institute of Akron was providing Main Street Gourmet resources and interpretation for its foreign-born employees, but when the company hired a young woman being resettled in Akron, Kelly Loebick-Frascella, director of human resources, Main Street Gourmet, said it was an epiphany moment.
“We took a chance on giving her a job, and that was when the lightbulb went off that there could be more to this,” she said. “And that young woman is still employed with us today. She’s a line leader now and she’s done an amazing job.”
Today, approximately 42% of Main Street Gourmet’s workers are immigrants or refugees, represented by 16 countries. International Institute of Akron continues to provide the company and its workforce with the support and resources needed for successful hiring and retention.
Hear what hiring from refugee populations entails and how it can benefit the bakery in this week’s episode of Since Sliced Bread.
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