Earlier this year, the group launched a new recruitment program, The Open Hiring, aimed at reducing discrimination in hiring. Building on its success, The Body Shop North America plans to expand its human resources practices throughout the U.S.
Fairness for all is the ambition of The Open Hiring. The Body Shop has been experimenting with a way of hiring that is far from the accepted standard. The group explains that recruiters select the first candidate on the list (in order of application date) for a face-to-face discussion. During this discussion, candidates are briefed on the positions to be filled, the company’s history, and the roles and responsibilities. Next, interested candidates are asked three questions to confirm that they are eligible and physically capable of filling the role:
• Are you legally allowed to work in this country?
• Can you lift up to 30 pounds and work up to 8 hours a day?
• Why do you want to work in a customer-facing role?
“Our mission is to replace scrutiny with trust, focusing on a person’s potential rather than their history. In our distribution center, we hire on the spot, allowing candidates to tour the facility and be quickly assigned to a position. We also hold job fairs in unemployment offices, shopping malls and other locations to make hiring opportunities even more accessible,” the group explains. “This means that the first applicant to apply gets the next available …
