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Richmond Baking says second‑chance hires now 10% of workforce, boost retention and promotions
Summary
Barbara Aker of Richmond Baking told the broadcast that second‑chance hires account for about 10% of her workforce, have produced internal referrals, stronger retention and promotions, and have changed company culture.
Richmond Baking and its More Than a Bakery operation report concrete workforce gains after intentionally hiring people with records or recovery histories, human resources director Barbara Aker said.
"This makes up about 10% of our workforce currently," Aker said, describing a referral stream that followed the company's early hires. She added that nearly all those hires have been promoted once or twice within the bakery and that retention improved after the company intentionally recruited from partner organizations.
Aker said the program began as a personal effort—she cited a family loss to opioid addiction—and required management conversations to address fear and uncertainty. She described policy changes to accommodate court dates and drug‑screening appointments and a 'vision, mission, values' meeting where new hires share their stories with colleagues, which she said helped build a recovery‑friendly culture.
