Giving Compass' Take:

• Mashable reports on the expansion of an Open Hiring program by a bakery in New York, one that brings in employees without requiring a resume or background check.

• Could this recruitment model be scaled to other small businesses? How can nonprofits encourage more inclusive and expansive hiring practices?

• Here are four guiding principles for rethinking your workforce.

After years of exclusion, people with non-traditional work histories are finding new job opportunities thanks to businesses that are embracing more inclusive hiring practices. That approach means that applicants who have experienced homelessness, incarceration, addiction, as well as refugees and those with a pending immigration status, can have a much better shot at meaningful employment.

The trend arguably began decades ago with Open Hiring, a business model pioneered by Greyston Bakery. The commercial bakery, located in Yonkers, New York, produces those chewy chunks you look for in Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream, along with other delicious brownie treats. It also hires people without asking for a resume, interview, or background check.

The inclusive business model has been so successful that the bakery recently launched the Open Hiring Center, a collaborative learning space that "elaborates, improves, and defines" Open Hiring, and aids other companies as they seek to eliminate barriers to employment.

"Our recruitment process is based on the principle of non-judgment and radical inclusion," Mike Brady, president and CEO of Greyston Bakery, said. "We believe every single person coming through the door of Greyston Bakery has the potential to be successful on the job, so we want to offer everyone an opportunity."

Read the full article about open hiring and fair chances by Soraya Ferdman at Mashable.