Hired's 55th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to us! For over 55 years, Hired has been making a huge impact on the lives of individuals and their families in the Twin Cities!  

Hired was founded in 1968 by ex-offenders in the Twin Cities. They aimed to offer peer counseling to others re-entering society from incarceration to gain employment. Overcoming the barriers to employment has been at the core of the organization's values since its founding. The first person employed by Hired who was not an ex-offender was Stan Kano in 1971. Kano became the head of the organization and under his leadership, board representation was broadened, and foundation and corporate support was obtained.

The first Hired location was originally located near Cedar and Franklin Avenue, before relocating to a more permanent location at Nicollet Mall in the early 1970s. Originally called HIRE, an acronym that stood for Helping Industry Recruit Ex-Offenders, the name was switched in 1976, becoming HIRED, or Helping Industry Resolve Employment Disabilities. This would last until 1991, when the acronym was dropped and it began to be called Hired as we know it today.

A lot has changed since we started, but a few things remain the same: Our mission to nurture purpose and advance economic opportunity for all through individualized employment and career services, empower people and families while creating an inclusive and prepared workforce, and put people first no matter what.

Thank you to everyone who has made Hired what it is today!

Stan Kano, former head of Hired

Original Hired acronym/logo, 1976