Logical advice to bust your myth – Does Amazon hire Felons?

Amazon does not discriminate among felons and it hires them. YES! You heard it right, they hire felons. However, it all depends on your background check and kind of the criminal record. If you have been convicted of violent crime and your criminal record is less than 7 years it will be difficult to get in Amazon.

Did any of you get the job after convicted of any crime? If you applied for any post and did not get the job, then we will provide the answer to this question in our article.

Also, many of our readers post queries such as what are the options available for felons and have they hired any felons recently for any position?

We have tried to provide a lot of insights about the process at Amazon and we also tried contacting Amazon for more insights. We have collated everything in our article.

Overall, Amazon’s employment policy does not discriminate against individuals with felony convictions. However, your chances of getting hired will depend on some of the factors such as type of conviction and other scenarios too.

Does Amazon Hire Convicted Felons?

Yes! Amazon hires convicted felons but it really depends on case to case and there is no specific rule that they apply to the applicants.

One of my friends was accused of possessing the firearm and he was imprisoned for committing the crime. He got out of jail, three months ago and he was surprisingly hired by Amazon. My friend also used the same ID that he used at the prison at Amazon orientation. If Amazon needs you and they think that you are a credible person, they will hire you at any cost.

Also, Amazon does not have a separate hiring process for felons and they assess everyone on the same job-related parameters. Persons accused of felony charges are run through deep background checks, to assess their character in a better way.

Do they have separate hiring policy for felons?

No! They do not have separate hiring policy for felons and all applications are adjudged on the same criteria.

Does Amazon run background checks?

Yes, Amazon does background checks. Amazon generally checks your background through third-party service providers. They collect your score and assess your behavioral and social traits closely if you have been convicted in the past.

Something to keep in mind regarding background checks:

Here is the link to more details of background details.

Some convictions with which it will be hard to get in

Your hiring will totally depend on your job application and your background check by the company and it varies case by case. However, there are some convictions that will put you in great danger of not being hired. Here are the convictions:

• Theft – Amazon takes theft charges very seriously, as they have a lot of products that belong to the customer and even small damage will tarnish the image of the company
• Identity theft/fraudulent use of a credit card — Certain positions have access to personal data such as credit card information.
• Violent or harassment charges – Amazon pays a lot of attention to violence charges as a lot of roles involve direct customer interaction and Amazon is always cautious before hiring for these roles.
• Any driving offense — if you have committed any offense related to driving then you will face a lot of restraint in getting the job for the work that involves delivery or use of vehicle and even if they hire you for any other role, you will have to go through the drug test.

Type of jobs available for felons

There is a lot number of jobs that you can apply to in Amazon. Most of the people accused of felony charges most likely apply to warehouse positions, but it is more likely dependent on the kind of charges you have been through in the past. If you have worse charges, the worse chances of getting a job you have.

If you have been charged for theft in the past, then you will be most likely not allowed to apply or get interviewed for the position that involves the safety of money or data.

So, try not to commit any crime in the first place and you will have a whole lot of freedom.

If you have been in problem in the past due to crime related to driving or driving infractions, then it is highly unlikely that you will get a job in the department where you are required to drive and along with it, Amazon will also ask you to get the drug test, so that they get to know about your drinking habits at the time of job application.

For the people with felony cases in the past there are a few jobs available:

1. There are some in which neither you have to deal with the money nor some other sensitive information nor you have to be in touch with other people. These jobs just require you to stay at home and perform your duties. These kinds of jobs present a good opportunity for you.
2. Warehousing jobs also do not require you to interact with the customers and most of the people with felony charges are having higher chances of getting hired here, due to no interaction with money and sensitive data.

Again it is up to Amazon to decide the position that you are eligible for and they will decide this only after reviewing your job application.

How can you better your chance of getting hired at Amazon?

Here is the link that will help you more understand different factors for felons searching for jobs.

Factors affecting hiring possibilities for ex-felons

Type of conviction

Most of the hiring for felons in Amazon depends upon the severity of charge that is upon you.

For instance, if you have been charged with theft, drug-related abuse, rape, and other violent crimes; you will not be hired by the company.

If you have been charged with any type of violent crimes, sex-related crimes, theft, and drug-related crimes you will most likely not be hired.

However, no one stops you from applying at the Amazon and you should keep applying, as it will increase your chances of hiring.

Type of conviction alone is not enough to deny or allow a job at Amazon, another factor that influences the hiring is the longevity of your record. We have described it below.

How long you have had a criminal record

Many states in the US do not allow the employers to have access to the records that are older than 7 years and it is a great advantage for a lot of people who have been convicted. Also, a lot of employers will ask you if you have committed any felony in last 7 years and if you have not committed any felony in last 7 years then you have a lot of chances of getting hired.

How to get hired if you are a felon?

Some things can be done to help you get hired at Amazon. When you take the time to learn more about the position, it can help you decide if this is a job you can do.

Other important factor is the time since you have been convicted of the felony charges. You will have to show the proof of fulfillment of charges against you and show them that a decent amount of time has passed since you have been charged.

Another factor that can help you in getting hired is being honest at your background test and clearing the drug test. These two will show that you are a credible employee and company can trust you with the role that they are giving you.

You should also allow the company to test you for the use of drugs in a random fashion so that they trust you with all the information and you will also have greater chances of being at the job.

Conclusion

Amazon does not restrict the ones convicted with any crimes from jobs completely. However, the company will do a proper background check before you are hired, and if they find that you have fulfilled the felony charges, and then you are good to go.

Here is the link to some of the warehousing jobs at Amazon.

You can also contact the company directly but they will hardly answer your query clearly and you will have to resort to employee testimonials.

We have covered most of the information about the question – Does Amazon hire felons?

If you have any other question similar to this one, you can submit your feedback or connect with us, we will try our best to include that in the next article.

Do check out our other articles: Walmart Department Manager Job Description and How long does it take to get hired at Walmart?