If you are looking for a driving or warehouse job then Americold might have some career opportunities that might interest you. But do they hire felons? Let’s find out.
Does Americold hire Felons?
Yes. Americold hires felons for certain roles. The hiring decision depends on the type of felony conviction and seriousness of the crime and not every felon will get hired.
Americold does not have an official hiring policy when it comes to recruiting people with a criminal background. They do not have any special programs for hiring felons. However, they have hired felons in the past especially for driving and warehouse jobs.
Americold is an equal opportunity employer and an Affirmative Action Employer. They do not discriminate among applicants on the basis of race, religion, caste, and other factors. We expect the same courtesy to be extended to felons as well. Americold does not ask questions related to criminal history on their initial application form.
This ensures that all applicants are evaluated on the basis of their skills and abilities without any bias or prejudice. However, Americold might ask about criminal records at a later stage of the hiring process. If the person’s record falls within their hiring criteria, Americold might hire them.
Driving jobs can be stressful. working in a confined space for long periods of time and delivering products within the scheduled time can be tiring.
Warehouse jobs are equally stressful as warehouse workers work in long shifts. Employers usually do not hire people with violent histories for stressful jobs as it increases the risk to other employees and customers.
Does Americold run background checks?
Yes. Americold runs background check as a part of they are hiring process. Typically, background checks include information on criminal records, educational records, previous employment records, and credit reports in some cases.
If applying for a driving job, there can be a Department of Transport (DOT) verification. DOT verification report shows any accidents or drug/alcohol abuse incidence that you have been involved in the past seven years.
Background checks are usually conducted after the employee is given a conditional job offer. Employers are required by law to get consent from applicants before running background checks on them.
Usually, the applicant is asked to sign a consent form during the interview. Refusing to sign a consent form can be a good enough cause to deny employment.
A background check can take up to two weeks to complete. If the information provided on the application does not match with a background check report, the job offer may get canceled or retracted.
It is advisable that you be honest and upfront about your criminal records if you are asked about them during an interview. Any information that you try to hide will most likely come out during background checks and it can disqualify your application.
If your records are minor and non-violent, the employer will most likely ask for an explanation before proceeding ahead with the hiring process. Being honest about your record gives you an opportunity to put forward your side of the story and explain the circumstances which lead to your conviction.
Make sure that you highlight any work experience you have in relevant fields. Also, get references from credible people who can vouch for you. This ensures the hiring manager that you are a changed person and ready to work hard to bring about a positive change in your life.
Does Americold conduct drug tests?
Americold conducts drug tests on all its new hires. Usually, drug tests are conducted using urine samples collected after the interview process.
How to get hired at Americold with a felony on record?
Americold provides temperature-controlled warehousing and transportation to food producers, restaurants, schools, and retail outlets such as grocery stores. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Americold owns and operates temperature-controlled warehouses around the world.
They have over 16,000 associates and offer a wide variety of career opportunities – from warehouse forklift operators and supervisors to accounting, administration, business development, customer support, engineering, transportation, and technology solutions positions.
Americold provides employee benefits like medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, disability insurance, life and accidental death and dismemberment (ad&d) insurance, supplemental life insurance, paid time off (PTO) days, holidays, leave of absence (including military leaves), and more
To work at Americold, you can start visiting their careers page and check open vacancies that match your skills. They do not accept resumes or job applications sent via any other means like email or post. You can also get hired at Americold via staffing agencies.
If your application is suitable for the role, you will be called for a personal interview. The interview process depends on the role and can involve multiple rounds. Questions asked in the interview are based on your past experience and job skills. Expect questions like “Why are you the right person for this job?” or “Why should we hire you?”
Final Thoughts
Americold has hired felons in the past and continues to do so. If you have felony records that are not serious or violent in nature or sexual offense, then there is a good chance that you will get hired if you fulfill all the other criteria.