Is It Hard to Get a Job at Walgreens with a Felony?

The world used to be a hard place for ex-convicted felons that were trying to start a new life. They had no laws to protect them or to ensure fair practices, thus leading to undesirable discrimination against them. This made it extremely hard for ex-felons to get back up on their feet and start a new life. Since then, the world has come a long way, new laws and policies have been enforced across many states.

These laws and policies help prevent discrimination against convicted felons which makes it much easier to start over a new life. Many companies on the market have dedicated recruiting and training programs for successfully released felons. These companies provide additional mental and financial support to ensure that ex-felons don’t have to fall back into the world of crime.

As an ex-felon, if you are looking to work in a company like Walgreens and are wondering if they hire convicted felons or not, then this is the right place for you. This detailed article offers in-depth information gathered across the Internet. The sources of information here are from scouring websites, contacting employers, finding the right answers, testimonials and much more. This way you can get all the right answers that you are looking for in one single place.

Company Overview

Walgreens is a retail chain of American pharmacy stores that is available across the country. The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois more than 100 years ago back. They boast around 9,277 stores in 50 states. This makes them the second-largest pharmacy chain in the United States. Apart from getting your selling countertop medicines, Walgreens also specializes in filling prescriptions, health products, photo services and much more. In 2014, the company acquired the 50% stake in Alliance Boots and founded Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Walgreens became one of the subsidiaries of this newly established company. Its headquarters is in Deerfield, Illinois.

As of 2019, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. hired more than 440,000 employees and operates over 18,750 stores in 11 countries. Particularly for the drugstore retail chain, Walgreens employed more than 230,000 people. Of these, approximately 110,000 part-time employees work less than 30 hours a week. Thus, the company offers many entry-level jobs. These jobs come with a number of perks that will help you start a new life and career with ease.

Job Profiles at Walgreens

The average hourly wage at Walgreens ranges from approximately $10.75 per hour for Sales Associate to $43.10 per hour for Pharmacists. Common jobs at Walgreens are Customer Service Representative, Pharmacy Technician, Cashier and Beauty Consultant. You can see some jobs and their corresponding salaries in the table below.

Will Walgreens Hire You?

To be straightforward, Walgreens does not have any specific policy on whether it hires former felons and criminals or not. But there is no cause to worry. Many companies have changed their internal policies to accommodate former felons. Even though this may not be visible on the surface, Walgreens is known to have hired former felons in the past without any discrimination which seems to be a good indication for you. The company’s simple hiring process does not discriminate between its applicants. This ensures that you will have a fair shot at the position at hand.

Ban-the-Box Initiative and Fair Chance Business Pledge

Ban-the-Box is a campaign that urges potential employers to remove intrusive questions from the job application. Removing such questions from the first stage of the hiring process helps eliminate any room for bias or judgment. This ensures that your application will be screened just like other applicants. Also, there is a pledge, called Fair-Chance-Business, in which employers pledge to provide an equal working environment to all its employees regardless of their age, color, gender or criminal history.

Unfortunately, Walgreens is not known to have signed up with either of these campaigns. But this does not mean that you should lose hope. Testimonials of past employees painted a pretty picture of an equal rights working environment and an unbiased hiring process. Furthermore, many companies that hired ex-felons are not on this list. This way the evidence suggests that you have equal chances of getting selected by Walgreens if you submit your application.

Most employers appreciate honesty and straightforwardness which is why you should be to the point and precise with your job application. If selected and asked about your past in the interview round, you should truthfully answer the question without revealing too many personal details. This will help you develop trust with your employer which will help you a lot in the long run.

Does Walgreens Do Background Checks?

Yes, Walgreens does background checks after you have been shortlisted for a position. The company conducts a background check of up to the past 7 years on potential employees in states that include California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New-Hampshire, New York, Texas & Washington. On the other hand, states like Alaska, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan will not be looking at your guilty verdicts which can be beneficial for many ex-felons.

The rest of the states that have not been mentioned above, are known to conduct thorough background checks on you for the past 10 years. Walgreens will also take into consideration the verdict of all the cases on your record when evaluating for a potential vacancy in these states.

According to past employees, Walgreens only hires ex-felons as a Customer Service Associate and nothing more. Besides, there are a few other reports that the company does not offer any benefits and any promotion opportunities to ex-felons. Although this might seem disheartening, this can still be a great starting point for you. Work experience that you will gain at Walgreens if you are selected, will help you get a much better job with another employer in the future.

How to Get Hired at Walgreens With a Felony?

There are always some steps you can take to improve your chances of being successful in your job hunt. To start with, most job applications start from a form that is the first point of contact with your employer. You can start making your impression from this step which will help you stand out from the crowd. To this end, the compilation below is a list of potential tips that can help you improve your chances of a selection by Walgreens.

These tips include information pertaining to Walgreens as well as general tips that you can use elsewhere as well. So if your job application does not go through with Walgreens, you can always try someplace else that has dedicated hiring programs for former felons. So explore the steps you need to take for a successful hire!

1. Refine Your Resume

If you are a former felon looking for a potential job at Walgreens, then you need to pay extra attention to the content of your resume. Walgreens does not have a specific public policy on hiring former felons. This makes it even more important for you to clear up your resume and make it look professional.

You should remove all the extra information, include all your achievements and list all your past employers. This way Walgreens can get to know you by a super crisp, clean and professional looking resume that is great for making a first impression.

2. Be Truthful

Many people believe that lying on your resume and job application increases the chances of you getting the job but that is simply not true. Most employers conduct background checks and get in touch with your previous employers to get a better sense of your personality. In case your resume or job application has intentional inaccuracies, chances of employment are dim and your reputation will also suffer.

This, in turn, might affect your current job, which you might lose. Furthermore, it will also significantly reduce your chances of future hiring as well. On the other hand, being truthful about your mistakes and shortcomings will make you seem like a straightforward and honest person to your employer. This will increase your chances of getting hired as honesty is a virtue that many employers value the most, especially if you are an ex-felon.

3. Dress Right, Prepare & Practice

If you get past the first stage of hiring with the help of the above tips, then you probably will attend a face-to-face interview. In this case, it would be a good idea to dress appropriately and hide your tattoos if you have any. You should also remove piercings and act professionally.

If you look and dress the part, then it would be much easier for the employer to envision you for the position at hand. Furthermore, you should Google some testimonials to get a feel for the most commonly asked questions by Walgreens. This will help calm your nerves. The knowledge you gain will help practice your answers which can significantly improve your chances of hiring.

All in all, Walgreens is a great place to work that offers an equal opportunity working environment for all its employees. This guide aims to answer most of your basic questions. This will help you prepare better for a potential job at Walgreens.

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