Most of the time, felons remained unemployed because of their past dishonest behavior. Most of them become a completely-changed human being and can be safe to hire. But, their records stand as a barrier in their career. It is bad that the ex-felons are not given a second chance to rectify their mistakes. However, if you are convicted of some felony in the past and facing troubles to find a job, here is good news for you. There some temp agencies that hire felons and provide you with a handsome salary. With these agencies, you can find different jobs based on your merits and ability.
What is a Temp Agency?
A temp agency is a firm often known as a staffing agency or temp service. This firm or organization works as a third person between employers and employees. It contracts with companies that are in search of temporal or seasonal workers. As a payback, these temp agencies charge an amount for their services. Mostly, the temp agencies focus on the industrial organizations in case of hiring employees. Nevertheless, they can also arrange recruitments in the fields like hospitality or health care center. If you show enough efficiency in the given task, the temporary job, the employers can assign you into a permanent job.
How Does Temporary Employment Work?
If you are looking for a job with the temp agencies, there are a few steps that you need to take care of. Your very first job is to apply with them. Thereby, you have to choose a specific job role that fits you. After that, you need to bring your CV and undergo a simple interview round. You may also have to pass other certain steps that the hiring company requires.
Once you qualify the interview round, the agency will notify you of their willingness to employ you. After that, you need to sign an agreement paper with that company. Once they assign you, they will search for potential jobs as per your knowledge. Whereas if you get selected in the first place, you do not need to face any interview with the company employer. All you need is to start working under them.
The position in which you will be working as per your contract paper may last for a couple of months or even for a few years. After the assignment is over, they will hire you in another job position according to your skills. In a few cases, if the services you provide satisfy your employer, they may end up giving you a permanent job.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that when your job contract is expired, contact the agency. Inform the agency about your job status and they will help you out by giving you new jobs. Every week new jobs are posted and if you check in frequently the chance of your recruitment will be high.
How Much Can You Earn?
After getting a job, your salary will be fixed ground on little information regarding job positions, and working hours. For example, if you are working under a company as an electrician, then you will be getting paid an average between $15.84 and $28.4 per hour. Or if you are recruited as a commercial driver, your hourly wage will be approximately $14.81 to $28.59. The writers are paid up to around $35.14. From the beginning of your job, you may earn a less salary, but after gaining experience in your position, your salary will increase.
Besides, staffing agencies will charge about 20-50% of your salary from companies that ask the agencies to find employees for their needs. Because of the high fees, these staffing agencies will quickly find jobs for you. That is an advantage for you.
Do Temp Agencies Run a Criminal Background Check?
In major cases, temporary agencies go through a background record including criminal records, fraud employment, etc. Nevertheless, if the hirers like you and your skills, the chances of their being merciful rises. If you fit perfectly in their job position, there are certain possibilities of hiring you. However, few agencies check the criminal record of a person for the past seven years. So, make sure to confess everything true during the interview. Being honest may help you to secure a job and to maintain a good relationship with the company.
List of Temp Agencies that Work with Felons
Few temp agencies are lenient with the felons and provide them with decent jobs if they are eligible for the post. Some of these companies include:
1. Adecco
It is one of the most popular and largest agencies that hire ex-felons. This agency has opened several branches in different states. The job opportunities you will get with this agency include human resources, customer service, call centers, industrial service, retail, office and clerical position, hospitality and much more. Over 10,000 workers are working here happily with this agency. It offers you both permanent and temporal jobs according to your needs
2. Dillard & Associate Staffing
This particular agency is only designed for ex-felons. And this agency even offers them resources such as helping in resume writing, etc. Thus, if you are looking for a felon-hiring agency, this can be a worthy option. Apply here for a better future ahead.
3. Express Employment
This agency is extremely felon friendly and hired lots of eligible felons. The process of recruiting is also simple. They might ask you simple questions regarding the job interview and about your past crime. After that, they will do a random background check and drug test to confirm the truth of your response. After all these you are good to work with them.
4. Oasis Outsourcing
This agency runs a medium-sized business and is said for the bulk-hiring of the felons. They recruit felons after a former interview and drug test. Once you pass, you can work with them under certain terms and conditions.
5. ExpressPross
This famous agency has more than 800 branches worldwide and has hired more than 500,000 people so far. Due to this massive recruitment, you can be enough lucky to get employed here. With this agency, you will receive job offers in the fields such as commercial driver, maintenance worker, packaging or shipping, finance and much more. Similar to other agencies, you will have to pass the interview as well as the drug test.
6. Kelly Services
Another global agency that hires ex-offenders is Kelly services. It has spread its branches throughout the world. About 500,000 employees get recruitment in the agency and they can build their careers in the fields of call centers, construction, repairs, transportation, food services, hospitality, food services, etc.
7. Staffmark
It is counted among the top agencies in the US that work with ex-cons in several fields. Over 40,000 employees are assigned new temporary jobs every week by this agency. These jobs are usually short-term; however, your chance of getting jobs is much higher.
8. The Reserves Network
This agency was first launched in 1984 and has its branches in 16 different states nowadays. The company’s customers are diverse, from Fortune 500 companies to growing small companies. The Reserves Network may offer suitable jobs to ex-offenders such as general labor, food services, machine operator, construction, commercial driver, etc. Besides, it also offers a wide range of benefits and a flexible approach to finding your job.
9. CareerCo
This agency has a cool way of recruiting workers in different job fields. They run a job matching system renowned as WOOF. This WOOF surveys your preference, interests, skills, experience, and location. After that, based on this information, they assign you a suitable job.
10. PrideStaff
This is one of the renowned felon-friendly agencies. This company is very responsible. It is willing to find workplaces for ex-prisoners if they meet job requirements. If you want to apply for this agency, you have to sit for an interview. After you passed the interview, you can get jobs in fields such as IT sectors, hospitality, general labor, customer service, food production, manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and many others. Moreover, around 201 to 500 employees are working for this well-known agency now.
11. Pirate Staffing
This agency recruits employees who can work as an assistant or labor. Mostly, they look for workers for industrial companies. You may secure jobs in plumbing, food service, order puller, skilled trades, warehousing, forklift operators, assembly, caterers, restoration, etc. If you do not have much experience and lack of training, Pirate Staffing is probably the best place for you to apply.
12. Aerotek Recruiting
Aerotek Recruiting is a popular agency that has branches all over in the US. It has more than 300,000 contract employees and serves 17,000 clients each year. The jobs that this company can find for you are very diverse, however, mainly focused on the industrial sector. Besides, an interesting thing that you should know is its goal for the past 30 years – “to bring great people and great organizations together“.
13. Manpower
Manpower is a multinational corporation on the Fortune 500 list. It is the third-largest staffing company in the world, behind only Adecco and Randstad. However, this company only works with people whose felony must be more than 7 years. For applying, you have to give proof of your felony record as well as a drug test. If you pass all the steps of the interview, they will find jobs that suit your skill sets. The jobs you can expect to get are product distribution and shipping service, agricultural work, restaurant, and catering service, trade and services, hospitality and many more.
14. Westaff
This agency is great for employing ex-felons since its inception. At present, it has around 75 franchises located across the US. Just like other agencies, you have to go through several assessments to be hired. After passing these assessments, you can easily get a job with a decent wage. Some of the jobs they regularly offer are warehouse workers, machine operators, and assemblers. An intriguing part of this agency is it employs both skilled and unskilled workers in many job fields.
15. Aramark
The agency named Aramark is well known for its massive recruitment of workers in a wide range of fields. Beyond 270,000 labors work with this organization merrily. You may find jobs in healthcare services, hospitality, food production, catering services, manufacturing, etc.
16. Artisan Talent
Although it’s only a small company compared to the other companies on the list, you should give it a try if it can give you good chances. This unique agency locates its offices in various places like Washington D.C, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Rockford, Auburn, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, etc. It offers ex-offenders with jobs in the sphere of digital marketing, coding, and other fields. Once getting recruited, you can even manage to get a permanent job here.
17. The Onin Group
Initially, the agency mainly sought human resource for the light industry sector. However, in the trend of development, they can now fill almost any job position in the United States. It has revealed that you can find jobs as soon as you meet qualifications. No matter if you have been accused of a past crime, you can join the agency in different job scopes. But, before the job recruitment, the recruiters would ask you certain questions as a form of an interview about your past life and skills. After that, you perhaps need to clear the urinalysis drug test.
18. MVP Staffing
This agency has its branches in different states and industries, more than hundreds of employees work in each branch. Sometimes, this agency skips the process of background checking of employees. And ex-felons can easily manage to seek jobs in the place of distribution, manufacturing, food processing, departmental stores, receptionist, clerk jobs and few others.
What Jobs Can a Felon Find at Temp Agencies?
After you apply for seeking jobs in the temp agencies, the employers will first go through your resume. After that, they will discuss before you certain job positions that will suit you. You will be assigned jobs based on your skills, education, and ability. The worthy job opportunities you will come across include:
- Clerical work
- Car mechanic
- Dishwasher
- Backroom stocker
- Parcel delivery
- Receptionist
- Writer
- Factory production worker
- Waiter or waitress in cafes
- Web developer
- Casher in departmental stores
- Construction laborer
- Commercial driver
- Plumber
- Electrician
- Locksmith
- Call center executive
Pros of Working With The Temp Agencies
Being an ex-felon, it’s hard to find a job in any company, thus working with these temporary agencies is far more beneficial to you. Some of the advantages can be:
- Many employers do not advertise in the newspaper or online. Thus, you can contact them only through these temp agencies.
- You can get employed in several work fields and multiple doors of opportunities open for you.
- Few employers need urgent recruitment, so you do not have to wait a long time in searching for a job.
- Today, over 2.5 million people are employed under temp agencies. They run a bulk-hiring of ex-felons. So, most of you are surely going to be hired in any job.
- If you are facing trouble with higher education due to your criminal background, here is great news for you. Working under these agencies may help you with the easy pursuing of the degree you wish to reach.
- One thing you would love to hear as an ex-felon is that you will be able to get a permanent job sooner if you progress in these temporary jobs. The agency Manpower revealed the fact that 40% of their temporary works secure ex-felon futures in the permanent job opportunity.
- Temporary jobs work great in providing you with an overview of a job. It also helps you to gain experience in a short time. Thus, if you get interested in doing a job, you can pursue that and chalk out a new career for the rest of your life.
Cons That You May Face
The employment agencies are not harsh on the felons, but, the only disadvantage you may face while working here are:
- The employment contracts are of limited period, for instance, you may get assigned for a work that is for 20 to 40 hours. This may leave you in anxiety and stress for securing a new job. However, getting paid is even better than doing nothing. Thus, this little obstacle can be ignored as you are getting many benefits from them.
Tips to Get Jobs at Temp Agencies With a Felon
If you are a felon and looking for a job in temp agencies, here are a few tips that can assist you and boost your confidence.
- Accept the truth: The first mandatory tip for ex-felons is being honest and accepting everything that was accused upon you on the first day of your interview. Even if you lie, the agencies will catch you red-handed after a background checking process. If you are caught lying, there is no means of getting hired.
- Bring a polished resume: The most important thing to keep in mind before preceding the interview round is a well-organized resume. Mention all your qualities thoroughly without missing anything in your resume. You may add certain points like your educational qualification, other curricular skills, recruitment history, etc. Remember, your resume will on behalf of you. So, make it your priority before searching for a job.
- Appear at your best: When you are going for a job interview, make sure to be on your best behavior, be very gentle towards the interviewers, and talk in a good manner. One more thing you need to obey is the dress code. Always wear formals and present yourself well-groomed while stepping into the interview room.
- Do not lose hope: It can happen that you may not get employed in the first place, but, that does not mean you will never. Do not get discouraged because it happens to every person. Keep trying your best and use your second chance to create a bright future.