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16 Top Ways to Find Jobs for Felons in Columbus in 2023

By Last update July 21, 2022
Columbus Ohio downtown

The job search can be difficult, especially if you are looking for a job with a criminal record. Hopefully, this article will serve as a good resource and help you find jobs for felons in Columbus, Ohio. It contains information about the top companies that have the highest probability of hiring someone with a criminal record.

Looking for a job in Columbus? This article is a good place to start! We’ve directly contacted over 1,000 companies to determine their hiring practices regarding former felons. We looked at the top local businesses, compared with the hiring practice information, and identified the most likely places for you to find a job. The job can be stressful and time-consuming. The objective of this article and our website is to advise you and give you the information to make your job search much easier. The team that built this site and gathered this information know from personal experience what you are going through. We are here to help and hope that you will benefit from our experience and insights.

Jobs that hire felons in Columbus

Columbus Ohio cityscape

Columbus has the largest population in Ohio, with almost 900,000 people. It is the 14th largest city in the U.S. and the second-largest city in the Midwest behind Chicago. Columbus has a very large economy, with over 68,000 companies. There are a wide variety of business and industries in Columbus, including insurance, banking, defense, aviation, food, logistics, steel, energy, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology. We also have a job search tool for the area. Just fill in the fields such as job type or industry to target your search for jobs that hire felons in Columbus.

Top companies that hire felons in Columbus

What companies are the most likely to hire a former felon in Columbus? Columbus is a big city and has a lot of industries and companies with lots and lots of opportunities. We will give you some good places to look, including some temp agency jobs for felons in Columbus, so you can get hired quickly..

If you have been looking for a while and are still having problems finding a job, then taking a step back and focusing on entry-level jobs would be a good strategy. Entry-level positions are often the fastest way for a former felon to get hired. Temporary jobs with staffing agencies are also a good place to look because they frequently require little to no education or experience.

JPMorgan Chase

White Castle

Honda

Bath and Body Works

American Electric Power Company

Abercrombie and Fitch

Teleperformance

Cardinal Health

Safelite

Abbott Nutrition

Your first step in finding a job is to put together a good resume. A high quality and up-to-date resume is a must. We can help with that too! Look here for a complete guide to making a resume for people with a record.

It is difficult to figure out what businesses tend to hire people with records. We have saved you a lot of effort here by providing a list of the top companies that hire felons in Columbus. Click on the company name to go directly to its section, or just continue to see all of them.

JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm with assets of more than $2.7 trillion with over 20,000 employees in the Columbus area. Getting a job in the banking industry may be a challenge, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a lot of different jobs that could give you an opportunity.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Customer Service
  • Client Relations
  • Product Control
  • Warehouse Associate
  • Service Coordinator/Scheduler

White Castle

White Castle is a major fast food industry leader with over 10,000 total employees and annual revenues of over $570 million. It is headquartered in Columbus, and has a history of hiring convicted felons. If you are looking for a fast food place to work at, then it would be a very good place to check out.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Team Member
  • Crew Manager
  • Customer Service
  • General Manager
  • Account Payable

Honda

Honda has a major manufacturing facility near Columbus in Marysville. It has been around since 1982, and they employ over 11,000 people in a wide array of jobs. Honda has a lot of entry level and assembly jobs that could offer you a good opportunity.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Sales Associate
  • Automotive Parts Counter Person
  • Automotive Production
  • Honda Assembler
  • Appointment Scheduler / Customer Service

Bath and Body Works

Bath & Body Works, Inc. (formerly L Brands) is a multi-billion dollar specialty retailed based in Columbus, Ohio. They have over 7,600 employees locally, with a lot of entry-level type jobs in their retail and warehouse areas.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Merchandise Handler
  • Shipping Associate
  • Equipment Operator
  • Sales Support
  • Maintenance Technician

American Electric Power Company

American Electric Power is a large electric utility that is headquartered in Columbus, owns the U.S.’s largest electricity transmission system, and delivers electricity to over five million customers in 11 states. They employ over 3,600 people locally. If you are interested in getting into the power generation field, then this is a great place to check out!

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Stores Attendant
  • Distribution Dispatcher Associate
  • Energy Field Sales Representative
  • Sales Support Spec
  • Technician Associate

Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch is a lifestyle retailer with over 850 stores in the U.S. that sells primarily casual wear. They employ over 2,500 people in the greater Columbus area. If you are into style, then they have a lot of jobs for retail and warehouse types of work.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Distribution Warehouse Associate
  • Store Associate
  • Brand Representative
  • Retail Associate
  •  Assistant Procurement Analyst

Teleperformance

Teleperformance is a worldwide company that delivers customer acquisition, customer care, technical support, debt collection, social media, and other services. They have hundreds of contact centers in countries around the world. In Columbus, they have over 1,700 employees and lots of opportunities for call center positions.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Customer Service Representative
  • Call Center Representative
  • Customer Service Representative Retail
  • Customer Service and Sales Representative

Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health, Inc. is a major health care services provider for over 100,000 locations that specializes in the distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical products. They have over 5,000 employees in the Columbus area and have many entry-level and minimal experience required positions.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Warehouse Associate
  • Warehouse Worker
  • Food Service Worker
  • Delivery Driver
  • Lead Associate Warehouse Operations

Safelite

Safelite is based in Columbus and Service AutoGlass is their national company that provides vehicle glass repair, replacements, and calibration services. It also has Safelite Solutions in the business of insurance claims management. They have over 2,500 employees in the area and have large locations, offerings many opportunities.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Customer Service Representative
  • Warehouse Associate/Driver
  • Agency Services Representative
  • District Dispatcher
  • Commercial Support Advocate

Abbott Nutrition

Abbott Nutrition is a large health care and medical devices company that sells medical devices, diagnostics, branded generic medicines, and nutritional products. A few of their more well-known products are Pedialyte, Similac, Ensure, Glucerna, and ZonePerfect. If you are looking to get into the health care and/or medical industry, then this is a good place to look at.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Facilities Technician
  • Manufacturing Maintenance
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Warehouse Specialist
  • Powerhouse Operator

Trucking jobs for felons in Columbus

Trucking is big business all over the country and has a positive history for hiring former felons. Many companies provide training for starting out as a trucker.

If you’re looking for trucking jobs for felons in Columbus, here are some of the top contenders:

Warehouse jobs for felons in Columbus

Working in a warehouse provides a lot of opportunities to do different things. Loaders, Handlers, Forklift Operators, Drivers, and many administrative roles. Below are some companies to check out for warehouse jobs, but you can find many of the same jobs at any company that has a warehouse or shipping department.

Here are some of the top warehouse jobs for felons in Columbus:

  • JCPenney
  • World Distribution Services Warehouse
  • Hyperlogistics
  • Spartan Logistics

Temp agency jobs for felons in Columbus

If you need additional help finding a job, then going to staffing agencies or temporary agencies is a good option. They are a good overall source of job opportunities. There are many temp agency jobs and employment agency jobs for felons in Columbus.

Here are some of the agencies in the Columbus area: 

  • Randstad
  • SURGE Staffing
  • GEE Group Inc
  • PrideStaff

Second chance and job training programs for felons in Columbus

Good news for felons in Ohio! A Ban the Box law went into effect in 2017. This means that employers can no longer ask prospective employees about their criminal history and are expected to look at a candidate’s qualifications.

There are second chance and job training programs for felons in Columbus, Ohio, that assist former felons. These programs provide a variety of resources for legal aid, medical, financial, education and more.

Resources for former felons in Columbus:

  • We Care Program
    • Mission: The vision of We Care Program is to see the redemptive power of Christ become evident in the lives of inmates as they grow and make disciples in prison and beyond. Our mission is to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ through chaplaincy in the correctional setting. Our vision and mission statements are the goals that keep us entering prison each day to minister to the men and women behind bars.
    • Services offered: Education, Spiritual Services
  • Franklin County Re-Entry Coalition
    • Mission: The FC-RAB is charged with creating safer neighborhoods and more productive residents by increasing the success rates of ex-offenders transitioning from correctional and rehabilitative institutions back into the community. We hope the resources listed on this page are a valuable resource toward achieving that vision.
    • Services offered: Addiction and Recovery, Clothing and Household, Education, Employment, Family, Food, Housing, Legal, Medical, Mental Health
  • The Exit Program
    • Mission: A 90-day independent living program that helps offenders in Ohio make a successful transition to the community upon release from prison or jail.
    • Services offered: Housing
  • Community Action Agency Fresh Start
    • Mission: We help reduce poverty, increase self-sufficiency and improve the community by providing resources for people to create better lives and achieve their full potential.
    • Services offered: Clothing and Household, Employment, Food
  • St. Vincent De Paul Reentry Program
    • Mission: St. Vincent de Paul Reentry Services is a collection of programs centered around assisting in a successful transition from incarceration back into society for returning citizens.
    • Services offered: Employment, Spiritual Services
Garland Brewster headshot

After a successful 25-year career in the IT industry, Garland is now a Reentry Educator with The Relaunchpad. He has significant experience writing documents (resumes, LinkedIn profiles, etc.) and advising job seekers. Garland shares his experience overcoming legal challenges to help others in similar circumstances move forward and find happiness and prosperity.