Red Lobster

Likelihood

Average chance employer

4803 Job(s)

Red Lobster Hiring Overview For 2023

Website http://www.redlobster.com/

Founded 1968

Type Public

Headquarters Orlando, FL

Size Large Corporation

Industry Restaurant

When you’re looking for a job where you can work with seafood, and especially a lot of shrimp (think endless), then Red Lobster is where you go. But, does Red Lobster hire felons?

Red Lobster is a large, casual dining restaurant chain with locations across the US, and they have a lot of retail restaurant job openings available. They have many good entry-level and other positions in their restaurants. So, if you’re into serving up some great seafood and are looking for an opportunity to get into the restaurant business, then read on.

We’ll answer the following questions, and more:

Does Red Lobster hire people with misdemeanors?
How do I apply?
Does Red Lobster do background checks?
Will my felony disqualify me?
Does Red Lobster drug test?

Any former felon will tell you that finding work is hard. Simply locating businesses that are inclined to hire the justice involved is a challenge. That’s where we come in!

Our team has directly contacted over 1,000 US companies, including Red Lobster, to ask them about their hiring policies for former felons. We also did background research on these companies to give a solid overview of the national hiring market in order to give you the best and most useful tips we can.

What makes Relaunch Pad different from other websites is that our staff is composed of many former felons. We know exactly what issues and obstacles you have to overcome in your job search. We have been helping a lot of justice-involved folks to find jobs for years. We have the experience and expertise to provide advice not only on finding jobs, but with many other things to improve your life.

Read on for more!

Add your own company review

Share your experiences working for a particular company. It really helps!

Add company review

Does Red Lobster hire felons?

Confirmed felon employer

Official company policy for hiring felons

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make direct contact. However, we’re determined to bring you answers! We’ve done our homework and will share what we uncovered in our research.

That said, Red Lobster doesn’t provide their hiring policy for former felons online. So, does Red Lobster hire felons? We’re going to have to comb through our online sources to answer that question.

Has Red Lobster hired felons in the past?

Everything we came across in our online sources supports Red Lobster hiring former felons.

It may vary for each location, as well as the type or recency of the conviction. With that in mind, let’s keep reading to see how to get hired at Red Lobster with a felony.

Does Red Lobster hire people with misdemeanors?

No one enjoys job hunting, especially if they have a criminal record. We looked to see if Red Lobster would hire someone with a misdemeanor, but we didn’t find anything that spoke on this directly. The chances are good they will, though, considering what we found out about people with felony records.

Will Red Lobster hire you with pending charges?

Red Lobster didn’t tell us anything about pending charges, but we have seen some online reports of them hiring former felons. That means chances are good that they’ll hire someone with pending charges.

Current Job Openings At Red Lobster

Host/Hostess

Red Lobster

4.0

Vancouver, WA

221 days ago

Job Description Job Overview Do you delight in making lasting impressions? Join the Red Lobster family as a Host/Hostess where your goal is to make the beginning and end of each guest’s dining experience nothing less than extraordinary.

Server Assistant/Busser/Host

Red Lobster

4.0

Union, NJ

221 days ago

Job Description Job Overview Are you looking to work with the best in the industry to enhance your hospitality career? As a Service Assistant at Red Lobster, your hard work helps the restaurant run smoothly, for both the Front of…

Server Assistant/Busser/Host

Red Lobster

4.0

Sandusky, OH

221 days ago

See All Available Red Lobster Jobs

Reviews

Total Reviews (0)

Interviews

Total Interviews (0)

What are the chances of Red Lobster hiring a felon?

Is Red Lobster on the Ban the Box list?

Are you familiar with the Ban the Box campaign or the Fair Chance Business Pledge? These are two wonderful resources that were designed specifically for individuals with a criminal record.

See, the Ban the Box campaign was created to try and make job hunting a fair process for anyone with a criminal history. The idea is to convince employers to remove any questions concerning criminal backgrounds from their applications. By doing so, this will prevent the employer from being distracted by an individual’s record and allow them to focus strictly on the applicant’s experience and skills.

Those who sign the Fair Chance Business Pledge are committed to practicing fair hiring for everyone — including those with a criminal past.

Red Lobster doesn’t support either of these campaigns, though. Remember, they don’t have to in order to be able to hire you with a felony!

Does Red Lobster have special programs for hiring felons?

Unfortunately, they don’t. But there are other options to get a job at Red Lobster with a felony.

What are the odds someone with a felony will get hired?

Average likelihood of hiring felons

If you are applying at Red Lobster with a felony, the odds of you being hired are average because there are several online reports stating they’ll hire former offenders at least for entry-level roles. However, as with any job that is at a franchise, it may depend on the particular location as well as how recent the crime is.

How to get hired at Red Lobster with a felony

What are some entry-level jobs?

As to be expected for any restaurant, you’ll see jobs such as:

Server — Take and deliver orders while offering personalized customer service. You’ll need to be able to multi-task and have great listening and communication skills.

Host — You will be the first face and therefore experience a customer has with Red Lobster. An outgoing personality, ability to multitask, and good communication skills will be needed.

Kitchen — This position will require working with and around food. Being able to follow directions and pay attention to detail will be important. Must be able to keep a neat and clean work area.

Tips to get hired here with a felony

In order to bring you the low down on Red Lobster, we went as far as filling out our own application. Everything you need to know to ace it is below:

Applying

Like most companies, you can fill out your application online at www.redlobster.com. You will need to set up an account. If you don’t have access to a computer or internet, don’t let that stop you! Head to your local library and use their computer service for free.

Their application only requires basic information, but they do ask for your days and times of availability. Let them know you will be available for as many shifts as possible.

Resume

Their application was easy enough, and we noticed they don’t request a resume. However, we would still recommend that you provide one — even if it’s at the interview. It won’t hurt, and it can definitely work in your favor.

Wait, you don’t have a resume? That’s okay, because we have that area covered too! We have an entire guide to help you and other former felons with your resumes. Just remember, your resume is like a snapshot of all your skills and work experience. We even show you how to include the experience you gained from jobs held while incarcerated.

How do we do that? Take that kitchen job you had, for example. You learned customer service, inventory, cleaning and restaurant experience. This is exactly what restaurants look for!

Interview

An interview with any company can be a bit intimidating. Relax, you got this! Be yourself and allow them to see the person they are considering for the position. Your personality can be enough to land you a job in this industry. So make sure you are smiling and being friendly.

Take care to use your manners and allow yourself to stand out. This is a great time to present your resume and address any questions you may have about company rules and regulations.

This is also when you should make them aware of your background. Doing so gives you a chance to answer questions and explain any appointments you will have that might interrupt your schedule. These include parole officer appointments and any mandatory classes you are enrolled in.

Does Red Lobster do background checks?

Yes, you can expect a background check with Red Lobster. Remember we told you we filled out an application to get the inside scoop? Well here’s something interesting that we saw:

A conviction will not necessarily exclude you from employment.

* Have you been convicted of a felony, or been incarcerated in connection with a felony, in the past 10 years? You do not have to disclose any convictions that have been annulled, expunged, erased, pardoned, or sealed by the court.

Here is something to keep in mind regarding background checks:

Some states will now look at an offense only if it’s less than seven years old, such as:

California
Colorado*
Kansas*
Maryland*
Massachusetts
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire*
New York*
Texas*
Washington*

*Pay scale can impact what will show up on a background check.

Red Lobster will only see convictions that are from the past ten years, even though some states will only see guilty convictions. They are as follows:

Alaska
California
Hawaii
Indiana (limited check)
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
New York

Regretfully, there are some states that will still see everything. The following are those states:

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Idaho
Indiana (extensive check)
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Company ratings

Looking on glassdoor.com, we saw Red Lobster is rated with 3.4 out of 5 stars. They receive much of their praise for pay. But with the pay comes the long hours which require you to be on your feet.

What felonies Red Lobster will not hire

Since we didn’t get a statement from Red Lobster about the felony charges they won’t hire someone for having, we can’t say for sure what charges would instantly disqualify you. The next section will cover what we think will give you the most stress during the application process.

What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?

Every job has certain restrictions in the hiring process. Sometimes those include specific convictions, even if the company is generally felon-friendly. Here are a few, in our opinion, that Red Lobster may not want to see:

Any violent offenses will probably be looked at closely. Red Lobster deals full-time with the public.
Any theft, fraud or identity theft conviction may make them hesitate. Most of Red Lobster’s positions will require you to settle bills and handle payments.

Does Red Lobster hire sex offenders?

Unknown. This is another question that Red Lobster didn’t provide any information about. This is typically a touchier area with employers, especially in restaurants, so prepare to explain these charges carefully.

Does Red Lobster drug test?

We weren’t able to find a solid answer to this question. As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for a drug screen when actively seeking employment.

Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!

What do you know about how to get a job at Red Lobster with a felony? Have you known someone that worked here with record of some sort? Please let us know if our article helped answer your questions. We appreciate your feedback!

Other companies that hire felons

See all companies

24 Hour Fitness

Carlsbad, CA

81 Job offers

Two Harbors, MN

60 Job offers

7-Eleven

Dallas, TX

316 Job offers