Back to list

Does Danaher Hire Felons in 2021?

By Last update January 15, 2019
jobs for felons, company profile, Danaher, technology innovator, technology

If you have manufacturing or customer service experience and an interest in science and technology, this article’s for you! Today, we’re looking at a company that manufactures products in these areas as we ask the question: Does Danaher hire felons?

Danaher is a group of over 20 companies with locations all around the US and the world. They’re involved in technology innovation, and have a ton of different jobs. From manufacturing to sales, you might find what you’re looking for here!

We’re going to show you what it takes to get a job at Danaher with a felony. Finding a job with a felony record is hard. We know. Our team is made up of former felons and professionals who’ve worked with re-entry programs for a number of years.

Part of our mission is to help you find employers who are more likely to give former offenders a chance. To do that, we contact companies directly and ask them if they hire former felons. We also do additional background research to give you the most accurate information possible.

In the course of this article, we’ll answer the following questions, and many others:

  • Does Danaher hire people with misdemeanors?
  • How do I find out what job openings they have?
  • Does Danaher do background checks?
  • Do I really have a chance of getting hired here?

Relaunch Pad is dedicated to helping former felons find employment so they can live better lives.

With that being said, let’s take a closer look at how to get hired at Danaher with a felony record.

Does Danaher hire felons?

jobs for felons, company profile, Danaher, technology innovator, technology

Official Danaher policy for hiring felons

When we contacted Danaher’s HR department to ask if they hire former felons, they did not refer to a specific hiring policy. Instead, they told us any applicant is welcome to go to their website and apply for the position they’re interested in.

We were able to find this statement in one of their job postings that gives some more information:

Danaher Corporation and all Danaher Companies are equal opportunity employers that evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics protected by law.

So, the short answer is that we’re uncertain whether or not they hire felons. Their statement seems to be in-line with EEOC practices, at least.

We did find an interesting clause in their noncompetition agreement which speaks to the issue of felony or misdemeanor convictions. According to this document, an employee can be dismissed if they’re found guilty of a crime that might “impair the business reputation of Danaher.” This raises the question of what felonies do they think will damage their reputation?

Has Danaher hired felons in the past?

In our research, we weren’t able to find any information that indicates Danaher has hired former felons in the past. This doesn’t mean they’ve never hired anyone with a felony record, but they aren’t talking about it if they have.

Does Danaher hire people with misdemeanors?

Normally, people with misdemeanors have an easier time getting a job than those with felony records. However, we haven’t found any information to suggest a person with a misdemeanor is more likely to be hired here.

In fact, their noncompetition agreement says being convicted of any misdemeanor (aside from a traffic-related offense) is grounds for termination.

Is Danaher on the Ban the Box list?

Many companies include questions about criminal history as a screening method on their application forms. Because of these practices, some groups have taken steps to encourage employers to consider people’s qualifications, not their mistakes. Two such movements are the Ban the Box Campaign and the Fair Chance Business Pledge. Companies that agree with these initiatives delay questions about criminal history until a later point in the hiring process, if at all.

We weren’t able to find any information during our research that connected Danaher with either of the movements mentioned above. The person we spoke with there was unable to tell us if their application form has questions about criminal history.

Does Danaher have special programs for hiring felons?

Danaher let us know they don’t have a program in place for hiring felons.

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

uncertain likelihood of being hired

We believe the odds of someone with a criminal record getting hired by Danaher are uncertain. This is based on their vague responses to our questions and the information we found during our research.

Nothing we came across said outright that they don’t hire felons. So, there could be a slight possibility for a former felon to find employment here. However, after reading the noncompetition agreement referenced above, we think your chances aren’t very good.

What are some entry-level jobs?

If you choose to pursue employment with Danaher, here are some of their entry-level positions:

  • Customer Service Representative — Process orders submitted by phone, email or through the company website.
  • Production Technician — Hand packing, machine packing and quality assurance.
  • Manufacturing Tech — Complete production, assembly and testing tasks.
  • Associate Technician — Operate production equipment, and perform quality assurance and housekeeping tasks.
  • CNC Machinist — Operate machining centers and/or lathes.

You can find more open positions through their careers site.

It looks like Danaher tries to promote people from within the company. So, getting started in one of these roles could eventually lead to supervisory positions.

How to get hired at Danaher with a felony

Here are some steps you can take to get started:

  • Start by putting together a great resume! We have a resource on our site to help you with this.
  • Most career centers are willing to help you prepare an excellent resume as well, and help you with interview questions.
  • Check out the job posting for the position(s) that you are interested in. You’ll see a list of qualifications for each. Make sure to mention them on your resume!
  • If you have work experience related to the position you’re applying for, highlight it so you’ll stand out as the right fit.
  • If you know anyone who works with Danaher, ask them to be a reference. This is unbelievably useful!

Okay, now onto the interview. Here are some specific tips that could help you get a job at Danaher:

  • Danaher is looking for dedicated employees to help them carry out their vision. Make sure you spend some time on their site to learn about the company before your interview.
  • Remember, they’re a Fortune 500 company, so looking professional is a must. Wear your nicest outfit, cover any tattoos and remove any piercings that might be distracting.
  • Watch how you speak during the interview. Avoid any prison slang. Be polite and engaged, and ask them questions as you go through the interview.
  • Be confident. Maintain eye contact and sit up straight. Maintaining good posture can actually boost your confidence level!
  • Keep the interview focused on your strengths. If they ask about your past, be honest (we know they’ll do a background check). Try to bring the conversation back to your relevant skills and the ways you’ll be an asset to their team.

A couple of the employee reviews we read online mentioned being hired through a temp agency. This can be a great way to get on board at a company like Danaher. Doing an outstanding job in your temporary position makes it more likely they’ll keep you on after your temp assignment.

Does Danaher do background checks?

Danaher let us know they use a third party service to conduct background checks on all applicants. They said they usually do their check after they make the offer of employment. However, they also said the offer of employment can be withdrawn “if there is a negative remark.”

Here’s some helpful information about background checks:

In some states, when they run background checks, they don’t look at information over seven years old. So, if your offense is over seven years old, these states won’t consider them:

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

(* certain positions in these states may involve a more thorough background check.)

There are also eight states where they don’t hold cases in which you were found not guilty against you:

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Hawaii
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New York

In the end, many states will view your entire record when they conduct background checks. The information they see will also include cases where you were found not guilty. Here’s a list of states that fall into this category:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • DC
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • 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

In order to get to know Danaher a little better, we took a look at online ratings from employees. Overall, the reviews seemed to be pretty good. They were rated 3.3 out of 5 stars on glassdoor.com and 3.6 out of 5 stars on indeed.com. Over half of the roughly 200 employees who rated them on glassdoor.com said they would recommend Danaher to a friend.

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

Does Danaher hire felons? It looks highly unlikely, and it may be even more difficult for people with these types of felonies:

  • Felonies involving theft, if you’re looking at a manufacturing or production position.
  • Offenses involving computer, if you’re interested in a customer service position.
  • Drug-related offenses, if you’re applying for a position which works with different types of chemicals.
  • Offenses involving embezzlement or the mishandling of company resources would also be red flags.

Does Danaher drug test?

We were unable to find any information about whether or not they conduct drug testing. We suggest proceeding as though you will be tested. That way you won’t be surprised if it’s a part of their hiring process.

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

Have you been able to get a job at Danaher with a felony? What was your experience like?

Was the information in this article helpful for you? We appreciate your feedback!

Josh Speraneo
Reentry Educator

Josh is a former offender who has faced the challenge of finding employment after spending time in prison. He is currently pursuing a career as a writer and Reentry Educator. His hope is that he can use his writing as a way to encourage others and help them to reach their full potential, no matter what struggles they've faced along the way. He also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Ozark Christian College.