IKEA Hiring Overview For 2023

Official company policy for hiring felons

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make contact with anyone at IKEA to ask about their hiring policy for former felons. We’ll continue to try and reach them. In the meantime, we decided to take matters into our own hands and see what we could uncover for you.

IKEA doesn’t have a specific policy for hiring felons. However, we did notice that they’re an Equal Opportunity Employer. IKEA also has a tab on their career page that emphasizes the importance of diversity. This is always a great thing to hear!

Has IKEA hired felons in the past?

Unfortunately, we found no exact answer. Hopefully we’ll get more information soon.

So, does IKEA hire felons now? Well, let’s keep going to see what all we found.

Does IKEA hire people with misdemeanors?

Well this looks promising. Although we don’t have a direct answer from IKEA, our online sources indicate they just might!

Will IKEA hire you with pending charges?

There’s no information out there about this, actually. While IKEA might be open to hiring people with pending charges, they haven’t made it public and employees didn’t say.

Is IKEA on the Ban the Box list?

Unfortunately, IKEA isn’t a supporter of Ban the Box. A lot of companies aren’t, though. This campaign has only been around since 2004! Their purpose is supporting former offenders in being able to find work — without facing discrimination for their criminal history. To do this, Ban the Box gets employers to take the questions about criminal history off of their job applications to equalize the hiring field.

Another initiative is the Fair Chance Business Pledge. Companies that sign the Pledge are agreeing to fair hiring practices for everyone, including former felons. While IKEA has not yet taken the Pledge, they are an Equal Opportunity Employer so you know they value being fair-minded.

Does IKEA have special programs for hiring felons?

No, they don’t.

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

The odds of getting hired at IKEA with a felony are uncertain. Their policies are generally pretty inclusive, but without even online reports to go on, we just can’t say if they’re felon friendly or not.

What are some entry-level jobs?

The easiest way to get your foot in the door with any company is with an entry-level job.

IKEA has positions like the following:

Contact Center Co-worker is a position that is performed at their call center. These positions require some computer knowledge and customer service skills. You’ll be using a headset to assist customers with products. A calm and professional attitude is required.

Cashiers have a lot of interaction with customers. You’ll be running a busy cash register and will have to look up items for customers.

Stocking requires lifting some heavy merchandise and making sure product is out on display.

If you have more experience make sure you look over the IKEA career site to see all positions they have to offer.

Tips to get hired here with a felony

There are a few things we think will help you seal the deal when applying and interviewing. Let’s take a look at what we think you should know.

We recommend starting off with an impressive resume. You’re not sure how to impress with your resume? Well, we have you covered! We have an entire guide about your resume as an ex-offender. There are even pointers on how to present the experience you gained while you were incarcerated. For example: Library jobs equipped you with customer service, stocking and computer skills — all things necessary in an entry-level position here.

So, talk up that cashier experience from Burger King. Let them know you’ve rotated stock before when you worked at a Wawa. Let them know about your volunteer work at your local soup kitchen. Trust us! You have skills that will work here.

Read through IKEA’s Culture and Values section on their careers website. If you can think of ways to match jobs you’ve done or skills you have to the values they’re looking for, you’re ready for the interview. This is when you tie in your experience to the job description and paint your employer a picture of you working there.

Here are some more handy interview tips:

1. When preparing for the interview, make sure you are scheduling a time that will not interfere with other responsibilities. Arrive early to show interest and dependability.
2. Any references you can provide that are work-related are always a plus. A supervisor from a previous job, your neighbor whose grass you cut all summer or even your favorite shop instructor.
3. This will also be an appropriate time to discuss your background and the positive impact it has had on your life. By addressing your background first, you control the conversation. Make sure to give the interviewer a chance to ask questions.
4. This will also be the best time to ask any questions you may have about the company, scheduling or time off.

The responses were unanimous. Yes, you can expect a background check with IKEA. Since we know this, it’s a good idea to practice how to use your record as a positive.

What do we mean by this? Well, being charged with a felony is never a good thing, but using the situation as a stepping stone in order to become a better person — that’s a positive.

Here is something to keep in mind regarding background checks:

Some states will look at an offense only if it’s less than seven years old. They are as follows:

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

(*certain pay or salary bracket positions require a screening.)

The following states only see guilty convictions:

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

Unfortunately, there are some states that will still look at everything. They’re as follows:

• 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, IKEA is rated with 3.3 out of 5 stars. We were curious to see what people who had worked for IKEA had to say. Here is what we found:

You can expect great benefits and plenty of advancement opportunities. However, the work-life balance seems to be poor. There were several complaints about upper management as well.

What felonies IKEA will not hire

IKEA didn’t share what convictions will turn them off an application right away. Our research gave us some insights into the ones that might be most problematic, though. See next!

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

Even companies that are willing to hire a former felon still have limitations on certain convictions. Here are a few offenses we feel may give you a harder time:

Crimes dealing with theft of any kind. Many of the positions will have access to credit card information or merchandise.

Violent offenses. A customer-oriented business has to put customer safety first.

Does IKEA hire sex offenders?

There is no information about this out there, from IKEA or employees. We’re not sure if they will, but we think it’ll be harder to overcome if you do.

Does IKEA drug test?

Yes. Feedback makes it pretty clear that you can expect a drug screen when applying with IKEA.

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

What can you tell us about how to get a job at IKEA with a felony? We value your feedback!