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Kelly Services is a temp or staffing agency that gives employees access to a wide range of jobs all over the country. Great news for people looking for employment, but does Kelly Services hire felons?
If you have a criminal record, this is the question that is always on your mind. And, at Relaunch Pad, we make it our business to answer it. In order to give former felons the best information possible, we research our companies, and even ask them directly about their hiring policies for former felons.
Not only will we cover if they hire former felons, we will also answer a few other key questions. For instance:
- What’s the best way to apply?
- Does Kelly services do background checks?
- Will Kelly Services test for drugs?
We will even give you information on how to get hired at Kelly Services. So, without any further ado, read on to learn about Kelly Services’ hiring policies.
Does Kelly Services hire felons?
Official company policy for hiring felons
To find out does Kelly services hire felons, we went right to the source and asked them for ourselves. Here is what they said:
We have a policy regarding criminal history that meets all local, state and federal laws when we ask and review such cases. Each situation is reviewed individually.
Has Kelly Services hired felons in the past?
We also asked Kelly Services if they have hired felons in the past.
Their answer: Yes.
Short but sweet. However, they also said this:
Each situation is reviewed independently of any other previous situation. There isn’t a blanket yes/no for criminal convictions
Does Kelly Services hire people with misdemeanors?
While it’s good to know if a company hires people with felonies, it isn’t the only thing that matters. We also have to wonder: Does Kelly Services hire people with misdemeanors?
While they did not answer this question specifically for us, it is a safe bet that they do. When companies hire former felons, they will also usually hire people with misdemeanors.
Is Kelly Services on the Ban the Box List?
The Ban the Box Campaign is a social movement designed to remove questions about an applicant’s criminal history from job applications. The point is to give everyone a fair chance based on their credentials when they apply for a job.
On the other end of the issue there is the Fair Chance Business Pledge. This Pledge is taken by companies promising they will be fair, and hire people based on their present, instead of their past.
Unfortunately, Kelly Services has not signed the Pledge, nor Ban the Box. This might not look so good, but it’s not a huge deal. There are plenty of companies that hire former felons and haven’t signed the Pledge or banned the box.
Does Kelly Services have special programs for hiring felons?
There are also some companies out there so committed to hiring former felons that they actually have programs dedicated to making sure they do it.
These programs are great, but they are also pretty rare. Unfortunately, Kelly Services doesn’t currently have any.
What are the odds of some with a felony getting hired?
Let’s examine how good of a chance you have at getting hired. We rate your chances of getting hired at Kelly Services at high. Why? They said they are willing to hire felons, and we also know that they’ve done it in the past.
Though there might be situations in which they wouldn’t hire someone with a felony, it looks like qualified applicants have a good chance of getting hired.
What are some entry-level jobs?
Now that you know it’s possible to get a job at Kelly Services with a felony, let’s take a look at some of their entry-level positions.
It’s actually really challenging to say exactly what kind of job opportunities you will find at Kelly Staffing. That’s because they’re a temp company. The job opportunities they provide change often.
According to their own website, Kelly Services works with over 70,000 different hiring managers all over the world.
This means that the opportunities will be different every day. The good news is that they will probably have a relationship with a business that will be suitable for your skills!
How to get hired at Kelly Services with a felony
As with any hiring experience, the first key factor will always be to submit an excellent resume. If you find this difficult, don’t worry. You aren’t alone! Most people struggle a little bit with their resume. That’s why it can help to have a second pair of eyes on it. Get a friend or someone at a career center to take a look at yours, just to make sure it’s perfect.
Once you nail the application, it’s be time to prepare for the interview. This part is also pretty hard. Every interview is a little bit different, so it’ll help to consider what sort of a business Kelly Services is. As a staffing agency, they’ll be looking for someone who is well-rounded. After all, they have relationships with tons of businesses. You may work several different jobs during your time with them, so they want someone capable of performing a range of responsibilities.
You should also keep in mind that if you get hired, you will, in some ways, be a face of their company (not necessarily the face, as they have thousands of workers). Your performance will be how companies form their opinion of Kelly Services as well. Kelly Services is also aware of that. They are going to want someone who is sociable and professional-looking. It’s always hard demonstrating those qualities, but — with prep work — it’s definitely possible.
Start by wearing your most professional clothes. Also be sure to cover up tattoos, and remove unconventional piercings.
Finally, try your best to be as natural as you can. Consider doing practice questions with a loved one. And of course, relax. You can do it!
Does Kelly Services do background checks?
In their response to us, Kelly Services said that they consider former felons on a case-by-case basis. This means it might be helpful to know: Does Kelly Services do background checks?
They do! But there are a number of things you need to know about background checks before you start worrying about them.
For one thing, there are some states that only check back up to seven years. In other words, anything that happened seven years ago or longer won’t be on their radar.
Here are those states:
- California
- Colorado*
- Kansas*
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire*
- New York*
- Texas*
- Washington*
Perhaps even better, there are also a handful of states that won’t count things you were found not guilty of. Here are those states:
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Indiana (limited check)
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
Last but not least, there are, unfortunately, also quite a few states that will look at your entire record, including not guilty verdicts. These are:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- DC
- Delaware
- Florida
- Idaho
- Indiana (extended 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
If you are going get a job at Kelly Services with a felony, it may be helpful to know what sort of experience current employees are having with the company. To answer that question, we checked their rating on glassdoor.com.
Kelly Services currently has a decent rating of 3.4 out of 5 potential stars. The lowest rating they have is a 3.1 for compensation and benefits.
The highest rating they have is a 3.4 for workplace benefits.
What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?
Though we’ve covered how to get hired at Kelly Services, it’s possible that some convictions might make it impossible, even if you are qualified.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to say which felonies they are looking out for. Since there are a wide range of jobs here, the felonies that cause you the most issues will depend on what you’re applying for. Think about the duties of the job you’re applying for and ask yourself: Is my record related? If yes, you may have a harder time.
Since it is safe to say that some of the positions will involve customer service, sexual and violent crimes might mean you don’t get hired. That’s just a general hiring pattern.
Similarly, companies may not hire people with theft convictions for cash handling positions.
Thinking about how your record relates to jobs you’re applying for will put you one step ahead of the game.
Does Kelly Services drug test?
It looks like Kelly Services drug test, so be prepared for that.
Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!
If you have worked at Kelly Services in the past, tell us what it was like. Does Kelly Service hire felons? Tell us everything you know so we can improve our information and keep the community informed.
