Would you love a job that supports the farming industry? If you live in one of the states where the company operates, you might ask: Does The Mosaic Company hire felons? The company is the world’s leading manufacturer of crop nutrients and they have large operations in the states, so it makes sense that you’d want to work here.
Relaunch Pad has reached out to directly ask about their policy for hiring ex-offenders to see what your chances are. We find the answers you need to apply for work with a criminal record to make those chances better! As former felons ourselves, or people who’ve assisted them, we’re driven to help you succeed.
We can also tell you:
- Does The Mosaic Company do background checks?
- How do you apply for job openings?
- Does The Mosaic Company hire people with misdemeanors?
Ready? Let’s go!
Does The Mosaic Company hire felons?
Official company policy for hiring felons
The Mosaic Company said this when we asked about their hiring policy for former felons:
“Mosaic will recruit, hire, train and promote individuals in all job titles based on valid job requirements and business necessity. Mosaic does not prohibit hiring applicants with a felony conviction on their record. Should a felony conviction come up on the background check, Mosaic will conduct an individualized assessment to determine if the underlying facts would indicate the individual is unfit for the position offered.”
In other words, you certainly can get a job at The Mosaic Company with a felony!
Has The Mosaic Company hired felons in the past?
Yes. The company told us that they have.
Does The Mosaic Company hire people with misdemeanors?
Their company policy only mentions felonies. However, they probably will also hire you with a misdemeanor on your record since they’ll consider ex-felons.
Is The Mosaic Company on the Ban the Box list?
No, the company name isn’t on the Ban the Box list. In addition, they don’t support another important program, either: The Fair Chance Business Pledge. Here’s how these initiatives help ex-offenders applying for work:
Ban the Box — Job applications for employers on this list don’t have a check box to indicate a criminal record. This means that the company looks at how your skills and experience match the job qualifications first. Once they consider this, then they do a criminal record check.
Fair Chance Business Pledge — Fair Chance companies do just that: They give everyone applying for a job with them a fair chance. Basically, they treat applicants with criminal records the same as those who don’t have one.
Having said that, the company tells us that they don’t ask any questions related to convictions on their job applications. So, this helps explain how does The Mosaic Company hire felons and people with misdemeanors.
Does The Mosaic Company have special programs for hiring felons?
No. To quote the company:
“Mosaic does not have any programs designed specifically to attract or employ individuals with prior felony convictions.”
What are the odds someone with a felony will get hired?
It’s our opinion that the odds are high and here’s why:
The number one reason is that company told us that you can get a job at The Mosaic Company with a felony! They say there are no specific positions they won’t hire you for with a record. And, while they haven’t taken the Fair Chance Business Pledge or Ban the Box. their job application form doesn’t ask about convictions.
Regrettably, we couldn’t find any online staff comments confirming that the company hires people with felonies. But, there aren’t any reviews saying that they don’t, either.
What are some entry-level jobs?
If you have a high school diploma, here are a few examples of good entry-level jobs in production:
Operator — Monitoring chemical process operations equipment from a control board or station and correcting problems. One year of industrial or manufacturing experience helps.
Operating Mechanic — Loading and unloading dry potash from rail cars and fertilizer vessels and performing general operations and maintenance. One year experience in operating mobile equipment or in an industrial or manufacturing setting is valuable.
And, if you haven’t finished high school, you might want to consider mining work. This is what the job involves:
Mine Operator — Mining, scooping and hauling potash, working a conveyor belt and assisting maintenance and support crews.
How to get hired at The Mosaic Company with a felony
Start here to find out what types of positions the company hires for. This link takes you to current job openings. You can apply for a position by filling in the online application and there’s a spot to upload your resume.
Honesty is the best policy when applying to get a job at The Mosaic Company with a felony. The application form says:
“Any falsification, omission, misrepresentation, or concealment of information on this application, during interviews, or at any time during the hiring process shall be sufficient cause for denial of employment, revocation of an existing offer or immediate discharge.”
Furthermore, the company told us that during the interview process, they “look for honest and forthcoming responses, as well as evidence of accountability and rehabilitation.” They also assess applicants with criminal records based on the following criteria:
- Nature of the conviction.
- Circumstances surrounding the offense.
- Time elapsed since the conviction and the type of sentence.
- Successes of the applicant since the conviction.
Knowing this, be ready to talk up what you have accomplished to rehabilitate yourself as an ex-offender.
Here are some other tips:
- Try to find someone with a criminal record who has worked for the company. Ask for any advice they have for how to get hired at The Mosaic Company.
- If you haven’t got experience in the job you’re applying for, ask someone already working in mining or process operations what they like and don’t like about it.
- Practice answering difficult interview questions such as about your offense history, employment gaps and any jobs you quit or were fired from.
Does The Mosaic Company do background checks?
Definitely! Here’s what the job application says:
“. . . any job offer will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check including verification of education, criminal history and employment.”
Job postings confirm that the company participates in the E-Verify program to make sure that the people they hire are eligible to work in the United States.
Take a look below at what we can tell you about how different states do background checks:
You don’t need to worry if you’ve had a clean record for the last seven years. That’s how long background checks go back in the following states:
- California
- Colorado*
- Kansas*
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire*
- New York*
- Texas*
- Washington*
(*sometimes certain pay or salary brackets require one.)
If you apply for a job in these states, any not guilty verdicts are kept from a background check:
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Indiana (limited check)
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
Be cautious applying for work in these states because your whole record will appear when a background check is done:
- 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
There are some very decent online ratings for the company from employees. They get 3.6 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. The company is praised for its culture and work-life balance and 77% like the CEO. However, keep in mind that this is only from 182 reviews.
Indeed.com has more reviews — over 1,000 — and the company is rated 3.7 out of 5, which is a pretty similar rating.
What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?
Safety is a top priority at The Mosaic Company. Therefore, if you have a criminal record involving offenses where someone’s safety was put in danger it will be more difficult to get hired. These include crimes such as:
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- Endangering life
- Assault and battery
- Robbery
- Criminal harassment
- Uttering threats
- Various weapons charges
In addition, there’s a question in the company’s job application about whether you’ve ever been disciplined or lost a job due to safety violations. This is because employees at The Mosaic Company do some very dangerous work. The hiring manager wants to know that your behavior on the job won’t put yourself or anyone else at risk.
What’s more, the company tells us that they may consider the “nature of the conviction and the underlying circumstances . . . when assessing the candidate’s fitness [for] the job offered.” So, be prepared to also explain the circumstances of any offenses where you were reckless.
Does The Mosaic Company drug test?
Yes, the application says that you have to be screened for alcohol and drugs to be hired. Once you’re hired, the company’s job application says that “employees are required to abide by the Mosaic Drug and Alcohol Policy.”
Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!
What questions do you have and what advice do you have to offer? Tell us what you think of our assessment of The Mosaic Company!