Publix Hiring Overview For 2023

Is Publix on the Ban the Box list?

The Ban the Box campaign is an ongoing effort to make the hiring process fairer for people with felonies. When a company signs on, they agree not to ask questions about a candidate’s criminal record on the job application.

By doing this, people with felonies are seen for their skills rather than for their past.

There is also the Fair Chance Business Pledge. This effort goes back to the Obama administration. Their goal is to get companies to voluntarily promise to make the hiring process a little bit fairer for people with felonies.

Unfortunately, Publix has not signed this pledge.

Does this mean that you won’t be able to get a job at Publix with a felony? Not quite. It just means that your record will be considered.

In fact, we can confirm that their application does contain questions on a candidate’s criminal record.

Does Publix have special programs for hiring felons?

No, they don’t. In the best case scenarios, some companies actually have special programs for hiring former felons. These programs make it much easier for people with a criminal record to get hired.

What are the odds of someone with a felony getting hired?

Let’s go over everything that we have heard from Publix about their hiring policies towards former felons. They flat-out told us they will hire former felons, and that they have done so before. They do, however, do background checks, they ask about criminal history on their applications and they do not have any special programs for hiring felons.

All of these things considered the chances aren’t so bad. We would classify your odds of getting hired at Publix with a felony as high.

The company does lose points for the fact that they don’t do anything to make the process easier for you. Still, at the end of the day, it certainly is possible to get hired at Publix with a felony.

What are some entry-level jobs?

Publix features the sort of jobs you would expect to find at a grocery store.

There are clerking jobs, bagging jobs and warehouse work. There are also custodial positions. Each store has an average of 130 or so associates, so there are tons of opportunities for work and a wide variety of shifts.

Tips to get hired here with a felony

Submitting a good application is key to getting any job. This means putting together a solid resume. Resume writing is a skill that most people struggle with a little bit. Fortunately, there are resources available that can make things easier (like this guide).

If you have someone in your life that is good at this stuff, you should have them take a look at it. Otherwise, there are career centers available to help you out.

Nailing the application is extra important at Publix. Their HR representative told us that they will hire candidates with felonies if they are qualified.

If you can show them that’s you, then you’ll be asked in for an interview. Most grocery store positions require social skills. Publix will want to make sure you are up for that task. How do you do this? Simple. Show off your winning personality!

Even if you only want to apply for a stocking position, you will still interact with customers and coworkers.

Dress professionally, cover up tattoos and unconventional piercings, and try to be natural.

Showcase your skills when they ask you why you’d be a good fit for the job. An ability to do basic math may help you get a cashier job. A history of using heavy machinery might help you get a job in the warehouse.

If you have a past job you can reference, great! If you took a class or had a job in prison, that works too! Showing that you learned valuable skills in prison will shine a positive light on your record, and prove you are qualified for the job.