Amazon is no doubt one of the biggest and most well-known brands across the globe. The brand stands out amongst a substantial amount of brands that have been established in the United States; one of the reasons is that it does not discriminate in its hiring process. Although, there are a lot of controversies online which debunk the validity of Amazon’s recruitment process which is why it is imperative to emphasize this to ensure people know their stance and whether they can apply this in their respective lives. Let us see about does amazon hire misdemeanors
Does Amazon hire those who have been involved in misdemeanors?
Yes, they do. However, there is a big BUT.
The BUT comes with a lot of instances and conditions. It all runs down from the duration at which the misdemeanor last occurred to the level or class of charges which can be found on your public records.
The same story right?
Yes and No. You would discover some other valid points as you continue in this article.
What are the things Amazon is on the lookout for when hiring misdemeanors?
After application to the desired position, a series of steps take place afterward ranging from online or one-on-one interviews to background tests, reference checks, and drug tests.
The background tests usually take 10 to 14 days for a normal level position and more days for a higher position; that is, the level of your job determines the duration at which the background check is carried out.
- The level or class of misdemeanor
Different states get to determine their level or class of misdemeanors. Usually, a background check is carried out for every application received and petty mistakes may stand in the way. Once an application is been made, Amazon, therefore, has the consent to carry out a thorough background check. Nevertheless, charges that cannot be found in public records might be obscure for the background check agencies to discover.
The kind of misdemeanor committed determines whether you will hire or not. Those with high-level offenses or Class A misdemeanors would not be hired while in most cases those with low-level offenses or Class C misdemeanors may be hired.
- The Duration at which the last misdemeanor occurred
According to the laws guiding employees of the United States, a misdemeanor older than 7 years should not be considered when you are to be hired for a job. This law is very exact and is very much implemented. It is a standard and Amazon is not left out from abiding by it. Therefore, the longer the duration from which the crime happened, the higher the chances of being considered.
- The Level of the position to be applied for
Amazon is a business institute and each of its sections has its relevance to the company’s growth and proper function. Even if they claim to be a non-discriminatory company, they still guide their interest and are being misunderstood for this. The decisions they make are not biased but to avoid future mistakes.
Another thing is that different roles have different requirements and require a certain level of accountability. If they are going to be following such a strict process, it is likely the person’s misdemeanor failed the test. Now, this means that someone who has never been convicted will also fail the tests if they do not have what the requirements take.
Reasons why those involved in misdemeanors have a lower chance of being hired?
The job application process of Amazon does not segregate those with a history of petty crimes from those that are clean. This means that both parties get to apply the same way which is proof that the company does not in any way discriminate.
Despite the flexibility in the hiring process, there are still a lot of cases where those involved in misdemeanors are not hired.
The truth is Amazon’s recruitment process can vary per misdemeanor which means a lot of factors are being taken into consideration at this point. This is the reason why you would find people with more complicated charges getting the job you couldn’t obtain despite having less complicated charges. For instance, someone who has been involved in aggravated assault twice might be hired while someone who was involved in a drug misdemeanor might not be hired.
Sometimes, this could be as a result of the little difference in laws guiding a locality or the fault could be from your recruitment agency.
The bottom line is that Amazon has confirmed that misdemeanors can be hired and if this happens otherwise in a certain case, it means there was a reason why the check failed.
What can you do increase your chances of getting hired after being involved in a misdemeanor?
There are higher chances that background checks are likely to fail due to already emphasized reasons, however, there are corrective measures that can be taken.
- Carry out your research
Imagine applying for a particular role without doing your proper research. There are lots of people who have been employed even after their involvement in misdemeanor, therefore, you can ask them how they were able to go through the whole process.
You can also use background sites such as Truthfinder and Instant checkmate to see what you have on the public records as they are reliable to an extent. You can also try and make effort to clear your name of whatever charge has been issued to you.
- Be honest and transparent during your application
It can be painful that you apply for a job and do not get hired but you must come as transparent as possible to your employer. Some misdemeanors might likely be ignored by amazon and you should mention them before it comes to light later on. It would be of great significance to drop all the necessary information about yourself that you think could be in any form implicative once found out.
- Be Prepared
Most of the time, the drug tests are impromptu so you have to be prepared. While being very open about yourself and expressing how confident you have been clean is a very great approach to convincing your employer, the result of the tests or background checks would reveal your authenticity.
- Be unique
It is going to be a very competitive journey and you need to have what it takes to be considered. Additional skills would be of help as it gives them more reasons why they should hire you. Your experience and the problems you have solved in the past would give you a preference. Forget that you cannot be hired.
Instead, apply as a normal person and expect as a normal person.
Conclusion
Acquiring a job in a global brand like Amazon is in no way easy even for clean people and people must get to understand that the hiring process is the same as long as anyone deems fit for the position.
