Does Pepsi Hire Felons In 2024?

Finding work with a criminal record can be difficult. As a newly released felon, you probably want to find a welcoming and non-judgmental environment where you can contribute like everyone else.

Fortunately, there are plenty of companies that don’t discriminate against felons. One of them is Pepsi. Pepsi has no policy against hiring felons and offers higher chances of employment than some other companies.

However, several reports have claimed that Pepsi hires on a case-by-case basis. In this article, we’ll cover the details of the hiring process at Pepsi, the list of available jobs, and review some employee experiences.

Does Pepsi Do Background Checks?

The most important question felons have when searching for a job is whether the company conducts a background check.

Rather than varying from company to company, background check requirement depends on the state. If your conviction was seven years ago, you might want to avoid getting a background check during your Pepsi onboarding process in the following states:

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

If you’ve been found innocent of a crime, the states of New York, Alaska, Hawaii, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Michigan won’t consider your criminal history as a factor during recruiting.

In other states, you should expect a thorough background check before you find work at Pepsi.

However, a background check might be necessary for certain positions, even in the aforementioned states. For this reason, it’s crucial to mention your criminal record and be completely transparent about your past.

Also, check out felon-friendly jobs that don’t require a criminal background check.

Did you know? Around 70 million people in the U.S. have a criminal record that’ll show up in a background check. It’s estimated that around 50% of them won’t return to jail and will likely be looking for work.

Felon Friendly Jobs at Pepsi

At Pepsi, you can find various career opportunities that fall into seven categories:

-Production and Operations
-Maintenance and security
-Operations safety
-Production
-Supply Chain
-Supply chain management
-Transportation and logistics
-Warehouse positions
-Research and Development
-Food and life sciences
-Product engineer
-Packaging engineering
-Sales

Of course, most of these jobs require certain qualifications and experience. But even if you don’t have experience in any of these areas, entry-level positions like cashier, driver, and warehouse loader are great felon-friendly options to start with at Pepsi.

For manual jobs, such as a warehouse loader or maintenance worker, you’ll only require a proper set of skills and physical health.

According to online reviews, you can earn around $21.47 per hour as a warehouse worker and $66,705 per year as a warehouse supervisor.

If you obtain a commercial driving license, you can become a commercial driver at Pepsi even with a driving-related offense. As a route driver, your hourly pay will be approximately $20.63.

To become a sales representative, you’ll typically need a college degree and some certificates. The estimated pay for this position is $86,422 per year.

Pepsi will provide you with proper training and guidance to develop your skills for a specific role within the company.

Pepsi also offers early career opportunities and internships for students and new grads, so if you are fresh out of college, this might be an option for you regardless of your criminal record.

What Is the Hiring Process at Pepsi?

The hiring process for felons at Pepsi is no different than the one for non-felons. The first step is going to Pepsi’s career page on their website and finding a suitable job.

You can chat with Pepsi’s recruiting assistant to inquire about anything that interests you about the business, job positions, etc.

Then, you can sign up on Pepsi’s page and submit your application that contains personal information and work experience. You can edit your profile and keep track of the application status. You might also get the pre-screening test of video questions.

The next step includes an interview that might be conducted via phone, webcam, or in person. This stage might also involve various assessments depending on the role you’re seeking. It might just be a basic math test, or an assessment of skills needed for the job.

Pro Tip: During the Pepsi hiring interview, felons should ensure that they highlight their positive attributes, such as talents and skills, rather than focusing on their past offenses.

However, they should never exclude that piece of information, especially if they’ve taken steps to improve themselves afterward through volunteering work etc.

The results of everything mentioned above will provide a better insight into what you offer the company in addition to your resume.

If you get selected, you’ll be contacted by Pepsi’s recruitment team for further details about the position. Upon accepting the offer, you can start your onboarding process.

Note that Pepsi runs drug tests during the interviewing stage. The results are usually ready within two weeks, so you should expect further contact then.

Pepsi Employee Experiences

As a well-known company that has existed since 1893, Pepsi has given plenty of people the opportunity for employment. There are hundreds of reviews online from employees past and present that can give you an insider review of all the current roles.

At Comparably.com, 63% of employee reviews are positive and the overall culture is rated 4/5. Pepsi’s CEO has a score of 72/100, which makes them rank in the top 30% of companies of a similar size on Comparably. Out of 930 reviews, 47% of Pepsi’s employees would recommend working at the company, while 34% wouldn’t (19% are neutral).

At Indeed.com, the rating is slightly lower, at 3.8 stars. Most employees are satisfied with the workplace environment and their co-workers. Some job positions also allow flexible working hours and work from home, which is favorable for most employees.

Employees are also pleased with the amount of personal time off and the benefits, which include health and dental insurance and a retirement plan.

However, there are also a few negatives. Some reviews also say that while the pay is decent, the work is hard, and the expectations are high.

Several reviews complain the workload. They state that there are often not enough people allocated to a job to meet the task’s requirements, and poor management. But that aspect can vary from state to state and manager to manager.

Nevertheless, the reviews and ratings are mainly positive. Regardless of your criminal record, it’s crucial to do research on the company and the job position before sending an application. Even a vast and famous company like Pepsi can have its downsides, so you should know what to expect.

Did you know? The number of employees at Pepsi in 2022 was 315,000 worldwide. Around 110,000 work in the U.S.

Turn a New Leaf With Pepsi

Job-hunting with a criminal record in your past can lead to unpleasant experiences if you don’t thoroughly inform the prospective employer.

But now you know that at Pepsi you won’t have to worry about swift rejection when you present your criminal history. If you have the right set of skills, Pepsi offers various career opportunities regardless of your criminal record.