Do Target Hire Felons?

Target is one of the biggest retailers in the US and has a number of jobs that can be suitable for people with felonies. These include: stock room personnel, warehouse workers, sales clerks, etc.

The big question is: does Target hire felons?

The good news is that the company does not discriminate against people with criminal records and gives every applicant a fair chance. So yes, there are felons who work for Target, in a wide range of entry-level positions.

Find out how a felon can get a job at Target, hourly wages, as well as pros and cons of working at this company.

We are right in the middle of the Holiday Season and Target is looking to fill many temporary and seasonal positions now!

This is the perfect time to apply to Target and there is a much greater chance you will be hired, even if you have a felony conviction. If you do a good job, you may be offered full or part-time employment.

Job opportunities for felons at Target

Target is a very good company for felons to work for. Many ex-cons across the US report being hired by Target for various entry level positions.

Target is one of the pioneer corporations in the US who is spearheading the “ban the box” movement – the push to stop asking about felonies on the job application. This gives prospective applicants a more fair chance at getting hired because it presents their skills and experience, without the bias that they are felons.

Here is a list of positions that felons can be hired for at Target:

– Customer Service Associate
– Backroom Associate
– Grocery/Produce Associate
– Cart Attendant
– Food Prep/Service Worker
– Night Team Member
– Truck Driver
– Fulfillment Associate
– Forklift Operator
– Loader/unloader
– Order Picker
– Package Handler
– Packer
– Receiver
– Warehouse worker

Keep in mind that if you have been committed of things like: rape, murder, violent assault, robbery/theft, most likely you will not be hired. An exception to this is if your felony was over 20-30 years ago, and then it simply will not show up on most state background checks.

If you are interested in these types of jobs, companies like Walmart and Amazon offer similar positions, so you should apply there as well.

Average salary for entry-level positions

For most entry level positions, whether in store or in the backroom offer an average salary of $10-12 per hour.

Warehouse workers, loaders, receivers, and packers get paid more: about $13.5-16 per hour on average.

At the higher range of the salary spectrum, its possible to earn as much as $18-24 hour.

Overall, 67% of Target employers are satisfied with their salaries.

How to apply

Applying to Target is a very easy and straight forward process. There are a couple ways you can apply:

1. Fill it an application online at https://jobs.target.com/search-jobs. Here you can search all available jobs at your local Target stores by entering your zipcode or city.

2. Walk into your nearest Target store and fill out an application there. Some stores still have paper applications. In others, you will be asked to fill out an application on the computer.

3. Use job search engines such as Monster.com, Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com to find positions that are currently open at Target locations in your area.

In addition to the application, you will be asked to attach a resume that details your work history and relevant experience.

You may be surprised but Target will not ask you about your felonies on the application, this is their company policy, because they think everyone including felons deserves a second chance.

Based on your application, if the HR department finds that you are a potentially good fit for the job, you will be called for the interview. This is the time that you can talk about your felonies and be honest about your criminal record. Make it a point to discuss how you have rehabilitated yourself after coming out of prison. Volunteer work and good references from previous employers will greatly help you to get hired.

In case your interview goes well, you will be asked to fill out a background check application and pass drug test (see below).

If both of these come back clean, you will be offered a job. They will send you an email with the date for your orientation/training.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t end up getting hired at Target, there are many other companies hiring felons in every city.

Target background check

Like other major corporations, Target has a standard policy of running a comprehensive background check on all applicants. There is really no way around it, so you should be prepared for it from the start.

Target uses a third party provider, called Third Advantage, to run its background checks. The background check usually happens after the interview, when the hiring manager is willing to offer you employment.

You will be asked to come in and fill out the application for the background check on the Third Advantage website. If it comes back ok, you will receive an email with instructions and date for the orientations. This means you were hired!

Note that depending on where you live there are different state laws regarding how far back background checks go. If you had a felony over 10 years ago and live in a state where they cap background checks at 7 years, you are lucky! This tremendously increases your chances of landing the job.

Keep in mind that because HR departments are very busy and chaotic it may take 2-3 weeks for your background check to be processed. If it has been this long and you have not heard from them, call Target and remind them that you are waiting for your background check.

Does Target do pre-employment drug testing?

In addition to passing the background check, most Target stores require all applicants to pass a drug test. This will usually happen after the interview and the background check, as the last step, before offering you the job.

The company is committed to providing a safe and drug free environment for both customers and employees, so they have a strict drug policy. The drug test usually done in store and you have to provide a urine sample.

Your urine sample will be tested to discover if any of the following drugs are present:

Marijuana
Ecstasy
Oxycodone (30s, As, Berries, Blues, Blueberries, Hillbilly Heroin, Ms, O.C.)
Cocaine
Amphetamines (Addies, Bennies, Black Beauties, Crosses, Hearts, LA Turnaround)
Barbiturates (Downers, blue heavens, blue velvet, blue devils)
Benzodiazepines (Bars, Benzos, Blues, Chill Pills, Downers, Nerve Pills, Planks, Tranks, Zannies)
Methadone (Dollies, Dolls, Fizzies, Mud, Red Rock, Tootsie Roll)
Methamphetamine (Chalk, Christina, Cookies, Cotton Candy, Crank, Cream, Crystal)
Opiates (Black Tar, Poppy, Al Capone, Morph, Monkey)
Phencyclidine (Angel Dust, Hog, Ozone, Rocket Fuel, Shermans, Wack, Crystal)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (Bottled Smiles, Happy Pill, Miracle Drug, Wonder Drug)

If you are taking any kind of drugs, including smoking pot (marijuana) this will prevent you from getting hired at Target.

Pros & Cons Of Working At Target

As with any job, there are a number of positive and negative aspects of working at Target. Current and past employers report the following pros and cons of working at Target.

– Encouraging supportive environment
– Good team leaders
– Good way to learn new skills
– Most co-workers and managers are friendly
– Flexible work schedules

Here are the downsides:

– Sometimes too fast-paced and chaotic
– Need to be physically fit and lift heavy things
– Can get boring because of repetitive tasks
– Intense daily goals can be hard for people to meet
– No advancements or promotions

Please let us know in the comments below if you were able to get a job at Target and you have a felony. Share your experience to help other felons to get jobs.