Does J.Crew Hire Felons?

J.Crew is a popular retail store with many locations all across the United States. The incredible number of opportunities they offer leaves an applicant wondering: Does J.Crew hire felons?

That is the question that we are here to examine today. At Successful Release, we make a point of identifying the information that might help former felons find employment after prison. To do this, we go straight to the companies and ask them directly what their policy is for hiring people with a record.

We’re going to give you everything you need to know before you apply. From background checks to resumes, we’ve got you covered!

So without further ado, let’s dive in and see what kind of jobs you can get here and how to get a job at J.Crew with a felony.

Does J.Crew hire felons?

Official company policy for hiring felons

We asked them about their hiring policy for former felons, but didn’t get much of an answer. Their response was as follows:

Sorry, but we aren’t able to answer the questions due to our company policies.

Not exactly a confidence-inspiring response. Also, not an uncommon one. Many companies are not very forthcoming on whether or not they hire felons.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t get a job at J.Crew with a felony. It just means that we don’t have clearly stated policy to reference.

Has J.Crew hired felons in the past?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is also unclear. Neither the company nor our research showed they have.

Does J.Crew hire people with misdemeanors?

Understanding if J.Crew will hire former felons is one thing. However, it isn’t the only important question that matters. To get a better understanding of their approach to hiring, we also need to ask: Does J.Crew hire people with misdemeanors?

Unfortunately, we don’t know.

Is J.Crew on the Ban the Box List?

Ban the Box’s mission is to ban questions (the tick box) about a person’s criminal record from job applications.

The purpose is to give former felons a better chance to find work after serving their sentences.

There is also The Fair Chance Business Pledge. The Pledge is an Obama-era program. Companies that sign the Pledge promise not to discriminate against former felons in the hiring process.

Unfortunately, J.Crew is not one of the companies that supports either initiative. However, that’s the case for lots of companies, so don’t let that stop you.

Does J.Crew have special programs for hiring felons?

Some companies actually have programs that are designed specifically for hiring former felons. These programs are great because your record actually actively helps you get hired. Other organizations offer former felons training to help them find work.

Unfortunately, J.Crew does not have any of these programs. Given the fact that they aren’t even willing to say if they’ve hired felons in the past, this shouldn’t be too surprising.

What are the odds someone with a felony will get hired?

Let’s review what we know:

1. J.Crew won’t tell us whether or not they hire people with felonies, or if they’ve done so in the past.
2. They haven’t signed Ban the Box or The Fair Chance Business Pledge.
3. They don’t have any special programs for hiring former felons.

Unfortunately, we just don’t have a lot of information to go on. Given everything that we do know, we can only rate your chances as uncertain.

What are some entry-level jobs?

There are actually two different categories for entry-level jobs at J.Crew. They have in-store positions, like for clerks or sales support staff, and then they also have warehouse jobs.

Your background or general interests might help determine which type of position you prefer.

Warehouse jobs involve loading and unloading trucks, operating heavy machinery and generally doing manual labor.

The in-store positions are much more social. The hours of operation are mostly during the day, but there is also a late afternoon to mid-evening shift.

The warehouse positions have a slightly different schedule. However, it looks like most also have both day and evening shifts.

How to get hired at J.Crew with a felony

It begins by submitting a good resume and application. The goal is always to identify the things that make you special and qualified for the job.

So, if you are applying for a job in one of the stores, and you have customer service experience, that is what you want to mention.

If you are applying for the warehouse, and you have done that work before, you will want to emphasize that.

Even better, get a referral. Do you know someone who works for J.Crew? Get them to put in a good word for you.

Since we don’t know how J.Crew feels about hiring people with felonies on their record, it is extra important to put your best foot forward.

Be sure to read over your application thoroughly, and get a second pair of eyes on it if you can. If you have a friend or family member who is good with that sort of stuff, great! Otherwise, you may want the help of a career center to review your resume and application.

Once you nail the application, it’s time to prepare for the interview. As with any interview, you’ll want to arrive dressed professionally.

You’ll also want to do everything possible to show that you are comfortable interacting with others. This is easier said than done. Interviews can be a little bit awkward for anyone.

To overcome the jitters you may want to practice basic interview questions with a friend or family member.

While those practice sessions won’t make you an interview expert, they might make you more comfortable answering questions as they come up.

The secret of how to get hired at J.Crew is the same as most places: A good application and interview will take you far!

Does J.Crew do background checks?

How much J.Crew knows about your record may impact your chances of getting hired. As such, you’ll want to know exactly how does J.Crew do background checks? How far back do they go? What do they want to find out?

J.Crew sometimes does background checks. There are conflicting reports and we don’t have a company response for this.

However, you should know not all background checks are the same. How much they show depends on the state you’re in.

For instance, there are some states that only look at the last seven years. Good news if you live in these states:

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

There are also states that don’t look at things you were found not guilty of. These include:

• Alaska
• California
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New York

Unfortunately, though, there are some states that look at everything. Those states are the following:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• DC
• Delaware
• Florida
• Idaho
• Indiana
• 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

We also took a look at glassdoor.com to find out how people feel about working for J.Crew. For the most part, the company rating was pretty decent. The company has a rating of 3.6 out of a potential 5 stars.

It loses the most points in the categories of career opportunities and compensation. However, don’t let that stop you from applying. Once you get comfortably settled in with a job, it will be easier to start looking for something you are really interested in.

What felonies might have a hard time getting hired here?

There are a few types of felonies that might keep a retail store from hiring you. Places hiring for customer service positions usually don’t like to see sexual or violent offenses on a record.

A theft record can also keep you from getting hired for a clerk position.

If you are applying for the warehouse, there are other felonies that might be a problem. Since heavy machinery is often used, they may be wary of drug or alcohol related offenses. Since the warehouse positions involve lots of teamwork, they might also think twice about hiring violent offenders.

Does J.Crew drug test?

It looks like J.Crew only drug tests for senior management positions. Still, a “better safe than sorry” approach is never a bad idea.

Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!

Does J.Crew hire felons? If you have experience with this company we want to hear from you! Tell us what you know so that we can improve our information!