Yes, Dollar General does hire felons. It is important to remember that they will not hire all felons. Dollar General’s online application does not ask about criminal records. Your background check will not be completed until after your interview.
Does Dollar General Hire Felons?
As stated above Dollar General does hire felons. Following the steps outlined in this guide will greatly increase your chances of becoming hired by Dollar General even with a felony conviction on your record. Our organization Help for Felons has provided this guide to help felons become employed at Dollar General. Please take the time to read all the info below to give you the best chance of being hired.
If you are ready to say @^%* it, nobody will hire me please take some time to look at the resources on this site. We are working extremely hard to provide real information to help felons get jobs and improve their lives!
Guide: How to Get Hired with a Felony at Dollar General
Following these four steps will greatly improve your chances of being hired on by Dollar General. Many felons make a critical mistake when applying for jobs, this guide will help you avoid that one big mistake. Life is hard enough for you as it is already as you know. Every felony is a bit of a life sentence in some ways, but we are going to try and work through this together.
Step 1) Position selection at Dollar General
You can increase your chances of being hired by Dollar General by selecting the right type of position or job to apply for. Do not apply for management positions even if you have experience. The higher up the job the more Dollar General will investigate your background.
Getting your foot in the door will allow you to prove yourself to Dollar General and your Manager. After you have proven yourself with the company then apply for better positions.
The best position for felons to apply for at Dollar General Are:
- Sales Associate – Basically you run the register and provide customer service. You will also be stocking shelves and cleaning as needed.
- Lead Associate – This may not be the best position but if it is the only thing available go for it.
There are other positions like a Lead Sales Associate, Assistant Manager and Store Manager. I do not suggest applying for these positions until after you have worked at Dollar General for a year or more.
Keep in mind that the goal of getting this job is to get your foot in the door and to move up later.
Step 2) Filling out Dollar General’s Application
Dollar General has an online application that is quick and easy. Do NOT fill it out yet though, not until you have read the rest of this post.
The nice thing about applying to Dollar General is that they do not ask you about any felony convictions on the application. I will explain why this is a huge advantage to you shortly.
Make sure you do the following when filling out the application.
- One of the questions is “Do you have reliable transportation.” Answer yes, no matter what.
- Double check for any mistakes. You do not want a simple mistake to keep you from getting an interview.
- Make sure you are honest about your previous addresses, work history and anything else. Dollar General will run a complete background check and will know everything about your past. If you are not honest you will never get the job.
- Have open availability each day of the week. If you can select full time, part time, days, and nights. If other applicants are less flexible, then this will give you an edge over them.
After you fill out and submit your application to Dollar General there is nothing left to do but wait. Keep in mind that they have no idea you have a felony or any type of criminal record.
Step 3) Interviewing with Dollar General
This is your time to impress the hiring manager. I suggest that you read a few articles on “how to interview well” or “interviewing tips” The only information I am giving you is how to make your felony conviction less of an issue for Dollar General.
Remember that the application did not ask about any criminal convictions, felonies, etc. Even though Dollar General knows nothing about your conviction it is time to bring it up. This is super important!
Why? Because this is the only time you will have any control over their opinion regarding your felony. If you leave the interview and say nothing, then the hiring manager gets a “surprise, felony record” email a week or so later from the company that does the background check and they are not going to hire you 99.9% of the time.
How to present your felony to the Dollar General hiring manager
There are several things you need to do to explain your felony. You must be prepared to present your felony to the interviewer orally and in written form. Here is exactly what you need to do.
Explaining your felony to the Dollar General hiring manager
Timing is important – Do not bring this up until the interview is almost finished, but not after it has ended. This allows the hiring manager to form a good opinion about you before you bring up the felony. Nine times out of ten at the end of the interview the hiring manager will ask you if you have any questions. This is the time to let them know about your criminal record.
Explaining your felony – Now everyone’s past is different so some variation may be needed for your situation. You need to explain in brief how you got in trouble and what happened. Be brief and do not dwell on this part. Limit this to a minute or two.
Explain what you have done since your conviction – This is particularly important and should be well thought out beforehand. Speak about what you have done to change your life including education, classes, skills acquired, lessons learned and how you want to move on with your life by finding a career at Dollar General. Keep the attention on the present and not the past.
Final note – After you have explained everything it is time to ask the interviewer if they have any questions for you.
Make sure that you are sincere and honest throughout the entire interview. Most hiring managers at Dollar General have many years of experience interviewing applicants and they easily pick up on when people are being deceptive.
Written explanation of felony
It is important to have a short letter addressing your felony. Go into a bit of detail about how you have changed and what you have done to change the direction of your life. Basically, put your oral explanation into letter form. Keep it to the point and do not provide too many details. The most important part of this is not the letter but what goes with it.
Attached to the letter and provide any awards, certifications, diplomas, and a few letters of reference attesting to your character. After you have explained your felony to the interviewer give them the letter and attached documents.
Interview tips for felons
This is an excellent video about interviewing with a felony. Please listen to this man, he knows what he is talking about!
Step 4) After the interview
Some people say to follow up a day or so after your interview. I do not think this is necessary anymore in today’s world. Now if a week or two goes by you may want to reach out to Dollar General and see what is going on.
Dollar General Background check limits (Seven Year States)
Some states limit how far back a business, like Dollar General can run a background check. If you live in one of these states it may be best not to disclose any felonies that are older than seven years from completion of sentence. You can find more information here on seven year states.
Twelve states do not allow any felony conviction information older than seven years to be reported.
- California
- Colorado*
- Kansas*
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire*
- New York *
- Texas *
- Washington*
(* exceptions based on pay/salary)
Some states will not report court cases where you were found NOT guilty: Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Alaska, California, New York, and Michigan.
These states will report unlimited numbers of years back of felony convictions and also report NOT guilty verdicts: Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa.
Felony Expungement Option
If you are not aware it is possible to have some felonies removed from your record, the legal process is called felony expungement. If you are capable of having this done, then I suggest applying at companies that pay more than Dollar General.
Yes, it can be expensive and not all felonies can be expunged but it is well worth looking into. Some expungement lawyers will give a free consultation.
Other factors
Please keep in mind that it may not always be the felony that keeps you from getting hired at Dollar General or another company for that matter. Some people interview better than others, some have more availability and others may have more experience. It is important to do everything else right outside of explaining your past issues.
Know Dollar General as a company
Before you go to your interview learn about the company, in this case dollar general. Work this information into your interview. It shows you are detail oriented and want the job. Here is some general information about Dollar general.
With over 14,000 stores across the United States, Dollar General is a mass scale retail employer. Based out of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, the chain employs over 120,000 personnel.
“Dollar General stands for convenience, quality brands and low prices. Dollar General’s stores aim to make shopping a hassle-free experience. We design small, neighborhood stores with carefully edited merchandise assortments to make shopping simpler. We don’t carry every brand and size, just those our customers want the most.
Dollar General saves time by staying focused on life’s simple necessities: laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, socks, and underwear … and maybe a gadget or two that you just can’t live without.”
Source: Dollar General
This all you need to know, what they do, what they sell and where they are. Oh, and one more thing! There mission statement is “Serving others.”
Summary
It is a sad fact that many companies continue to discriminate against us. We already have strikes against us even though we have served our sentences. It is easy to get really @^%$*# off, discouraged, annoyed and whatever else. It is okay to feel like that, but you cannot stop trying.
Whether you get hired by Dollar General or not keep the above information and tips in mind and it will help you find gainful employment.
FAQ about Dollar General
Question: What does Dollar General look for on background checks?
Answer: Everything. Any criminal convictions will show up on your background check including misdemeanors and felonies.
Question: How long does it take Dollar General to do a background check?
Answer: Generally speaking the longest it takes for Dollar General to get your background check back is two weeks although most are back within five to seven business days.
Question: Does Dollar General drug test?
Answer: Yes, Dollar General will conduct a drug test as part of their pre-employment screening process. It is most likely that you will not be tested again unless you are promoted or involved in an accident at work.
Question: Can you apply in person at Dollar General?
Answer: Yes, you can apply in person at Dollar General, but it is best to use the online application system. This way your application cannot be lost, and you can track your progress through the hiring process.
Question: Do Dollar General employees get discounts?
Answer: Yes, currently Dollar General offers all their employees a 20% discount on anything they purchase in store. This is a great benefit and the savings add up quickly.
Question: Does Dollar General provide uniforms?
Answer: No you must buy your own. You will be required to wear a Black Polo shirt with a collar, blue jeans with belt loops and a black belt.
Question: Can you have colored hair at Dollar General?
Answer: Yes you can have colored or dyed hair if you work for Dollar General.
Question: What is the starting pay at Dollar General?
Answer: Pay changes depending on which location you apply at and can range from 7 to 10 dollars per hour.