Will Walmart Hire Me after filing Ch 7?

[lostinflorida]

First of all, I know how lame it is to be so stressed about getting hired on at Walmart for a minimum wage, part time job, but sadly, that is the level that I am being reduced to.

My husband and I have been looking for jobs for quite some time now, with no luck.

I finally got called in to Walmart and interviewed, was sent for a drug test and told that I would be called as soon as they get my background check and drug test results in. I was so excited thinking that I finally have a job, then the doubt started creeping in. I have now escalated to panic.

After the interview process, they have you sign a form stating that you authorize them to do a background check. No big deal I was thinking, since I have nothing to hide. I read through the form and it mentioned that the background check can include a report from credit agencies.......that could be an issue....

Is it possible that I will be denied a lowly position at Walmart simply because my credit score is too low or because I have filed Ch 7?

I had 25 years of perfect credit before our troubles began, but maybe that doesn't count for anything?

[JRScott]

I don't think it would keep you from getting a job at Wal Mart. You don't have to be bonded to work there. For a minimum wage job I'd be surprised if they even ran the checks. I could see a criminal record check but a credit check expense for such a low job probably wouldn't be warranted.

[kingred]

I would doubt walmart would do a credit check unless your applying in security or management. The bit about possible doing one is just to cover their bases regardless of position actually applied for.

[lostinflorida]

The job is just for entry level cashier. So I thought that maybe they would be worried that you have access to the money in the cash drawer, although I know they count it after your shift and you wouldn't get away with taking any.

Since when did filing bankruptcy put you in a class with criminals? Geesh!! Employers should be happy that you no longer have any debts and that you can afford to live on their minimum wage jobs......

So in the event that I can get in as a cashier, my dream of moving up into management may be halted by my bankruptcy??? My God, what is wrong with this country?

[IBroke]

The job is just for entry level cashier. So I thought that maybe they would be worried that you have access to the money in the cash drawer, although I know they count it after your shift and you wouldn't get away with taking any.

Since when did filing bankruptcy put you in a class with criminals? Geesh!! Employers should be happy that you no longer have any debts and that you can afford to live on their minimum wage jobs......

So in the event that I can get in as a cashier, my dream of moving up into management may be halted by my bankruptcy??? My God, what is wrong with this country?

Yeah - loking at it, you might be in a better financial position after your discharge than the store-manager..

[jeb]

Just be ready to drink the kool aid if you are going to work at WalMart.

A Prof. did research for a book on how so many in this country live - she took no car and no money with her, worked at Denny's, a hotel doing maid work and several other low end jobs and lived on the income produced.

She applied for a job at WalMart - was NOT HIRED! Appears she failed the test they gave her - the "honesty" part. She got this information after telling them who she was and what she was doing.

And one of her jobs BEFORE doing this research, you ask?

She put together the tests that WalMart and most other companies in the country use!!!

So how did she fail?

Several questions on these type exams have to do with, "Have you ever taken a pencil from your place of business? They ask these questions in several different ways.

SHE make these test up so knew what the answers should be.

She answered truthfully - that she had taken a pencil at some point in time - just like every single person on the planet.

Seems WalMart only wants people that will lie on their tests.

In her closing chapter she talked about working, the relationships between the employees and managers, and how much of a struggle it was.

And her closing remarks about WalMart? That is was a "cult".- jb

[Flamingo]

The job is just for entry level cashier. So I thought that maybe they would be worried that you have access to the money in the cash drawer, although I know they count it after your shift and you wouldn't get away with taking any.

Since when did filing bankruptcy put you in a class with criminals? Geesh!! Employers should be happy that you no longer have any debts and that you can afford to live on their minimum wage jobs......

So in the event that I can get in as a cashier, my dream of moving up into management may be halted by my bankruptcy??? My God, what is wrong with this country?

Since you have access to cash you MAY have an issue but Walmart appears to be BK friendly in granting credit to those who have filed so they may lean more on your criminal background check than on a credit check. Filing BK does not put you in a class of criminals; when you apply for a position, there are several checks they do to check you out before they consider hiring you; criminal background check, credit check, drug testing, reference checks, fingerprinting, etc., just to name the major ones that can be done. Sometimes you have to pass internal tests as to certain skills.

If they don't like what they see in any background check, fail a drug test, flub an internal test, etc., they do not have to hire you.

If you get an interview, I would be upfront about your BK especially if a job loss or medical situation caused you to have to file. The more open and honestly you sell yourself to an employer, the better chance you have of being hired.

[BKParalegal]

As typical for me, I can't disagree any stronger with Flamingo's recommendation of telling them about your BK. It is against the law to not hire or fire someone due to a BK. I have many clients that are in the financial,airline, security, government, etc. industry that have had no issues obtaining or keeping their job due to their BK. Of course, they didn't go shouting it from the rooftops, like Flamingo suggests(exaggeration for example purposes only). I just put an ad in Craigslist for a $9 per hour assistant. I received over 400 resumes, so my time is spent looking at who not to hire first. The last thing you want is the Hiring Person to have any reason why they should choose someone over you, regardless if it is illegal or not.

Good Luck

[hgpotter]

A Prof. did research for a book on how so many in this country live - she took no car and no money with her, worked at Denny's, a hotel doing maid work and several other low end jobs and lived on the income produced.

Jeb,

Just curious, but are you talking about Barbara Ehrenreich? She did work at Wal-Mart for a few weeks in addition to waitressing, the hotel work and as a in home maid.

She's a journalist, though, not a professor. If you're thinking of someone else can you post the author and book name? I'd be interested in reading it. I love reading investigative non-fiction.

I would recommend to everyone to read her books. The book she did the research for is call Nickel and Dimed. I started reading her newest one, Bait and Switch, but took a break to read The Yankee Years. <g>

Anyway, she does do a lot of undercover work and her books seem to look out the shrinking middle class.

I've also worked for Wal-Mart, part time many years ago, as a second job. I was involved in a class action suit (without realizing it) for their overtime crap they pulled.

I don't mind shopping there but they do have some very questionable practices. For example, they try their damnedest to avoid paying any type of property taxes where their stores are. If a town or city refuse to give them tax breaks, they will often back out the deal completely.

They are thinking of building a super center in my town and the borough is selling it to the residences claiming that the tax money coming from a Wal-Mart will help lower our property taxes. I'd be very, very surprised if Wal-Mart does not get a tax break.

Anyway, sorry for the mini rant.

To the OP. Good luck, while I don't think highly of the management, it will be a good stepping stone to help get yourself back on your feet. I did love (and miss) the 10% employee discount.

AC

[ready2puke]

I dont know what the folks are like at your Walmart, but here? Good God anyone can get a job there...kinda scarey really at the one by my city...Good luck and I totally understand working there or anywhere..I just hope yours is a better store than mine. I'd rather work at Target...lol

[jeb]

Potter, it was a couple of years ago but she was a Prof. and doing research for some study they were doing.

I don't remember her name but she was on one of the TV shows - 60 mins or something.

What I found funny was that she failed the test that she had helped design so knew what the company would be looking for.

I would like to read the book you mentioned. - jb

[Flamingo]

As typical for me, I can't disagree any stronger with Flamingo's recommendation of telling them about your BK. It is against the law to not hire or fire someone due to a BK. I have many clients that are in the financial,airline, security, government, etc. industry that have had no issues obtaining or keeping their job due to their BK. Of course, they didn't go shouting it from the rooftops, like Flamingo suggests(exaggeration for example purposes only). I just put an ad in Craigslist for a $9 per hour assistant. I received over 400 resumes, so my time is spent looking at who not to hire first. The last thing you want is the Hiring Person to have any reason why they should choose someone over you, regardless if it is illegal or not.

Good Luck

Many folks disagree about hiring practices and BK. I have worked with corporate HR depts. for years and have seen it all. A company does not have to hire someone if there is a BK on their records and many companies are upfront about that during the interview process. Some major financial institutions have had applicants fill out financial questionnaires prior to hiring indicating all their debt prior to a credit check and also have to be fingerprinted. Proving one will not be hired just for having a BK on one's record would be difficult because the company could just state they hired someone with better qualifications. The same would apply if an applicant had a felony on their record, did not pass a drug test, etc. One cannot be directly fired for filing BK. Wal-Mart is very security conscience and may have certain policies in place legally to protect themselves as to hiring practices. In the OP's situation, if her credit check and BK information comes up as an issue during her interview she should just be open and honest about the situation, especially if she is concerned or it bothers her - I wouldn't state that doing that is "shouting it from the rooftops". Employers look for someone who will be a loyal, honest worker and someone who really wants the position. If it does not come up and she is not hired, she would not know if the BK played a part or they hired a more qualified candidate.

[woeisme]

I have no knowledge of Walmart's hiring practices, but when I used to work for the government in the 90's, the #1 thing they looked for in background checks was deception. Tell them you smoked pot in college, no big deal, you were still hired. Tell them you never used drugs in your life, then they interview a buddy of yours who said you used to smoke pot with him, you're not hired. Whether it was criminal records, financial problems, whatever, it was always the cover-up and never the actual incident that caused you to fail the check. Now these were jobs where there was a very small applicant pool capable of doing the job, not 400 applicants as BKparalegal suggests, but in my limited experience, I'd have to agree with Flamingo, being honest and up-front was the best policy.

[Pizza]

Just to follow up on this topic (I know it's old),

I just got a job at Wal-Mart as an ICS associate. They either did NOT check my credit or did NOT use what they checked because my credit is horrible with a capital 'H'. I did, however, have to sign an authorization form that gave them permission to use all kinds of checks, including credit and background. I also left a couple of jobs that ended horribly off my application and they did not come up either. I had to take a drug test, passed it, and was hired.

I think those forms that you sign on these types of applications are formalities that are only there because all companies have senior financial/accounting departments and everyone fills out the same application. For low-level retail positions, they probably don't mean a thing.

As a predictor of theft, we can thank all the loss prevention systems that are in place to make stealing next to impossible. Unless you're a professional thief (in which case you probably wouldn't be working retail), good luck evading the hundreds of cameras, sneaking magnets off merchandise, and getting around the inventory systems unnoticed - when an item is removed from storage, it is scanned and the shrinkage would be caught.

As a predictor of responsibility, well, if you were super-responsible, you wouldn't be fighting for a job in retail, right?



Now, get to work!

[carlsbadmike]

Even super responsible people are fighting for retail jobs at this time, during this recession.