Does Walmart Do Background Checks in 2023?

Receiving a job offer from Walmart can be pretty exciting. It means you aced the interview and managed through the lengthy hiring process. However, one thing might remain between you and your dream job — a background check. This article will share everything there is to know about Walmart background checks, including what it looks for, how long it takes, and the grounds for disqualification.

Walmart is one of the largest employers, with job opportunities for everyone. However, Walmart is responsible to its customers, staff, and shareholders. Therefore, the company needs qualified, trustworthy employees to reach its business goals.

So, does Walmart do background checks? Like most large companies, Walmart values a culture of excellence. Therefore, it screens all potential employees before hiring them. You should prepare for a background check if you have received a job offer from Walmart. Here’s what you need to know about Walmart background checks in 2023.

Table Of Contents

Does Walmart Do Background Checks?

Yes, Walmart does a background check on all potential employees. Walmart conducts background checks to help protect the company and limit risks. They reveal information that can help Walmart determine whether their new employees have a clean record and a good workplace reputation. Regardless of the position you’re applying for, Walmart will do a background check to ensure you’re a good fit for their business.

This helps the company foster a healthy and safe workplace environment for everyone. The company will review any red flags and ensure no one has committed a serious crime that could later affect business operations.

When Does Walmart Do a Background Check?

Walmart conducts a background check after making a conditional job offer. The company partners with backgroundchecks.com, which provides a safe and fast way to screen potential employees. After extending an offer, Walmart will email you instructions for submitting your details to BackgroundChecks.com.

How Long Does a Walmart Background Check Take?

Typically, Walmart background checks can take anywhere from five days to three weeks. However, this depends on the traffic and how much information they must retrieve. Background checks usually get information from different databases. While it’s usually pretty quick, it may take longer to compile this information.

Unfortunately, there is no way you can check the status of your Walmart background report. You may contact backgroundchecks.com to inquire about it. Regardless, you’ll have to wait for Walmart to inform you whether you passed or failed the background check.

How Does Walmart Do a Background Check?

When applying for a vacancy at Walmart, the company collects various information that can be used during the background check process. Therefore, it’s always crucial, to be honest during your application and interview, regardless of what the background check may reveal. You should not cover up anything, as false information may lead to a ban from working at any Walmart facility. Some of the information that Walmart may need include:

ID card or driver’s license to confirm your identity
Your contact information, including email address and phone number
Your work history
Your education history, including names of schools and colleges
Addresses from the past seven years
Social Security number to search for your criminal record.

However, remember that Walmart supports the Ban the Box law, which prohibits them from asking questions about your convictions on the application. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Walmart requires your consent to run a background check. Therefore, you have the right to refuse a background check. However, this may lead to an automatic disqualification.

Can I Work at Walmart With Misdemeanors?

Yes, you may still work at Walmart even when you committed a misdemeanor offense. Usually, misdemeanors may show up on a background check—but there are exceptions. Infractions involving petty offenses like traffic tickets may not appear during the screening process.

Additionally, many misdemeanors tried in county courts may not appear in a statewide background check. Misdemeanors that are tried out of court or don’t result in prison time may also not appear on your report. Generally, misdemeanors may not prevent you from pursuing a career at Walmart.

Can Walmart Hire Employees With a Felony?

Unfortunately, felonies are more serious convictions and may prevent you from getting hired at Walmart. However, this doesn’t mean that a felony automatically disqualifies you from the job. Walmart revies applications on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, the type of felony on your record will determine whether Walmart can hire you.

Offenses such as theft, sexual offenses, fraud, drug dealing, and weapon-related crimes may be problematic. Keep in mind that the Ban the Box rule allows you to apply for a job opportunity irrespective of your felony conviction. Therefore, be truthful about your felony conviction, and Walmart may decide to hire you.

What Happens When You Fail a Walmart Background Check?

Unfortunately, Walmart may decide to disqualify your application when you fail to pass a background check. You may automatically fail a Walmart background check when you provide untruthful or deceiving information. Failing a background check may also result in a certain conviction, especially for highly competitive positions. However, Walmart mostly uses background checks as a guide to retrieve information that the hiring manager may ask you.

Therefore, you may provide an explanation for a red flag on your report. Walmart will be required to follow a specific procedure if they choose to withdraw your job offer as a result of a background check. The company will send you an action notice which includes a copy of your report and your rights under the FCRA. You can check for errors in your background report and dispute it if you find any.

What Information Does Walmart Check on a Background Check?

When you apply for a job at Walmart, the company looks for a couple of things on your background report, including:

a) Identity confirmation

Walmart conducts a background check to check whether the applicant is who they say they are. They look for discrepancies and ensure the information you provided on the application is correct. Therefore, Walmart will validate your social security, name, address, and any other identifying information.

b) Criminal records

This is one of the main reasons Walmart performs background checks. Walmart looks for felonies and misdemeanor arrests to ensure a person is not a safety risk to the organization. Most states limit background criminal checks to 10 years.

However, other states only allow your employer to access criminal convictions within the past 7 years. This may not be the case for felonies. Walmart may still access your felony conviction irrespective of how many years have passed unless your state has specific limitations. You should also remember that Walmart cannot access expunged criminal records.

c) Sex offender registry

Walmart also looks at the federal and state sex offender registry. Unfortunately, Walmart doesn’t hire applicants convicted of sex offenses. However, sex offenses committed over 7 years ago will likely not appear on your background check.

d) Employment and education history

Walmart may also need to verify your employment history to determine whether you’re qualified for the specific position. This includes experience operating certain equipment, previous reasons for leaving, and prior employment behaviors. Walmart may also look at your education history when a position requires specific certifications or education requirements.

Conclusion

While it may sound intimidating, background checks are a normal part of the hiring process. Therefore, Walmart does background checks on all job applicants before hiring them. Through backgroundchecks.com, Walmart may access your identity, criminal, education, and employment history. If you pass the background check, Walmart will contact you for your orientation session. However, failing the background check may lead to disqualification, depending on the circumstances.