Does AK Steel Holding Hire Felons?

AK Steel Holdings is a United States-based company that makes steel and steel parts.  The company home is in Ohio and they run plants in eight other locations around the United States.  AK Steel has a long history of steelmaking in the United States.  Their first plant opened in 1899.

Many felons finish their sentences and re-enter society intent on starting fresh. The major roadblock to their goals is the challenge of finding a job. Owners and managers of business continue to view felons as a bad risk. In truth, most felons pose little risk and want nothing more than a chance to put their lives back together.

About AK Steel Holdings

If you drive a car made in the United States, AK Steel probably manufactured some of the steel parts in the car. About 63% of AK Steel’s 2018 steel production went to the United States car industry. Distributors and other manufacturers make up the balance of AK Steel’s sales.

AK Steel holdings began making steel in 1899 in Ohio. The company survived economic and labor woes that put other steelmakers out of business. In 1993 Kawasaki made a sizeable investment in AK Steel’s Holdings.

The steelmaking industry recognized AK Steel for its great safety record in 2019.  In 2018 General Motors named AK Steel their Supplier of the Year.  SK Steels’ advances in steelmaking technology receive praise across the industry.

AK Steel doesn’t list its benefits on their website.  A survey of independent job sites shows that AK Steel offers a full range of benefits including,

• Profit-Sharing
• 401(k) Plans
• Defined Benefit Pension Plans
• Defined Contribution Benefit Plans
• Supplemental unemployment insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Temporary disability insurance
• Severance Pay.

Reviews on outside job review sites show that employees rank working at AK Steel about a 3.5 out of a possible 5. These comments and reviews are often suspect. The story behind the comments and reviews is unclear.

Does AK Steel Hire Felons?

Most large public companies don’t make their hiring policies available to the public. Our research found a mixed set of answers to this question. Some reports show that AK Steel will hire felons. Others claim that AK Steel has a policy against hiring felons. The best answer we can give is that the policy on hiring felons depends on the location and the job.

Does AK Steel Run Background Checks?

AK Steel makes it clear that they follow all the rules that cover discrimination. The company website is clear about its policy of requiring drug testing.  All applicants are drug tested during the hiring process.  You should assume that a background check is part of this process.

Careers at AK Steel

AK Steel has jobs on its website ranging from executive to maintenance positions. Most of these jobs need some level of training, licenses or certifications. Hiring and advertising for entry-level positions happen at the local level.

For some of these entry-level positions, you need a membership in a union.  In some cases, you must be a member of the union to apply for a job Some of the jobs listed on the company website are:

• Boiler Operator – You are responsible for the operation and maintenance of high-pressure boilers and the other equipment that goes along with them. As a boiler operator, you must perform manual labor, recordkeeping, and decision making. You must hold a high-pressure boiler license and have a high school diploma.  Four years of experience is a plus.
• HVAC Maintenance Technician – This job requires an HVAC Certification and at least four years of commercial HVAC experience. A high school diploma is required.  As an HVAC technician, you will repair and maintain HVAC systems in the plant and the office complex.
• Hourly Maintenance Technician – This job requires the employee to maintain and operate a variety of maintenance

Application Process

You can start the job application process online at the AK Steel website.  To complete the application, you must join the SK Steel Talen Community.

Go to this link to start the application process.

Complete the application online completely and honestly without leaving anything blank.  Once the online application is complete, AK Steel will contact you with more instructions.

When you go for the rest of the application process, take a list of references with their contact information.  You will need these for the application.  More than anything else, be honest and forthright with your answers to any questions asked during the process.