SCHEELS: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

SCHEELS traces its origins to 1902 in Sabin, Minnesota, where German immigrant Frederick A. Scheele had settled with his family and planted potatoes on three acres of land. According to the company's published history, the family used $300 from their first harvest as a down payment on a small hardware and general merchandise store, and Frederick dropped the final "e" from the family name to become Scheel. Successive generations broadened the business into groceries and farm equipment, then expanded into Moorhead, Minnesota, and North Dakota, where Fargo became the flagship market.

The business shifted from hardware toward sporting goods across the second half of the twentieth century. The company's history describes athletic footwear and apparel arriving in its stores in the early 1970s, a full conversion of its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, store to sporting goods by 1980, and the opening of the first "All Sports Superstore" in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1989. That format set the direction for the modern chain: large destination stores spanning hunting, fishing, camping, team sports, footwear, and apparel, with specialty shops staffed by associates who focus on a single category.

Today SCHEELS runs its corporate office in Fargo, North Dakota, and lists retail locations in 16 states on its store locator, including Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin, with several more announced as coming soon. The company highlights in-store attractions such as aquariums, arcade games, a Ferris wheel, and Ginna's Cafe. SCHEELS describes itself as an employee-owned, privately held business, and its careers site refers to more than 12,000 employee-owners. Store teams include sales and merchandising associates, customer service and web shopping staff, service shop technicians, cafe and attractions staff, and specialty shop leaders. Many of those positions involve handling cash and payment systems and working directly with the public, the kind of role mix that tends to shape how retailers structure pre-employment screening.

Company culture and employee programs:

SCHEELS converted from family ownership to an employee stock ownership plan and now describes itself as 100% employee-owned, with full-time associates participating in the ESOP. Training is a stated priority: the company's history describes launching "SCHEELS Universities" to deepen associates' product knowledge and turn them into experts in their shops. Benefits highlighted on the careers site include an employee discount on gear and equipment, participation in the ESOP, and a range of insurance plans. Specific benefits, eligibility, and scheduling vary by role, store, and full-time or part-time status, so candidates should confirm details during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the retail industry, including SCHEELS, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates as long as they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, employment screening is governed primarily by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets rules for candidate disclosure, written consent, and the adverse action process an employer must follow before declining to hire someone based on report results. State and local fair-chance laws add further requirements in many of the markets where SCHEELS operates.

Retailers of this size are generally reported to run background checks as part of hiring, and SCHEELS is typically described the same way. That is consistent with standard practice across large-format retail, where associates handle cash and payment systems, work with inventory, and interact directly with the public. The exact scope of a SCHEELS background check may vary by position, by store location, and by the state and local laws that apply there, so two candidates applying for different roles may not go through identical screening.

While steps vary by store and position, the SCHEELS hiring process generally follows a pattern common to large retailers. Candidates typically apply online through the company's careers site, selecting a location and a job family such as sales and merchandising, customer service, service shop, or cafe and attractions. Applications that move forward usually lead to a phone screen or an in-store interview, and some roles involve more than one conversation. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are commonly asked to complete pre-employment steps, which may include consenting to a background check, before a start date is confirmed.

Turnaround depends on which searches are ordered, how quickly courts and past employers respond, and how many jurisdictions a candidate's history touches. Many retail background checks come back within a few business days, while reports requiring county court records in several states or manual employment verification can take longer. For a fuller picture of typical timelines, review background check turnaround times.

The employer decides which searches to include. For a retail role at a company like SCHEELS, a background check may cover some or all of the following:

Candidates should read the disclosure and consent paperwork provided during hiring, since it names the searches that will actually run for their role.

The lookback window depends on the search type and the law of the state where the candidate lives or worked. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies are generally restricted from reporting most adverse non-conviction information older than seven years, with exceptions that can apply to higher-salary positions and to certain record categories such as convictions. Several states apply stricter limits than the federal baseline, and because SCHEELS operates across many states, the applicable window can differ from one store to the next.

SCHEELS does not publicly detail how it evaluates candidates with criminal records, and these decisions are typically made case by case. Employers commonly weigh the nature and seriousness of the offense, how much time has passed, and how the record relates to the duties of the specific job. Many states and cities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when an employer may ask about criminal history and when a background check may be run. Candidates with a record are generally advised to answer honestly and to be ready to discuss the circumstances if the topic comes up.

Candidates are typically asked to sign a standalone disclosure and give written consent before any background check is initiated. Applicants should expect to provide accurate personal details, including full legal name, any former names, date of birth, Social Security number, and recent address history. Accuracy matters because address history drives which county courts get searched, and a mismatch is one of the most common causes of delay. Some roles may also call for verification of education, licenses, or certifications.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies gather, use, and share background check information. It requires employers to obtain written authorization before ordering a report, to provide a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights if they are considering a decision based on it, and to allow the candidate time to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information before a final decision is made. For a fuller explanation of how the statute applies to employment screening, see Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Drug testing practices in retail vary widely by employer, role, and state, and SCHEELS does not publish a company-wide policy. Retailers more commonly test for safety-sensitive positions, such as those involving vehicle operation, equipment handling, or warehouse work, than for general sales floor roles. State law also shapes what is permitted, particularly where cannabis is legal. Candidates who want to know whether a SCHEELS drug test applies to a specific opening should ask the recruiter and review any conditional offer paperwork carefully.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what SCHEELS may see and gives you a chance to spot and correct inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To share verified credentials with recruiters and hiring managers ahead of time, you can also build a free Checkr Profile.

Check the status of your report in the Candidate Portal. You can also visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and ways to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.