It is difficult to get a job when you have any convictions on your record. ANY, including deferred adjudication....counseling and pleading no lo. Convictions are convictions and I also believe the question on the application reads..."Have youever been arrested or convicted of a felony". One could lie, I guess.
I know some employers state in job advertisements that those convicted of an crime won't be rejected when applying for a job. In Canada most employers now require employees to obtain and submit a criminal record check within 3 months of the date they were hired which costs the employee around $30 and it remains valid for 6 months - 1 year. I think one with a criminal record can apply for a pardon but I don't know the details because I don't have a criminal record. Based on the number of people with a criminal history, I don't think it is possible to exclude those with a prior record so employers have chosen to include flexiblilty in their hiring practices and offer applicants some leniency. Of course they can lie like you said, but in Canada where I live, most employers require a certified criminal record check which is like a driver's abstract in order to be considered for a job.