Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced his intention to support efforts to remove the box on employment applications that asks potential employees to check "yes" or "no" if they've been convicted of a crime. Despite a disclosure that answering "yes" will not necessarily disqualify the candidate from employment, the mayor maintains that checking "yes" often does result in automatic disqualification.

Many ex-offenders have trouble finding a job because of the question on applications, and finding employment is a vital step in beginning to live a normal life after serving their time. Even if an application does not include a question about criminal convictions, many employers now require criminal background checks.

Mayor Nutter signed Philadelphia Bill 110111-A, the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Act on April 13. The act prohibits the controversial criminal conviction box from appearing on applications, and does not allow employers to ask about any criminal arrests that did not result in a conviction. Additionally, employers cannot ask candidates about any past convictions during the application process or first interview.

A criminal background check is still permitted, but employers may not run a check before conducting the first interview. Employers that do not interview candidates before offering employment are not permitted to collect any data about past arrests or convictions.

The act is partially aimed at helping lower Philadelphia's 25% poverty rate. Many ex-offenders are released from prison and unable to find a job because employers have asked about their criminal record, adding to the poverty issues Philadelphia currently faces and adding to the draining of welfare funding. The mayor hopes that the act helps ex-offenders make a positive impression on employers during the application and interview process, before any criminal history is revealed.

To encourage employers to hire those with past convictions, the city of Philadelphia has developed a program to give tax incentives to employers that hire ex-offenders. The city hopes to set an example by having first removed the conviction box from applications for government employment. Philadelphia has also hired 132 ex-offenders in an attempt to encourage employers to do the same.

Philadelphia is not the first city to advocate the employment of ex-offenders and "banning the box". Boston already has a "ban the box" policy, and several state governments, including Hawaii and Massachusetts, have passed laws banning private employers from asking about criminal history on job applications.

MyBackgroundCheck.com encourages job seekers to know what’s on their background before anyone else views it.  For around $10 a month, job seekers can monitor their background check, know what’s on it and receive email alerts when information changes.  Additionally, a free guide, “The Ultimate Job Seeker’s Guide”, is available for download at http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/JobSeekerGuide which includes valuable tips to ace interviews and land better jobs.

The concept of running a background check on prospective employees is not new, although it has become more common and widespread for a company to perform a check before finalizing a new hire. However, a much newer practice of ordering a credit check, in addition to the more traditional research, is becoming more popular and with good reason.

Corporations have learned over the years and through painful experience that when it comes to damaging activities such as theft and embezzlement, the most dangerous threats come from inside the company, not outside. That means that they have to be extremely careful and far more diligent than ever before when hiring employees, especially those that may have access to sensitive information, or be in a position to handle finances.

It should be noted that a lack of credit, such as an individual who never uses credit or has no credit history, can also be a deterrent in hiring. Employers would like to see some type of history in place.

Those who are engaged in job hunting should be aware that blemishes on their credit report can and will serve as red flags to a potential employer once discovered. A person with problems on their credit will be seen as a liability and a risk that most companies will want to avoid. This makes sense, but it is doubly problematic for job seekers who may have inaccuracies on their credit report, because they will mistakenly believe there are no issues. The fact that the information contained on their report information may be erroneous won't help them, because the employer won't ask for an explanation; they will simply move on and offer the job to the next candidate.

This is the primary reason that anyone who is actively on the hunt for a job should take the time to check their own credit report. It doesn't matter if you don't think there are any problems, the unfortunate truth is that even mistakes will cause many people to lose employment opportunities. An understanding and up-to-date knowledge of one's credit history is vital in the job search, and of course, it's always important to keep track of this information at any time.

It's also important to note that an employer can check your credit even after you've gotten the job, so keeping up with what's going into your credit report remains important even after you are employed. Your credit report and score and how your credit effects your employment should just be a routine part of keeping up with your financial health.

If you are looking for a job, you can expect that any potential employers are going to want a background check performed on you. Different potential employers will want to know different things about you. There are several reasons employers use background checks for pre-employment screening.

Employers need to be careful about who they hire since negligent hiring lawsuits are happening more often. If an employee's actions hurt another individual, the employer may be liable. Therefore, the employer will want to check your past for any red flags that might tell them you are a risk to their company. Hiring the wrong person can drain a company financially and harm the career of the hiring manager.

Recent happenings have increased the need for thorough pre-employment screening.

Almost every state has a law in place that anyone who works with children will need to undergo a background check. This has come about because of the countless cases of child abuse and child abduction. Employers must make sure children are safe.

The events of September 11, 2001 have increased the need of thorough screening and identity verification. New applicants and long-time employees are checked following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The professional and private lives of corporate employees, officers and directors are examined now more than ever since the collapse of Enron.

Resume fraud is on the rise. There have been numerous news reports on employees supplying false or inflated information in an effort to obtain a job they may not even be qualified for. Human resource professionals are aware that some resumes contain false information. Performing a background check on a potential employee can give them insight into whether a person is honest and trustworthy.

Criminal background checks are required in most states for certain jobs. For instance, background checks are required by law in almost every state when the job involves small children and the medical profession. Anyone working with the elderly will most likely will be subject to a background check.

The internet contains numerous databases containing millions of records of personal data. As the cost for these services drops, employers are finding that it makes more sense to perform background checks.

You may feel that you don't have anything to hide, and therefore, are not concerned. However, running a background check on yourself can reveal undesirable information. A detailed check might contain information that is irrelevant, isn't what it appears to be or just outright wrong. Some information may even be illegal to use when being considered for a job. Therefore, you may want to order your own background check so that you know what it contains and you will be prepared to face your potential employers. If it contains negative information, you may be able to explain what had happened.

Sometimes life is about being prepared. You should try to be prepared for any possibility that could harm you or your family. However, sometimes there are things that people may not be aware of that could have a negative impact on their future. This could certainly be the case for information that can be found by others in a personal background check. To guard against this possibility, you should request that a background check be performed on yourself.

As access to information has become easier due to rapid improvements in technology, more and more individuals use background checks to investigate people they may potentially do business with. These background checks are performed through third parties. The kind of information that can be revealed in a background report can include information on a person’s criminal, employment, and financial background.

There are many kinds of people who are likely to perform background checks to find this kind of information. Employers will almost certainly run background checks on any seriously considered applicants as part of normal employment screening. The information uncovered in the background check could then determine whether or not that applicant is hired.

Landlords are also extremely likely to run background checks on potential tenants. Part of the reason is so the landlord can find out about a potential tenant’s criminal history. The landlord may be paranoid about a tenant performing criminal activities on his or her property and causing trouble. The landlord may also use other information uncovered in the background check to make the judgment of whether or not someone is likely to pay rent on time. If the landlord finds information he or she doesn’t like, that person will probably have to find somewhere else to live.

What’s even worse is the information produced by a background check may not even be accurate. Unfortunately, human error is extremely common in records keeping. There may be a multitude of reasons why mistakes may exist in these records. However, they can negatively impact your future all the same.

Having these errors corrected can also be a lengthy and cumbersome process. You need time to have these mistakes rectified. If you ignore them, you may not be able to find a new job or a new place to live when you need it. Even if certain things can’t be removed from your record, it is at least good information to know so you can choose how to best adjust to the fact you may be judged on that information. This is why having a personal background test performed on yourself is extremely important.