For job seekers

Start in the directory. Browse by state, city, industry, or remote. Every entry states where the employer hires, what they do, and how they hire.

On each record, read the hiring-policy line. It states whether there is a conviction question on the application, whether records are considered individually, and when a background check runs, if one runs at all.

Apply using the instructions on the record. They are published as the employer submitted them: where to apply and what to include. A hiring contact appears only if the employer chose to make it public.

Staffing agencies and temp firms are listed too, flagged as a distinct category. At any staffing firm, pay, assignment length, and conversion to permanent hire vary by client site. Know what you are applying to.

If a listing is wrong, wrong location, stale policy, a company that has closed, use the "Report a problem" link on the record. Reports go to our reviewers, not to the employer.

Ban-the-box. The application asks no question about convictions. The employer reads your experience before your record.

Individualized assessment. The employer considers records one at a time, what happened, how long ago, and whether it relates to the job. A record is a reason to look closer, not an automatic no.

Background check timing. "None" means the employer says it does not run one. "Post-offer only" means the check runs after a conditional offer, you have an offer in hand first. "Pre-offer" means the check runs earlier, before any offer. Post-offer is the latest of the three.

Most employer background checks reported through commercial databases go back seven years. Some go further, and some states limit what can be reported or considered.

Records that have been expunged or sealed generally should not appear. Rules vary by state; check your state's laws.

If a report contains an error, you can dispute it with the background check company. They are required to investigate.

If an application asks about a record, answer it accurately. A false answer can cost you the offer.

In the interview, keep it short: what happened, what has changed since, and why it does not affect the work. Then stop. You do not have to volunteer more than you were asked.

Employers in this register have already said, on the record, that they hire people with records. Start there.