Background checking online has now become easier, thanks to Applicant Explorer, a new search engine collaboration between CareerBuilder and Bing, Microsoft's new search engine.

Applicant Explorer is designed specifically to search for people. It collects all references to the applicant's name online and gives you a snapshot of the candidate's Web footprint by showing results that include comments posted on forums, message boards, their social network profiles, blog comments, press releases, and any articles that mention the applicant.

But this service is not designed just to dig up dirt. By accessing different sources, Applicant Explorer can bring up positive information as well, and gives a well-rounded profile of the person you may be hiring. It gives you information well beyond the resume, and takes screening to a new level.

Applicants love it, too. As they use new tools to connect online and leave their footprint behind, they define their personal brand, and their professional image is a part of their brand.

However a few people are concerned that the information it brings up may not be relevant to the job the candidate is being considered for, and that there is also a privacy issue.

Times are changing. The resume is no longer the main marketing tool for job seekers.

The service is free to subscribers of the CareerBuilder Resume Database.

Share your opinions with us. Do you believe this new service is an invasion of privacy, or do you believe it will make your work as a recruiter easier?