#Boolean search and recruiting how to#

Low quantity (20) of high match candidates – Low probability High quantity (>200+) of low match candidates – High Probability

In fact, our results would most likely yield one of the following outcomes: That being said, this search string is too broad. This particular client also wants a candidate with a Computer Science degree (Bachelors at a minimum) and is comfortable in an Oracle Database environment. In this search string, our client is looking for a Java/J2EE developer to work on banking applications who has come from a top 10 financial services company in the United States. Or Baccalaur* or “BS” or Bach*) And (“Computer Science” or C.S or CIS or C.I.S.) and (JPMC or “JP Morg* or Chase or “BofA” or “Bank of Amer*” or Citi or “Wells Fargo” or “US Banc*” Or “Metlife” OR HSBC OR “Bank of New York Mellon” Or “Capital One”) (J2EE or Java EE OR JEE Version 2 or JEE) and (code or engineer* or develop* or program*) and (Financial or Bank* or Banc* finance*) and “Oracle Database) and (Bachelor* or B.S. (*note: if these terms are foreign to you, such as Java, please pay particular attention to the usage of Boolean operators. Here is a brief Boolean String which highlights the complexities behind its logic.

So, what does a Boolean Search String look like? Boolean Search Strings will provide a greater level of control, and subsequently success, for EVERY recruiter.

#Boolean search and recruiting how to#

But, what all great recruiters will need to comprehend is how to formulate Boolean searches with surgical precision.Most recruiters who fail in the first 1-2 years, I would suspect, do not have a firm grasp on simply finding the right candidates with whom they are trying to communicate. Technically speaking, any search online is a Boolean Search. Hypothesis: By conducting a Boolean Search for specific candidates, we will discover high probability (>80%) matches for job x Test: To find a number of specific candidate for job x by formulating specific Boolean search strings in an online database See: this is starting to sound like a scientific method, isn’t it? What is the shortest distance between two points? A straight line.īoolean Searching is also important because it is one of the few things in recruiting where a significant measure of control is present. Other recruiters in the market will source, screen and send candidates faster by attracting the highest number of qualified candidates in the shortest period of time possible. In becoming an efficient AND effective recruiter/sourcing professional, you are competing against time. The other reason why Boolean Sourcing is so critical is the speed. Although the streams and sources for candidates in the marketplace, seems endless, it is our job as recruiters to find the right candidate, not just any candidate.

– to retrieve a specific set or sets of information. In our case, we will search a database – Google, Bing, proprietary Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), LinkedIn, Dice, Monster, etc. We can, and will, cover a significant number of topics in this scientific breath, but it is important to focus on one area that ALL great recruiters must master – Boolean Logic or Searching (“Boolean Logic” OR “Boolean Search* or “Boolean Strin*”).īoolean Searching is defined as “Denoting a system of algebraic notation used to represent logical propositions, esp. While I have already alluded to the artistic side of the business, the scientific category is imperative for the growth of any recruiter. I love recruiting for a number of reasons but all of which can be lumped into one of two specific categories: (Note: This doesn’t cover even 1% of the best practices of the world of Boolean Searching, but it does serve a purpose) For a quick tutorial on Boolean Operators, please visit: