What is a Boolean search?
Think of Boolean search as a smart filter for finding candidates. It's a way to combine words in your search to get precise results. This helps you quickly find candidates with specific skills or backgrounds.
Boolean search strings are pivotal in recruitment, enabling you to find highly specific candidate profiles. This technique combines keywords with Boolean operators, refining your search to the most suitable candidates.
Understanding the basic operators
Operator | Example | Result |
AND | Sales AND SaaS | Finds people with both Sales and SaaS skills |
OR | Sales OR SaaS | Finds people with either Sales or SaaS skills |
NOT | Sales NOT SaaS | Finds people with Sales skills, excluding SaaS skill |
" " | "Sales Manager" | Searches for this exact phrase |
( ) | Sales AND ("Manager" OR "Lead") | Combines Sales with either Manager or Lead keyword |
~ | Sales ~5 Senior | Searches for 'Senior' within 5 words of 'Sales' |
[ ] | [JAN1 TO JAN31] | Finds date within the specified range |
Building Your Search:
Start with core skills or titles: Use 'AND' to combine essential qualifications.
Expand your search: Use 'OR' for similar roles or skills.
Exclude non-relevant terms: Use 'NOT' to filter out unwanted results.
Be precise: Use quotes for specific job titles or qualifications.
Example Searches:
'Developer AND (Java OR Python) NOT "Entry Level"' – Find Developer CVs with Java or Python skills, excluding entry-level.
'"Project Manager" AND construction AND (budget OR timeline)' – retrieves Project Managers in construction focusing on budget or timeline.
For more detailed assistance, you can refer to the following link: