It’s a massive time saver, and it’s a powerful tool for finding exactly the candidate profiles you’re looking for. Using Boolean search in recruitment lets you leverage large databases like CRMs, LinkedIn, Indeed, Google, or your own ATS, to perform searches that find relevant candidates quickly. By using and combining these operators, you can refine or broaden your search results to your needs. ‍Boolean search operators can be broken into two levels of complexity: basic functions and advanced boolean techniques. Google Boolean illustration, created for Boole's anniversary.įor our purposes, Boolean search in recruitment relates to using these basic boolean techniques to search and filter through resumes, search engines, targeted websites, or ATS systems to find and shortlist candidates that fit your search parameters. Since this groundbreaking piece, Boolean has been the tool of choice for virtually all libraries, virtual databases, and search engines. He laid out the concept and underlying principles in his seminal work entitled The Mathematical Analysis of Logic. recruitment managers).īoolean search was invented by English mathematician George Boole in 1847. recruitment) and refine your search query and the corresponding results to only the information that is relevant to your needs (i.e. The goal is to start with a broad concept (i.e. In a nutshell, Boolean search is a structured search process that uses keywords, or operators, to limit, broaden, or define the desired search results. The core principles of using Boolean search in recruitment, as well as some Google search strings you can use to make the most out of the world’s most powerful search engine when sourcing candidates.īut before we do that, let’s dig a bit deeper into what Boolean search is.How can I take my Boolean skills to the next level?.How can I use Boolean search in recruitment?.

Google, in fact, wouldn’t even be here without Boolean search – a large portion of its search functionality relies on these principles. For example, if you put quotes around a search term in Google, you’re using Boolean search. What you might not know about Boolean search is that it’s still very much in use today across virtually all digital search interfaces.īoolean search is such a pervasive tool that you may not even realize that you use it on a daily basis.

That thing your high school librarian taught you when you were trying to find books for your homework assignment. If I have your attention, then let’s talk about Boolean search in recruitment. While advanced technologies can often seem like the solution to your information saturation problem, there’s a tried and tested method that you may be overlooking. And, in recent years, recruitment technologies that harness artificial intelligence have been added to the mix, at times creating an extra layer of unneeded complexity and time. The tediousness of sifting through resumes and websites, trying to find a hidden gem of a candidate, is a scenario that every recruiter can empathize with.

Google search with boolean operators