#Boolean search operators definition windows

Recruiters can use Boolean search to refine search results in their platform of choice to narrow in on only the candidates who fit their criteria.The benefits of Boolean search for recruiters are numerous: Often, though, these candidates can be incredibly difficult to find, especially if they’re not actively looking for new work. When sourcing candidates, you will always have a list of required skills and qualifications that constitute an “ideal” candidate. 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.

Be careful not to accidentally type a dash instead of the minus sign, as this will give completely different search results.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. NOT: Putting a minus sign before a word (with no space) excludes the word from the search.

#Boolean search operators definition windows

The Windows keyboard shortcut for the pipe symbol is ALT + (on the number pad).

OR: Both the word “OR” and the pipe symbol ( | ) act as the OR operator.

AND: A space between two terms is interpreted as “AND”.

Search engines like Google use these Boolean operators as follows: When NOT is used, all the conditions except the excluded ones must be true. With the OR operator, only one condition has to be met for the result to be “true”. Placing the AND operator between two conditions means that both conditions must be met in order for the result to be “true”. These symbols are also known as “ logical operators” and are mainly used in programming languages. The operators can be expressed in symbols as well as in words.