Boolean

    What is Boolean?

    Boolean search is a logic-based search theory that was originally developed by English Mathematician George Boole in the 19th Century. Boolean is a system of logical thought and will often be used to search the web or a recruitment database.

    History of Boolean

    George Boole was a largely self-taught English mathematician, philosopher, and logician that created the fundamental building block for all digital devices. Whilst that may seem surprising, without his laws, search engines would not operate as they do now. Boolean search is based on his algebraic system of logic.

    To perform a basic Boolean search, you combine the operators AND, OR, NOT, Brackets (), Asterisk *, and Quotation Marks “” with keywords to narrow or broaden search results. These operators work on a Boolean expression, or conditional statement, consisting of two words or other values, which is underpinned by Boolean algebra. However, you don’t need to understand Boolean Algebra or how to use Boolean Value in coding to perform a Boolean search, you just need to understand how to use these logical operators.

    Boolean Operators

    Boolean search operators are terms that broaden or narrow a set of search results from search engines like Google and Bing, but they can also be used on job boards, applicant tracking systems, and more. A Boolean operator can be used as a stand-alone, or you can combine them for a search string that gives you more specific results.

    AND operator

    To narrow search results, you would use the and operator to instruct search engines to search results that contain the first keyword, then for results that contain the second keyword and only display results that contain both.

    For example, if you enter the search terms recruiter AND manager, then you’d expect to get relevant results for recruitment managers.

    OR operator

    To broaden a search, use the operator OR. Or operators create a Boolean search query that instructs the search engine to include either keyword or both keywords. It’s useful when there are common synonyms for concepts or other spellings.

    For example, if you enter the search query of Recruitment AND (Manager OR Consultant OR Agent OR Advisor), you would get results for recruitment managers, recruitment consultants, etc.

    NOT operator

    The not operator is another one of the Boolean search operators that narrows search results. It works by excluding unwanted terms.

    For example, if your search string is Recruitment AND Manager NOT Consultant.

    Bracket Operators ()

    Using bracket operators tells the search engine to put that section first. Your search string with brackets could be Recruitment AND (Manager OR Consultant) instead of Recruitment AND Manager OR Consultant, which could be confusing. With brackets, you give clarity to your search terms and will receive the results you’re looking for.

    Quotation Marks Operators ""

    Within Boolean search, the quotation marks operators are only used to look for an exact phrase.

    For example, if your search string is “Recruitment Manager” it would only return results with that exact phrase.

    Asterisk Operators *

    Asterisk operators are used to widen boolean searches. Asterisk operators create a boolean search query that instructs the search engine to include words that are related to your root word.

    For example, if your search string is admin* it will return results that include administrator, administration, administer, administered.

    How can I use Boolean with recruitment?

    Boolean searches are paramount in the recruiting process. There are a myriad of benefits to learning how to use Boolean search techniques as recruiters.

    Find candidates quickly

    Instead of manually sifting through each and every resume or CV that comes your way, you can use Boolean search operators to quickly narrow down your search results.

    Improve Quality of Candidates

    Boolean search works to offer targeted and highly specific candidates for exactly what you need. It can identify hidden talent that may not be as obvious, but could be the perfect fit for your role.

    Passive Candidate Targeting

    With Boolean search, you may be able to more easily target passive candidates who aren’t looking for a role at the moment, but would be open to it.

    Learn more about how we recommend using Boolean search within the recruiting process.

    Intermediate Boolean Search For Recruiters

    Once you’ve mastered the basic Boolean search operators, it’s time to step it up a notch. There are a number of more advanced search operators that can help you improve your boolean searches.

    Tilde Operator ~

    The tilde search operator can be used to expand or narrow your search results. To expand your results, you would use it as a stand-alone to include synonyms of your keyword.

    For example, a search term of ~jobs would produce results for vacancies, roles, openings, jobs, etc.

    To reduce your search, you’d use it in conjunction with the NOT operator.

    For example, a search term of ~CV “Software Developer” NOT Jobs NOT Template, would produce results of CVs or resumes for a software developer, not produce results of a CV template for a software developer.

    NEAR Operator

    The near operator acts as a proximity search and allows you to find candidates that have the exact experience you’re looking for as it looks for related terms that appear within 1-10 words in any order.

    For example, ~CV Finance NEAR Admin* NOT Jobs NOT Template. This search string combines the Boolean search operators to produce results of a CV with the words Finance within 1-10 words of Admin*, that will exclude jobs and template.

    Learn more intermediate boolean search operators.

    Things to remember about Boolean Search

    It’s important to note that Boolean logic and search is a skill that’s developed over time. While you’re still learning about Boolean search within the recruiting process, bear in mind these key points:

    • Always spell Boolean operators in uppercase or else they won’t work, i.e. Customer Success AND Manager.

    • When you find a good search string, save it in a separate document or excel sheet and note any additional changes to your search strings, so you can keep track of them.

    • Microsoft Word can cause errors with Boolean search terms, so its best to save them in a notepad file or an excel sheet.

    • Do keyword research to understand all the possible variations of your keywords and search strings, then note them down in a similar place to the rest of your search strings.

    • Don’t forget to be aware of spelling variables, such as Powerpoint or Power Point, etc.

    • Keep in mind that roles can have a number of titles and be aware of that while you’re searching, for example, SEO Writer, SEO and Content Manager, SEO Strategist, etc.

    • Boolean searches can produce false positives, so take care when you’re searching and add additional filters when necessary.

    Recruitment software crucially needs the ability to perform Boolean searches. Eclipse recruitment manager has varying degrees of Boolean search functionality, with the Eclipse Core software having basic search ability, and the Eclipse Core Pro supporting complex searches. This feature is essential, allowing recruiters to perform advanced searches and efficiently find candidates that match specific criteria.