Be mindful that some search engines only recognize the minus sign, not the NOT operator. In this case, your Boolean search string could include 'NOT tips' or '-tips' to cut back on articles and keep your search focused on actual writing portfolios. For example, if you're searching for writing portfolios through a search engine, you may want to filter out results like articles on creating portfolios, as these may clutter your search results.

The NOT operator, indicated by the minus symbol (-), excludes search results you're not looking for. So, if you wanted a financial analyst with experience in either accounting, sales or both, your Boolean search string would say 'accounting OR sales.' The OR operator is similar to the AND operator but expands search results to include one criterion, another criterion, or both. Related: Learn About Being a Recruiter 2. For example, if you were looking for a financial analyst with experience in accounting and sales, your Boolean search string would include 'accounting AND sales' so that all results have both criteria. When you use the AND operator, you narrow your search results to include only results satisfying both requirements. The AND operator combines two or more search criteria into one string. To begin using Boolean search strings to optimize your search for job candidates, read about these five commonly used Boolean operators: 1. Related: Recruiter Roles: 12 Responsibilities of Recruiters 5 Best Boolean operators to use in search strings When you use Boolean searching, you may find passive candidates who best match your criteria. Opportunity: Not all candidates online are actively searching for jobs. By using Boolean search strings, you can reduce the time you spend filtering through results. This can search for candidates and resumes more efficiently.Īccuracy: When you use the specific terms for Boolean searching, you can find exactly the information you want. These are some reasons why Boolean searching is important for recruiters:Įfficiency: As a recruiter, learning to use Boolean searching can help you find a large number of results quickly. Related: Guide to the Recruitment Process Why is Boolean searching important for recruiting Tailoring search results to specific criteria and filtering out irrelevant results can make the search process faster and more precise. They can benefit people who find candidates for open positions, including recruiters, human resources representatives and managers, because formulating a search string with Boolean operators can make it easy to source resumes for specific job candidates. The name 'Boolean' comes from a mathematician named George Boole, who developed the mathematical theory that all variables have a value of 'true' or 'false.' A Boolean search uses Boolean operators-such as AND, OR and NOT-to narrow or broaden a search depending on the searcher's intentions.īoolean search strings are combinations of Boolean operators and search keywords. Mathematical operators are symbols that calculate values, such as addition and subtraction signs. What is Boolean searching?īoolean searching is a search process that uses mathematical operators to find the most relevant search results. In this article, we explain what Boolean search strings are and why they're important, review the best search terms to use, provide the steps you can follow to use them and explore Boolean search term examples. If you're a recruiter, learning more about Boolean search strings can help you make your search process more efficient. Recruiters can use it to find resumes and candidates that most closely match the required qualifications. A Boolean search string is a search tool that allows you to limit or require specific results.

Boolean search tools