When learning Boolean basics, we rarely discuss where or how to find the words to put in the string. It is often assumed you already know this, but what if you don’t? How do you learn what keywords you should put in your string?
AND + (you can use + in instead of AND)
OR | (you can use the | in instead of OR)
” ” (ensures you search for exact phrases)
( ) (use this to group similar terms/keywords together)
Tip 1: Remember that Google limits your characters to 32 words.
Tip 2: When using these strings in LinkedIn Recruiter searches, you must replace the | with OR.
Here is an example of a few different strings you could create from the above intake call:
(recruiter | “TA Specialist” | “Talent Acquisition Specialist”) AND (“phone screen” | interview) (ATS | “Applicant tracking system” | CRM |”customer relationship management”) (source | “identify candidates” | “recruitment strategy” | sourcing)
(recruiter | “TA Specialist” |”Talent Acquisition Specialist”) (Workday | iCIMS | “Oracle HCM” | SAP) (SourceCon | SHRM | ATAP | PHR | SPHR) (Amazon | Google | Meta)
It is essential to note that each subject/question has its own brackets/parenthesis. This is called nesting. Grouping similar words into OR statements in their own brackets is very important. This is how you can expand the number of profiles you find in your results vs. limiting.
AND statements limit the results
OR statements expand the results.
Add and remove things as you see fit to get the best results. Sometimes, too many words can be too limiting, and fewer words can create too many results. Start with the must-haves, and then add the nice to-haves.
It is essential to do both when creating your Boolean keywords. Ask the hiring manager and do your own Research. Sometimes, you can learn a lot from doing your own Research.
There are a lot of other search words that you can use to find talent I did not include in this article, such as Education, Awards, Sororities, Fraternities, Competitors, alternate locations your HM is willing to hire in, researching surrounding cities, nearby rural areas and metropolitans for the desired city of choice.
There are many options, but the best thing to remember is understanding how people list them on their profiles and resumes. Make sure you align with this, and you will do great!
Example: Someone can manage projects and not have a project manager title. Make sure you are writing a variety of strings for your searches, capturing the various ways people share their experiences and skill sets.
“project manager” VS (lead OR manage OR direct) AND Projects
You can use the strings in various places (Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, LinkedIn, and many more!) Remember to add your commands when searching the various search engines.
Boolean Commands
Here is a screenshot of everything being pulled together via a search on Google.
Remember to test it and switch it up often!