A number of iCIMS Talent Cloud products allow users to utilize Boolean search, including:
- iCIMS Connect (Legacy CRM)
- iCIMS Applicant Tracking (ATS)
- iCIMS Offer Management
- iCIMS Onboarding
Overview
A Boolean search allows system users to combine keywords with operators such as AND and OR. A Boolean search requires the following:
- Enter the desired keywords within quotation marks.
- Use the appropriate Boolean search term from the list below between the keywords.
- Select Boolean as the Keyword Option type. (When all desired criteria have been met, click Search to generate the report.)
An example of a Candidate search that utilizes Boolean logic. Boolean terms are often used within Candidate searches to identify candidates with one or more specific desired skills.
Boolean Search Symbols & Terms
- Or: The OR keyword tells the search to look for instances with either of the phrases entered. For example, searching for candidates who have "Java" OR "HTML" in their profile.
- And: The AND keyword tells the search to look for instances with both phrases entered. For example, searching for candidates who have "Java" AND "HTML" in their profile.
- Near: The NEAR keyword is similar to the AND keyword in that it will only return instances where it finds both phrases entered. However, the NEAR keyword will also return results in order of proximity; the closer together the words are on the candidate’s resume, the higher that candidate's profile will be ranked.
- And Not: The AND NOT keywords tell the search to exclude certain text from the search. For example, searching for candidates who have "Java" AND NOT "JavaScript" in their profile.
- Quotation Marks: Use quotation marks to enclose phrases. For example, typing system manager into a Boolean search will return an error because the search phrases (system and manager) are not recognized as having been connected. Typing “system manager” will return all instances where the search finds the phrase system manager.
- Parentheses: Use parentheses to combine parts of a complex search equation. For example, searching for candidates who have "HTML" OR ("Java" AND NOT "JavaScript") in their profile. As in mathematics, items enclosed within parentheses are searched for first.
- Asterisk: The asterisk (*) serves as a wild card character. Use it to search for words with a common prefix or suffix. For example, typing in "link*" will return all instances of link, linking, linked, etc.
- Double Asterisks: Double asterisks (**) allow searching for all forms of a word. For example, typing in "sell**" will return all instances of sell, sold, selling, etc.
