Table of Contents
This article includes the following sections to assist you with searching in iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM):
Overview of iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM)
iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) is a powerful tool that enables you to capture qualified candidates, organize them into talent pools, and cultivate relationships with them through frequent, targeted communications. Working with your applicant tracking system, CRM provides the flexibility to grow and maintain this talent network to ensure you have top candidates ready and waiting when the right job becomes available.
For more information about CRM, refer to the article Getting Started with iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM). And if you're interested in acquiring it, feel free to reach out to your account manager at iCIMS.
Understanding Searching in CRM
About the Candidate Search Page
The Candidate Search page lists all candidates included in your database; it can be accessed by selecting the Candidate Search (magnifying glass) icon in the vertical navigation menu on the left.
Use the Candidate Search page to find candidates for any of your open jobs or for any of your pipelines (e.g., candidates with a specific skill set, candidates with a certain job title, candidates located in a particular area). You can also add new candidates to CRM from this page.
About Searchable Fields
CRM searches structured information that exists within fields on the candidate profile. This information may have come from a resume initially (e.g., name and contact details, employment history, skills, etc.), but the resume upload itself is not searched.
Additional information can be added to a candidate profile through the use of forms, email outreach, application information, or any information that is updated on behalf of a candidate by a recruiter. The more complete a profile, the better the search results.
Initiating a Candidate Search
To start your candidate search, navigate to the Candidate Search page and open the Search Candidates panel by:
- Selecting the Open Search Drawer (magnifying glass) snapshot at the top, or
- Selecting the blue magnifying glass button on the right border.
The Search Candidates panel opens on the right side of the screen. Utilize the available fields in this panel to make your search as broad or specific as desired. For more on the options available in the panel, review the Applying Search Criteria section below.
Notes:
- When adding, modifying, or removing any search option from the panel, the system automatically updates your candidate results. There is no Search button to run your search.
- Once the panel is open, the Open Search Drawer snapshot is relabeled Close Search Drawer, and the blue magnifying glass on the right becomes an X. At any time, you can close the panel by selecting either option or by selecting the Close button at the bottom of the panel.
- Every page with a table in CRM features a search panel with similar functionality. The name of the panel and available fields and filters will differ based on the page. For instance, the Event Management page features a Search Events panel, which allows you to search for specific events by name and filter events by venue and school.
Understanding the Candidate Search Tabs
Various tabs display at the top of the Candidate Search page, above the table of candidates. When you select one of these tabs, only that tab’s search functionality is accessible, and only search criteria related to that tab display in the Search Candidates panel.
The following tabs are available:
- Keyword Search: Select this tab to search for candidates by keyword and location and apply a variety of filters. This tab is enabled for all customers and is selected by default upon opening the Candidate Search page.
- Talent Discovery: Select this tab to search for candidates who best match specific jobs in your ATS.
- Talent Match: Use this tab to review a list of candidates who best match a selected "model" candidate. This tab is only available to customers with a subscription to iCIMS Talent Cloud AI. (Note: There is no Search Candidates panel when using Talent Match.)
- Events: Select this tab to search for candidates who registered for or attended an event. This tab is enabled for all customers using CRM events.
Note: You cannot run a search using fields from multiple tabs. For instance, if you open the panel with the Keyword Search tab selected, you can search by keyword but cannot apply event-specific filters, which are only available through the Events tab.
Applying Search Criteria
The following sections outline the different fields, filters, and tools you can use to search for candidates in CRM. The right search method for you will depend on the specific characteristics you're looking for in a candidate and/or the qualifications needed for a job.
Using Keyword Search Fields
When the Keyword Search tab is selected, the Search Candidates panel displays the following search fields at the top:
- Search by Keyword: To find candidates with specific words in their CRM profile. (Boolean functionality is supported within this field, as discussed below.)
- Search by Location: To find candidates within a certain distance of a specified location.
There are also two tabs in the panel that offer additional criteria:
- Filters (selected by default): Includes various filters to refine your search. You can use any of these filters together with any of the search options above.
- Recent Searches: Includes a list of your ten most recent searches.
Note: A Save (disk) icon displays at the top of the panel once you enter a keyword or location or use a filter. This icon allows you to save your search as a dynamic pipeline (i.e., a group of candidates who all match a defined search). For more information, review the Saving Searches as Pipelines section below.
Searching by Keyword
The Search by Keyword field allows you to search for candidates by any keyword found in a candidate's CRM profile. This can include their name, job title, employer, and college/university.
Tip: This search is helpful in many different scenarios. For example:
- To find a particular candidate's profile (e.g., "John Smith").
- To find candidates with a particular skill (e.g., Photoshop).
- To find candidates in a particular industry or who have a degree in a certain field (e.g., accounting).
Running Boolean Keyword Searches
You can incorporate Boolean logic in the Search by Keyword field to specify the exact words and phrases you want to search (or not search). Boolean logic is often helpful to identify or exclude candidates with one or more specific skills (e.g., "social work" OR psychology).
The following Boolean terms are currently supported in the Search by Keyword field:
- OR: Use this operator to find candidate profiles that contain any of the words/phrases you entered. For instance, if you enter sales OR marketing, the system searches for candidates with either the word sales or the word marketing in their profile.
- AND: Use this operator to find candidate profiles that contain all of the words/phrases you entered. For instance, if you enter sales AND marketing, the system searches for candidates who have both words in their profile.
- AND NOT: Use this operator to exclude words/phrases from the search. For instance, if you enter Java AND NOT JavaScript, the system searches for candidates with Java in their profile but excludes those who have the term JavaScript.
- Quotation Marks: Use quotation marks to enclose phrases. For instance, if you enter "technical writer" (in quotes), the system searches for candidate profiles with those two words together.
- Parentheses: Use parentheses to combine parts of a complex search equation. As in mathematics, items in parentheses are searched first. For instance, if you enter "HTML" OR (Java AND NOT JavaScript), the system searches for candidates with either HTML or Java in their profile but excludes those who have the term JavaScript.
Searching by Location
The Search by Location field allows you to enter a specific city or postal code and search for candidates within a certain radius of that location. By default, that distance is 50 miles, but other distances can be selected from the Radius dropdown: 25 miles, 10 miles, or 5 miles.
Tip: This search is helpful if you're recruiting for different jobs in a set location or simply want to create a pipeline of candidates in a certain vicinity to prepare for job openings nearby. This search can also be beneficial if you have a job to fill in which close proximity to the work site is especially important (e.g., a job that requires employees to be on call at off hours).
Notes:
- For recruiters in countries outside the United States and United Kingdom, distance is measured in kilometers.
- You can change the distance options in the Radius dropdown and set a different default by submitting a case to iCIMS Technical Support.
- It is not possible to search within a specific state or province; a city or postal code and radius must be selected
- Multiple locations can be entered at one time. After you make a selection in the Search by Location field, add another location by typing in the field and making a new selection. The system will then only display candidates that are within the designated radiuses of all locations entered.
- For this field and other search fields in this panel, the system provides auto-suggestions to select from. These suggestions start to display after entering one character. You must select one of these suggestions to proceed.
Filtering Results
The Search Candidates panel includes a Filters tab that features various filters to refine your search and/or narrow down your list of candidates. When you select the Filters tab within the panel, you have access to the following filters:
Primary Filters
- Country of Residence: A searchable dropdown menu to select different countries and only display candidates from those countries.
- Subscription Status: A dropdown menu to display candidates who are either subscribed or unsubscribed to receive campaign emails. There are three options to select from: Any, Subscribed, and Unsubscribed.
- Include Tags: A searchable dropdown menu to select different tags and only display candidates with those tags.
- Exclude Tags: A searchable dropdown menu to select different tags and remove candidates with those tags.
- Search for Skills: A search field to select different skills and only display candidates with those skills.
- Include Candidate Engagement: A dropdown menu to select specific engagements and only display candidates with those engagements:
- Exclude Candidate Engagement: A dropdown menu to select specific engagements (as listed above) and remove candidates with those engagements from the display.
- Candidate Activity: A dropdown menu to select a specific activity status and only display candidates with that status.
- Exclude Candidate Activity: A dropdown menu to select specific activity statuses and remove candidates with that status from the display.
- Select Category (Expertise): A dropdown menu to select an area of expertise (e.g., Engineering, Health Care, Sales) and only display candidates with that area of expertise.
- Note: This field does not sync with the iCIMS ATS and is exclusively populated from CRM signup form questions unless the value is manually added into a candidate’s profile. This filter corresponds to the Category question that can be added to signup and event forms.
- Relocation Preference: A dropdown menu to display candidates who are or aren't willing to relocate. There are three options to select from: Any, Yes, and No.
- Include Person Folders: A dropdown menu to select a person folder imported from iCIMS ATS and only display candidates in that folder.
- Exclude Person Folders: A dropdown menu to select a person folder imported from iCIMS ATS and remove candidates in that folder from the display.
- Language: A searchable dropdown menu to select different languages and only display candidates whose profiles include those languages in the Additional Information tab of their CRM profile.
- Includes Phone Number: A dropdown menu to display candidates who have or don’t have a phone number in their profile. There are three options to select from: Any, Yes, and No.
- Includes Job Apps: A dropdown menu to display candidates who have or haven't submitted a job application with your organization. There are three options to select from: Any, Yes, and No.
- Includes Resume: A dropdown menu to display candidates who have or don’t have a resume. There are three options to select from: Any, Yes, and No.
Date Filters
- Created Start Date to Created End Date: Date boxes that allow you to select two specific dates and display candidates whose profiles were created within that time span. Start and End Dates must be the current date or earlier.
- Updated Start Date to Updated End Date: Date boxes that allow you to select two specific dates and display candidates whose profiles were updated within that time span. Start and End Dates must be the current date or earlier.
- Note: This field reflects all updates, which can include system syncs
Additional Filters and Custom Filters
The Filters tab includes several other filters that can be used to narrow down results. All are text fields unless otherwise noted.
- Candidate Name
- Email
- Job Title
- Employer
- School Name
- Major
- Graduation Start and End Date (text fields with optional date pickers)
- Tip: If you leave the End Date field blank, the search results include users who have graduation dates in the future.
- Person ID
- Select Job Seeking Status (dropdown menu)
- Any
- Active
- Not Seeking
- Passive
In addition, any custom fields created by recruiters admins from the Admin Settings page will display as filters at the bottom of this tab. For more on custom fields, review the article Managing Recruiter Access and Settings in iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM).
Accessing Recent Searches
When the Recent Searches tab is selected from the Search Candidates panel, the ten most recent searches you conducted are listed. Select any of these searches to reopen it.
Searches are displayed as such:
Keyword Search | Location Search
As shown in the screenshot above, the recruiter most recently searched for candidates near Holmdel, NJ (07733) and New York City (10003) who had the keyword java in their profile.
Using the Talent Discovery Tool
To save you time from running different manual searches, CRM offers functionality through iCIMS Talent Discovery tool to find candidates matching a specific job in your system. When the Talent Discovery tab is selected on the Candidate Search page, the Search Candidates panel displays a field for Match with Job Information, where you select your job; the Search by City and Search by Country filters are also available, as well as several of the primary filters described above.
The Talent Discovery tool is available in the following languages in addition to English:
- French (France)
- Spanish (Spain)
- German (Germany)
- Italian (Italy)
- Portuguese (Portugal)
- Dutch (Netherlands)
Searching by Job
In the Match with Job Information field, enter a job title or requisition ID and select the specific job from the list of auto-suggestions. After you enter a job, use the Search by Location field and primary filters to narrow down your list of candidates.
The system displays candidates who best match that job (based on similarities in the job and on the candidate's profile). Results display within the Talent Discovery table, which includes columns for Role Fit, Name, Current Role, Education, and Location.
Note: The Role Fit visual indictor indicates how well each candidate’s skills and experience match the requirements of the job. This indicator is also used for the Talent Match feature, showing how well a candidate matches another candidate. For more on this visual indicator, review this article.
Tip: Since this search provides unique profile matching, it is a good option if you are looking to find candidates with the right qualifications overall for a particular job. However, if you require that candidates possess a particular skill, you may want to utilize the Search by Keyword field (through the Keyword Search tab) to ensure that your matches include candidates with that skill.
Using the Talent Match Feature
CRM also offers a unique Talent Match feature, which allows recruiters to select a candidate in the system and automatically discover other talent with similar skills and experience. Talent Match is especially useful for recruiters who need to backfill roles vacated by top employees or find additional employees for hard-to-fill positions.
This feature is available with a subscription to iCIMS Talent Cloud AI, which helps recruiters manage and prioritize the volume of candidates in their system through automated candidate comparison, ranking, and job matching. If your organization is interested in adding Talent Cloud AI to your CRM, contact your iCIMS account manager or visit the iCIMS Marketplace.
Once you have acquired Talent Cloud AI, a Talent Match tab displays at the top of the Candidate Search page. After selecting a candidate to match, all matching candidates display on this tab. You can take action on these candidates like you would any candidate on the Candidate Search page.
The Talent Match feature is available in the following languages in addition to English:
- French (France)
- Spanish (Spain)
- German (Germany)
- Italian (Italy)
- Portuguese (Portugal)
- Dutch (Netherlands)
Initiating Candidate Matches
Use either of these methods to select a candidate to match:
- In any candidate table in CRM (e.g., dedicated pipeline pages), select the three-dot action button in a candidate's row and select the View Talent Matches (overlapping circles) icon.
Once you select View Talent Matches for a candidate, the Talent Match tab on the Candidate Search page immediately opens, listing all individuals from your system with similar backgrounds to that candidate.
Viewing Matches on the Talent Match Tab
The Talent Match tab consists of the following sections:
- Candidate header: The name and information of the candidate being matched (i.e., the "model" candidate). When the (i) icon is selected in this header, a preview of the candidate’s profile opens at the bottom.
- Top matches: Key details for the top three matching candidates displayed in large individual cards.
- Table of matches: Information about all matching candidates, including the top three, displayed in table format.
In both the top-match cards and the table, each matching candidate’s name, current role, education, and location are available. Select a candidate’s linked name to open their full Candidate profile, or select their row in the table to open their profile preview.
Notes:
- Results only populate on the Talent Match tab when you select View Talent Matches on a candidate in CRM. If you select the tab on the Candidate Search page without matching a candidate, a message displays prompting you to select a candidate to match (with a link to the Keyword Search tab).
- If the system cannot find any matches for a candidate, a message displays on the Talent Match tab alerting you that there are no matching candidates, and a link is included back to that candidate’s profile.
Evaluating Candidate Similarity
Each matching candidate is assigned a Similarity score, a nonnumerical measurement of how well their background compares to the model candidate. This score is represented by a Similarity visual indicator, consisting of a single green ring next to each candidate’s name. A more complete ring indicates a higher score and stronger match to the model candidate.
Candidates’ Similarity scores are based on two factors:
- A Skills Match measurement, indicating how well the skills from the candidate’s resume match the model candidate’s skills.
- An Experience Match measurement, indicating how well the candidate’s previously held job titles and other work history details (e.g., length of employment) match the model candidate’s professional experience.
Each candidate’s Skills and Experience measurements are represented by two horizontal bars; the completeness of the bar indicates how well a candidate compares to the selected candidate.
For the top three matching candidates, these bars display directly on each of their cards. In the table, hovering over a candidate’s Similarity indicator displays a popup containing these bars.
Taking Action on Matching Candidates
A three-dot action button displays for each candidate on the Talent Match tab, in both the top-match cards and the table. You can take action on a matching candidate by selecting this button and selecting any of the available options, such as Email or Add to Pipeline.
In addition, a bulk-action checkbox displays at the far left of each row in the table, allowing you to select multiple candidates at once and complete an action for that group, such as Download Resumes or Export.
Notes:
- The actions available through the Talent Match tab are the same ones that can be applied to any candidate through the Candidate Search page. For more information, review Taking Action on Candidates below.
- In the top-match cards on the Talent Match tab, the Invite to Apply action displays as a selectable link for easy access and is not available via the three-dot action button. In the table of candidates, Invite to Apply is included with the other options in the three-dot action button.
Using Event Filters
When the Events tab is selected, the Search Candidates panel displays two filters that allow you to find candidates who are associated with events created in CRM:
- Select Events: A search field to display candidates connected with specific events in your system.
- Attended Status: A dropdown to display candidates with the status of Attended and/or Pre-registered.
For more on Event Management in CRM, review the article Creating and Managing Events in iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM).
Viewing and Clearing Search Criteria and Filters
Whenever you enter criteria in the Search Candidates panel (through the Keyword Search or Events tab), the snapshot at the top of the page outlines your active search parameters, with the number of active filters displayed in a small circle.
Hover your mouse over the snapshot to open a more detailed summary of your search criteria and filters used.
To clear the entire search and start from scratch, select the Clear Search (X) icon to the right of the snapshot.
Note: When searching via the Keyword Search tab, the search criteria displayed in the snapshot uses the same format as the Recent Searches listings:
Keyword Search | Location Search
Saving Searches as Pipelines
Once you fill in any field or filter in the Search Candidates panel (through the Keyword Search tab), select the Save icon at the top to open the Save Pipeline As window and save your search as a dynamic pipeline.
When you create a dynamic pipeline, the system automatically adds candidates in your database who match that defined search; those matching candidates must be reviewed and approved by a recruiter to become part of the pipeline.
As soon as you create your pipeline from the Search Candidates panel, you are immediately directed to the new dedicated page for that pipeline, where you can view all matching candidates and start the review and approval process.
For more on managing candidates in dynamic pipelines, review the article Setting Up Pipelines in iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM).
Reviewing Search Results
By default, the Candidate Search page lists candidates in table view and includes each person's:
After conducting a search, review this information in the table to determine which candidates you want to pursue or learn more about.
Tip: Use the toggle at the top right of the Candidate Search page to switch to resume view, if desired. This allows you to quickly access and review the resumes of individual candidates by selecting the arrows at the far left and right of the screen.
Accessing Candidate Profiles
For additional information about a candidate, select their name from the table to open their full Candidate profile. This profile includes all relevant information about them, such as employment and education history and any job and event activity they have with your organization.
For more on what is included in Candidate profiles, review the article Viewing Profiles and Taking Action on Candidates in iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM).
Tips:
- Select a candidate's row in the table to open a preview of their profile at the bottom. This preview enables you to quickly view a candidate's information without leaving the page to view their full profile.
- In resume view, select the Go to Candidate Page (box) icon next to the candidate's name at the top to open their profile.
Taking Action from Candidate Listings
You can apply actions to candidates directly from the Candidate Search page, either individually or in bulk.
To take action on a single candidate, select the three-dot button at the far right of the candidate's row in the table and select one of several actions: Email, Invite to Apply, Manage Tags, Add to Pipeline, or Add to Event.
Note: If you have Talent Cloud AI, a View Talent Matches icon is also available to initiate the Talent Match feature, as discussed in Initiating Candidate Matches above.
To take action on multiple candidates at once, check the box at the far left of those candidates' rows and select an action from the group of buttons that open at the top. To take action on all candidates on the page, select the checkbox at the far left of the of column headers. To take action on all the candidates in the search results, select the checkbox to select all candidates on the page, then select the Select All Candidates from Search link.
Note: Some bulk actions are limited to certain numbers of candidates at a time.
- Email, Invite to Apply, Add to Event, Download Resumes, Submit to Job, Bulk Text (if available to your organization), Subscribe, Unsubscribe, and Delete Candidates are limited to 50 candidates at a time.
- For customers subscribed to iCIMS Text Engagement, additional candidates can be added to a texting campaign as part of the campaign creation process. For more information, review the forthcoming Texting Candidates from iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) article.
- Bulk Export is limited to 100,000 candidates at a time.
Tip: In resume view, select the circular button (with three vertical dots) at the bottom right to apply an action to that person.
