Efficiently Sourcing Candidate with Resume Search
How proactive are you with your sourcing efforts? Sure, advertising your jobs is one way to get the word out there, but what else are you doing to ensure you are sourcing the right candidates? In the current market, organizations can’t afford to sit back and wait for applications to roll in; and that’s where resume search comes in.
Many recruiting professionals across the U.S. are recognizing the power of resume search. Especially in terms of being more proactive in their sourcing practices. Rather than relying on candidates to make the move (a reactive and traditional method of recruiting), modern recruiters are spending more time trying to understand how and where people are looking for jobs, and approaching them in the right way, can help massively.
If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of resume search, don’t worry! It’s simply a database of talent where you can download resumes if you pay for them. We’re here to explain how you can get the most out of resume search to ensure you source the right candidates for your roles.
In this article we’re going to answer:
- How to determine your search criteria when sourcing with resume search
- How to use Boolean in resume search
- Why you should filter your searches
Search with a Criteria in Mind
Before you get started it’s important to understand what you’re looking for in your ideal candidate. Whether it’s specific skills, where they’re located, their experience, what salary range they’re in and so on.
After all, you want to ensure you’re sourcing only the most relevant individuals for the role. So, make a list of your top criteria. This will make it easier to build the best Boolean search strings to source talent that’s qualified and applicable to the particular role you’re looking to fill.
Use the Boolean Method of Searching
If you want to master resume search it’s a good idea to get to grips with the Boolean method of searching. Sure, it may sound a little scary, but essentially Boolean involves combining keywords and phrases such as AND, OR, NOT, “quotation marks” and (parenthesis) to limit, widen or filter your search.
So, for example, you may be looking for a candidate with “sales AND marketing” experience. Quotation marks are useful for retrieving resumes that contain the key phrase placed within them and mean you won’t get resumes which include these words separately.
Finally, parenthesis are useful for more specific searches. For example, sales AND (“marketing” or digital) retrieves resumes that contain ‘sales’ and one of the keywords used in the parenthesis.
The best way gauge how well your Boolean search strings are working is by monitoring the amount of resumes the system surfaces for you. If you need more support during search queries, check out this article from CV-Library (the UK entity of Resume-Library).
Don’t Focus Solely on Job Title
One important point to remember if you want to get the most out of resume search is to not focus solely on the job title. After all, this might limit the amount of relevant resumes you retrieve. Remember, someone might have great potential but not match up exactly to the title you’re searching for and therefore not appear in your results.
Instead, focus on the key skills that the role requires. Of course, you can include the job title in your search string, but it’s worth using variations and certain skills in it too.
Filter Your Searches
Another great way to narrow your search and ensure you target the most relevant candidates is to make use of filters. As mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to have key criteria in mind such as salary range, location etc and using these filters will help to weed out any unsuitable candidates.
When you’re using the Crelate ATS with the Resume-Library feature enabled, you can filter based on salary expectations, location, and more. Check out this video about Resume-Library Search in Crelate Talent:
Maximize Your Tools
We know that many hiring professionals are time-poor, which is why it’s crucial that you use the right tools when hiring. So, whether you’re using a job board like Resume-Library to advertise your jobs and search for top talent, or a recruiting CRM and Applicant Tracking System like Crelate to streamline your hiring process; consider how you can maximize these.
The good news is that many suppliers are now working together to help deliver more candidates to their clients. In fact, Resume-Library’s integration with Crelate not only provides its users with access to our unrivaled resume database, but also gives our candidates fantastic exposure, helping to connect the right people, with the right vacancies.
Be Quick to Contact Candidates
Once you’ve found your ideal recruit, don’t hold back. Get the most out of resume search by reaching out to them as soon as possible. Let them know that you’ve found their resume online and you’re keen to speak to them about an opportunity you’re hiring for. Find out whether they’d be open to learning more and follow-up with a well-written email attaching the job description.
Remember, the best candidates won’t be available for very long before another company offers them a job. Knowing how to target passive candidates is especially important in times of low unemployment.
Get the Most out of Resume Search
Ultimately, now is the ideal time to get to grips with the basics of resume search and discover how you can maximize your time. After all, it’s becoming harder than ever to source top talent, putting pressure on hiring professionals to consider new ways to target candidates.
