Advanced Boolean Search on ZenATS: A Comprehensive Guide
The Advanced Boolean Search Feature on ZenATS allows you to narrow down your candidate pool search for optimal results. By using Quoted searches “ ”, OR searches, AND searches, or a combination of them, you can efficiently narrow down your candidates and identify the best fit for your job openings. This guide will walk you through the different types of advanced search techniques and how and when to use each one of them effectively.
Quoted Searches “ ” - Precision in Exact Phrases
Quoted searches are your best friend when you’re searching for candidates with specific phrases in their profile or CV. To execute a quoted search, enclose your desired phrase in “double quotation marks”. This tells ZenATS to look for candidates whose CVs include that exact phrase, word for word.
Search Example:
"Project management"
This will show candidates who mention Project management using that exact phrase.
OR Searches - Inclusive Results
When you're looking for candidates who have any keywords out of several, the OR search comes to your aid. By using "OR" in all caps between two phrases or words, ZenATS understands that you want to find candidates who match any of the specified terms or words.
Search Example:
Sales OR Marketing
“Product Manager” OR "Product Owner"
This will return candidates who either mention Sales in their CVs or Marketing.
The second example will return candidates who either mention Product Manager or Product Owner.
AND Searches - Precision Through Combination
When your search requires candidates who have all of the specified skills or keywords you’re looking for, use the capitalized word "AND". Using AND tells ZenATS to show candidates who have all of the key terms you’ve listed, meeting all your criteria
Search Example:
“React” AND Javascript"
This will present candidates who possess both React skills and expertise in Javascript.
Combining Multiple Terms - Implicit AND Logic
If you enter multiple terms without explicitly specifying AND or OR, ZenATS interprets it as an implicit AND search.
Search Example:
React Javascript
This will present candidates who mention each word individually: React, Javascript.
NOT Searches - Excluding Specific Terms
Think of the NOT search as a filter that helps you exclude specific things you're not interested in. For instance, if you're looking for job candidates who mention "HTML" but want to avoid those who mention "React", you can use this:
Search Example:
“HTML” NOT “React”
This search will show you candidates who have HTML skills but exclude those who mention React.
Parentheses ( ) - Grouping Terms and Controlling Operations
Parentheses ( ) work like containers that help you manage your search operations. Imagine you're looking for candidates who are either "Frontend Developer" or "Backend Developer", but you want to see the results for Frontend Developers first as they are more important to you.
Search Example:
(Frontend Developer) OR Backend Developer
This means you're first finding Frontend Developers, then Backend Developers.
* (Asterisk) Wildcards - Matching Patterns
The asterisk wildcard can match multiple characters within a word. You'd use this search like this:
Search Example:
dev* matches "developer", "development", etc.
? (Question Mark) - Wildcard
The question mark wildcard matches exactly one character within a word. You'd use this search as per the example below.
Search Example:
Pro?uct
Boolean Queries - Complex Combinations
Boolean queries combine different conditions. If you want candidates who have "Project management" and "CSS" skills, but you want to exclude “Python", you'd search:
Search Example:
(Project management AND CSS) NOT “Python”
This finds candidates who match these conditions.
