MightyRecruiterThe Art of Harnessing New Semantic Search
Today’s data warehousing programs offer up the potentially to store massive amounts of information, and online and cloud technology makes it easier than ever to submit documents to them. However, the most advanced database is worthless without an effective means to query it. Yet simply because you can query a database doesn’t mean that you’re doing it efficiently. While there was once a time where matching simple keywords and phrases was sufficient to help you find what you wanted, the wealth of data now available to you requires a smarter way to both search your database or query the Internet. Today, harnessing new semantic search techniques is the new norm in data retrieval.
Applying Semantics to a Job Candidate Search
So how exactly does this affect the job recruitment world Simple: everyday, the databases of job search sites are inundated with new resumes, letters of recommendation, and credentialing certificates. Think of a job, and it’s likely that someone has submitted a resume for it. Even those who are not actively in the job hunt are still posting their qualifications online to lure in potential suitors for their services. While this abundance of applicants means that there’s likely no shortage of people qualified to fill your position, actually navigating your way through this ocean of employment information requires more than a simple search. Harnessing new semantic search technologies allows you to send out smarter searches that are more likely to return listings that are directly relevant to your job listing without any added guesswork.
How Consider the following scenario: You’re doing a simple query of a job candidate database looking for resumes that list accounting experience. Your search yields plenty of results for CPAs, as well as a number of resumes describing how a physician assistant had to make an ïaccountingï of his research findings in PA school, or how a computer technician observed that a user’s full data usage profile was ïaccountingï for slower connectivity times. While you are given helpful information, your also having to wade through a potentially large amount of irrelevant data to find it.
By harnessing new semantic search techniques, you’re able to effectively eliminate the potential for such waste. When it comes to finding those resumes that list skills and experience applicable to your job opening, the devil is in the details. Individual job applicants tend to the each list the information describing their qualifications in a very unique way. Thus, simply trying to match keyword-for-keyword or phrase-for-phrase may not get you close to what you’re really looking for.
The Details of Assigning Context
A semantic search goes beyond that by matching keywords and phrases and then examining the context in which those appear on a resume. That analysis then allows the search engine to assign priority rankings based upon factors such as:
-Work experience
-Special skills
-Industry knowledge
In essence, harnessing new semantic search ideas allows you to conduct a web or database search using the same level of specificity as face-to-face job interview. It does this by subjecting each search to different levels of scrutiny. First, there’s the keyword or phrase itself. Often, the language of a job applicant will differ from that of an industry insider such as you. So, while you both may be trying to convey the same message, the words used to do so may not match. Searches powered by semantic technology will therefore look for words and phrases that are synonymous with each other, such as acronyms or laymen’s terms. This effectively eliminates the challenges posed by any technical language barriers.
The next step that semantic searches take is to determine whether the resume language referencing the search topic fits within the particular semantics of that profession. For example, an applicant for a programming job may list his or her familiarity with programs such as Java or Oracle under Computer Skills. At the same time, another may list an understanding of Microsoft Office in the same space. A semantic search is able to apply context to search for computer skills that are relevant to the position, assigning a higher priority ranking to the candidate with actual programming knowledge.
Building a qualified pool of job candidates has never been easier, provided that you know how to find them. With the proliferation of online employment resources has come the added potential for error when executing a basic job search. Thus, harnessing new semantic search techniques is vital to your chances of finding qualified applicants in a timely manner. The tools offered through Mighty Recruiter allow for such search accuracy. With them, you can find a strong pool of prospective hires in no time at all.