A well written boolean search can be an incredibly powerful way for recruiters to search through a huge number of candidates to find the best of the best.
Here are resources, tips, and tutorials to help you design effective boolean searches.
Leave a comment below if there are other boolean search strategies we should add. We’ll update the list periodically with your best suggestions.
Boolean Search Basics
- LinkedIn’s tip sheet: a simple guide to the use of AND, OR, NOT, parentheticals and quotes for boolean searches. Perhaps you’re a visual learner? Here’s a similar guide in infograph form.
- A 5 minute refresher video on the basics of boolean searches.
- A Pinterest board focused on Recruiting/Sourcing Tips that has a heavy focus on boolean search techniques.
Intermediate & Advanced Tips: for Boolean Ninjas in the making
- Here’s a 5 minute video containing advanced boolean searching techniques.
- From Boolean Blackbelt: “Enough with the exotic sourcing already! What’s practical and what works“
- Top 15 common boolean-sourcing mistakes
- Stafflink’s free eBook “Boolean Search Secrets For Becoming a Master Recruiter“
- Boolean String’s method of Sourcing Developers in Source Code
- X-raying candidates on Twitter
- Advice on using boolean search to find high achievers
- TalentBin on how to use boolean searches to source developers from Stack Overflow
- SourceHack with tips for sourcing from Github.
- Entelo on X-raying for G+, Github, and LinkedIn.
- Global Recruiting has tips specifically on how to search for Java developers.
- Advanced Google: A recruiter’s cheat sheet
- Dice’s list of basic and advanced boolean searches by job title and technology skill
- Sourcing from non-traditional places like Wikipedia, Amazon, and Tumblr.
- The Boolean Strings community on LinkedIn and the Boolean Strings Network on Ning
- A helpful chart of boolean language differences between different search engines.
- LinkedIn’s Talent Blog provides a tip for measurably improving boolean searches.