Advanced Boolean search tactics for finding top talent

Become a Ninja Recruiter:
Advanced Boolean Search
Glen Cathey
SVP Talent Acquisition and Innovation, Kforce
Author, BooleanBlackBelt.com
#intalent

If you do not know how to ask the
right question, you discover nothing.
- W. Edwards Deming
#intalent

Understand LinkedIn Users
Why do they join LinkedIn?
What do they use LinkedIn for?
Why would they/would they not
complete their LinkedIn profile?
#intalent
Photo: smi23le https://flic.kr/p/82EA9o

#intalent
Source: LinkedIn Talent Trends Survey of over 18,000 fully employed workers in 26 countries - http://linkd.in/1dwLZ7a

Understand How LinkedIn Search Works
#intalent

All Searches "Work"
Engneer ~10,000
Engineeer ~10,000
Enginer ~26,000
Engr ~56,000
#intalent

#intalent
Photo: "COSMOS 3D dark matter map" by NASA/ESA/Richard Massey

1,000 Results
20%
80%
Viewed
Unviewed
#intalent

Strategy without tactics is the
slowest route to victory.
Tactics without strategy is the
noise before defeat.
-Sun Tzu
#intalent

1. Keyword/Title Search
2. Conceptual Search
3. Implicit Search
4. Natural Language/Semantic Search
5. Indirect Search
Photo by Rachel: https://flic.kr/p/amN38f
LinkedIn Search Tactics
A. Maximum Inclusion
B. Iterative Search
C. Strategic Exclusion
D. Mutual Exclusion
E. Probabilistic Search
#intalent

Maximum Inclusion
("sales manager" OR "sales specialist" OR
"account manager" OR "account
executive" OR "sales engineer" OR "sales
consultant" OR "sales rep" OR "sales
representative" OR "sales professional"
OR "sales executive")
("trip winner" OR "club trip" OR "incentive
trip" OR "president's club" OR "presidents
club" OR "of the year" OR (highest OR
most OR platinum OR presidents OR top
OR exceeded OR exceeding or "winner's
circle" OR award OR awarded OR "top
sales" OR "top account" OR ranked OR
achieved OR "quarter" or "top producer"
OR "top producers" OR "sales records"
OR won OR winner)
(Power OR energy OR arcflash OR "arc
Flash" OR grid OR transmission OR
station OR stations OR electrical OR
control OR controls OR OR protection OR
"P&C") (CDEGS OR "Protective Relays"
OR "Load Flow" OR "IEC 61850" OR
"Transmission Lines" OR MVA OR "Short
Circuit" OR "Motor Starting" OR Earthing
OR HV OR "Power Flow" OR "Power
System" OR PLS-CADD OR ETAP OR
"Single Line Diagrams" OR MV OR CYME
OR EasyPower OR "Circuit Breakers" OR
"Power Protection")
Analyst (business OR system OR
requirements OR functional OR systems)

Iterative Search
Search #1
Cloud
Search #2
(Cloud OR IaaS OR PaaS OR SaaS OR
STaaS OR vCloud OR OpenStack OR
CloudStack OR Azure OR "EC2" OR "S3")
Search #3
(Cloud OR IaaS OR PaaS OR SaaS OR
STaaS OR vCloud OR OpenStack OR
CloudStack OR Azure OR "EC2" OR "S3"
OR "AWS" OR "Amazon Web Services"
OR CloudFormation OR CloudWatch OR
CloudFront OR SmartCloud OR OpenShift
OR Zookeeper OR SQS OR "VPC" OR
Stackdriver OR Eucalyptus OR
OpenNebula)

Implicit Search
Keywords: -SAP
Current Company: (SAP OR Snapple OR "Texas Instruments" OR Fossil OR
McKesson OR Celanese OR Northrop OR Denbury OR CHRISTUS OR
HollyFrontier OR Novartis OR XTO OR "Blue Lynx" OR CBRE OR McAfee OR
"American Airlines" OR DynCorp OR Metals OR "University of Texas at Dallas"
OR "Lehigh Hanson" OR Raytheon OR UPS OR Fiserv OR "Southwest Airlines"
OR LQ OR NCH OR "Dean Foods" OR "merit energy" OR MedSynergies OR
Verizon OR Fujitsu OR PepsiCo OR NEC OR Samsung OR Convergys OR
Hilton OR TXU OR "Trend Micro" OR "Southern Methodist" OR Fresenius OR
Michaels OR MetroPCS)
Keywords: -(java OR j2EE OR "J EE" OR .Net OR C# OR SQL
OR C++)
Current Title: ("software engineer" OR developer OR
programmer)
Any Group: Java…
#intalent

Implicit Search
(J2EE OR "J EE" OR "J EE5") -Java
(MapReduce OR "Map Reduce") -Hadoop
(IaaS OR PaaS OR SaaS OR STaaS OR
vCloud OR OpenStack OR CloudStack
OR Azure OR EC2 OR S3 OR AWS OR
"Amazon Web Services" OR
CloudFormation OR CloudWatch OR
CloudFront OR SmartCloud OR OpenShift
OR Zookeeper OR SQS) -Cloud

Natural Language/Semantic Search
("medical device design" OR "designing
medical devices" OR "designed medical
devices")
("medical device" OR "medical devices")
(design OR designing OR designed)
#intalent

Natural Language/Semantic Search
#intalent

Photo: Ryan Thackray https://flic.kr/p/3t5Rre

Only he who can see the invisible
can do the impossible.
- Frank Gaines
#intalent

Right Match
("data center" OR "data centers") (move
OR moves OR consolidations OR migrated
OR migrations OR migrating) (storage OR
SAN) -EMC
#intalent

Diversity
Aaliyah OR Abby OR Abigail OR Addison OR Adriana OR Adrianna OR Adrienne OR Aimee OR Alana OR Alejandra OR Alexa OR
Alexandra OR Alexandria OR Alexia OR Alexis OR Alice OR Alicia OR Alisha OR Alison OR Allison OR Alondra OR Alyssa OR Amanda OR
Amber OR Amelia OR Amy OR Ana OR Andrea OR Angel OR Angela OR Angelica OR Angelina OR Angie OR Anita OR Ann OR Anna OR
Anne OR Annette OR Annie OR April OR Ariana OR Arianna OR Ariel OR Arlene OR Ashlee OR Ashley OR Ashlyn OR Aubrey OR Audrey
OR Autumn OR Ava OR Avery OR Bailey OR Barbara OR Becky OR Belinda OR Beth OR Bethany OR Betty OR Beverly OR Bianca OR
Bonnie OR Brandi OR Brandy OR Breanna OR Brenda OR Briana OR Brianna OR Bridget OR Brittany OR Brittney OR Brooke OR
Brooklyn OR Caitlin OR Caitlyn OR Camila OR Candace OR Candice OR Carla OR Carly OR Carmen OR Carol OR Carole OR Caroline
OR Carolyn OR Carrie OR Casey OR Cassandra OR Cassidy OR Cassie OR Catherine OR Cathy OR Charlene OR Charlotte OR Chelsea
OR Chelsey OR Cheryl OR Cheyenne OR Chloe OR Christie OR Christina OR Christine OR Christy OR Cindy OR Claire OR Claudia OR
Colleen OR Connie OR Constance OR Courtney OR Cristina OR Crystal OR Cynthia OR Daisy OR Dana OR Daniela OR Danielle OR
Darlene OR Dawn OR Deanna OR Debbie OR Deborah OR Debra OR Delaney OR Delores OR Denise OR Desiree OR Destiny OR
Diamond OR Diana OR Diane OR Dianne OR Dolores OR Dominique OR Donna OR Doreen OR Doris OR Dorothy OR Ebony OR Eileen
OR Elaine OR Elizabeth OR Ella OR Ellen OR Ellie OR Emily OR Emma OR Erica OR Erika OR Erin OR Eva OR Evelyn OR Faith OR
Felicia OR Frances OR Gabriela OR Gabriella OR Gabrielle OR Gail OR Gayle OR Genesis OR Geraldine OR Gianna OR Gina OR Giselle
OR Glenda OR Gloria OR Grace OR Gracie OR Gwendolyn OR Hailey OR Haley OR Hannah OR Hayley OR Heather OR Heidi OR Helen
OR Holly OR Hope OR Irene OR Isabel OR Isabella OR Isabelle OR Jackie OR Jaclyn OR Jacqueline OR Jada OR Jade OR Jaime OR
Jamie OR Jan OR Jane OR Janet OR Janice OR Janis OR Jasmin OR Jasmine OR Jayla OR Jazmin OR Jean OR Jeanette OR Jeanne
OR Jenna OR Jennifer OR Jenny OR Jessica OR Jill OR Jillian OR Jo OR Joan OR Joann OR Joanna OR Joanne OR Jocelyn OR Jodi
OR Jody OR Jordan OR Jordyn OR Josephine OR Joy OR Joyce OR Juanita OR Judith OR Judy OR Julia OR Juliana OR Julie OR June
OR Kaitlin OR Kaitlyn OR Kara OR Karen OR Kari OR Karina OR Karla OR Kate OR Katelyn OR Katherine OR Kathleen OR Kathryn OR
Kathy OR Katie OR Katrina OR Kay OR Kayla OR Kaylee OR Kelli OR Kellie OR Kelly OR Kelsey OR Kendall OR Kendra OR Kennedy OR
Kerri OR Kerry OR Kiara OR Kim OR Kimberly OR Kirsten OR Krista OR Kristen OR Kristi OR Kristie OR Kristin OR Kristina OR Kristine
OR Kristy OR Krystal OR Kylee OR Kylie OR Lacey OR Latasha OR Latoya OR Laura OR Lauren OR Laurie OR Layla OR Leah OR Leslie
OR Liliana OR Lillian OR Lilly OR Lily OR Linda OR Lindsay OR Lindsey OR Lisa OR Lois OR Loretta OR Lori OR Lorraine OR Louise OR
Lucy OR Lydia OR Lynda OR Lynn OR Lynne OR Mackenzie OR Madeline OR Madelyn OR Madison OR Makayla OR Makenzie OR
Mallory OR Mandy OR Marcia OR Margaret OR Maria OR Mariah OR Marianne OR Marie OR Marilyn OR Marisa OR Marissa OR Marjorie
OR Marlene OR Marsha OR Martha OR Mary OR Maureen OR Maya OR Mckenzie OR Meagan OR Megan OR Meghan OR Melanie OR
Melinda OR Melissa OR Melody OR Mercedes OR Meredith OR Mia OR Michaela OR Michele OR Michelle OR Mikayla OR Mildred OR
Mindy OR Miranda OR Misty OR Molly OR Monica OR Monique OR Morgan OR Mya OR Nancy OR Naomi OR Natalia OR Natalie OR
Natasha OR Nevaeh OR Nichole OR Nicole OR Nina OR Norma OR Olivia OR Paige OR Pam OR Pamela OR Patricia OR Patsy OR Patti
OR Patty OR Paula OR Payton OR Peggy OR Penny OR Peyton OR Phyllis OR Priscilla OR Rachael OR Rachel OR Raven OR Reagan
OR Rebecca OR Rebekah OR Regina OR Renee OR Rhonda OR Riley OR Rita OR Roberta OR Robin OR Robyn OR Rosa OR Rose OR
Rosemary OR Roxanne OR Ruby OR Ruth OR Rylee OR Sabrina OR Sadie OR Sally OR Samantha OR Sandra OR Sandy OR Sara OR
Sarah OR Savannah OR Selena OR Serenity OR Shannon OR Shari OR Sharon OR Shawna OR Sheena OR Sheila OR Shelby OR
Shelia OR Shelley OR Shelly OR Sheri OR Sherri OR Sherry OR Sheryl OR Shirley OR Sierra OR Skylar OR Sofia OR Sonia OR Sonya
OR Sophia OR Sophie OR Stacey OR Stacie OR Stacy OR Stefanie OR Stephanie OR Sue OR Summer OR Susan OR Suzanne OR
Sydney OR Sylvia OR Tabitha OR Tamara OR Tami OR Tammie OR Tammy OR Tanya OR Tara OR Tasha OR Taylor OR Teresa OR Terri
OR Terry OR Theresa OR Tiffany OR Tina OR Toni OR Tonya OR Tracey OR Traci OR Tracie OR Tracy OR Tricia OR Trinity OR Valeria OR
Valerie OR Vanessa OR Veronica OR Vicki OR Vickie OR Vicky OR Victoria OR Virginia OR Vivian OR Wanda OR Wendy OR Whitney OR
Yesenia OR Yolanda OR Yvette OR Yvonne OR Zoe
Top 477 Women's Names over 6 decades Approximately 80% of the women on LinkedIn

Diversity
(“Alabama A&M University” OR “Alabama State University” OR “Albany State University” OR
“Alcorn State University” OR “Allen University” OR “University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff” OR
“Arkansas Baptist College” OR “Barber-Scotia College” OR “Benedict College” OR “Bennett
College” OR “Bethune-Cookman University” OR “Bishop State Community College” OR
“Bluefield State College” OR “Bowie State University” OR “Central State University” OR
“Cheyney University of Pennsylvania” OR “Claflin University” OR “Clark Atlanta University” OR
“Clinton Junior College” OR “Coahoma Community College” OR “Concordia College, Selma” OR
“Coppin State University” OR “Delaware State University” OR “Denmark Technical College” OR
“Dillard University” OR “University of the District of Columbia” OR “Edward Waters College” OR
“Elizabeth City State University” OR “Fayetteville State University” OR “Fisk University” OR
“Florida A&M University” OR “Florida Memorial University” OR “Fort Valley State University” OR
“Gadsden State Community College” OR “Grambling State University” OR “Hampton University”
OR “Harris-Stowe State University” OR “Hinds Community College at Utica” OR “Howard
University” OR “Huston-Tillotson University” OR “Interdenominational Theological Center” OR “J.
F. Drake State Technical College” OR “Jackson State University” OR “Jarvis Christian College”
OR “Johnson C. Smith University” OR “Kentucky State University” OR “Knoxville College” OR
“Lane College” OR “Langston University” OR “Lawson State Community College” OR
“LeMoyne-Owen College” OR “Lewis College of Business” OR “Lincoln University” OR “Lincoln
University of Missouri” OR “Livingstone College” OR “University of Maryland Eastern Shore” OR
“Meharry Medical College” OR “Miles College” OR “Mississippi Valley State University” OR
“Morehouse College” OR “Morehouse School of Medicine” OR “Morgan State University” OR
“Morris Brown College” OR “Morris College” OR “Norfolk State University” OR “North Carolina
A&T State University” OR “North Carolina Central University” OR “Oakwood University” OR
“Paine College” OR “Paul Quinn College” OR “Philander Smith College” OR “Prairie View A&M
University” OR “Rust College” OR “Saint Paul’s College” OR “Savannah State University” OR
“Selma University” OR “Shaw University” OR “Shorter College” OR “Shelton State Community
College” OR “South Carolina State University” OR “Southern University at New Orleans” OR
“Southern University at Shreveport” OR “Southern University and A&M College” OR
“Southwestern Christian College” OR “Spelman College” OR “St. Augustine’s College” OR “St.
Philip’s College” OR “Stillman College” OR “Talladega College” OR “Tennessee State University”
OR “Texas College” OR “Texas Southern University” OR “Tougaloo College” OR “Trenholm
State Technical College” OR “Tuskegee University” OR “University of the Virgin Islands” OR
“Virginia State University” OR “Virginia Union University” OR “Virginia University of Lynchburg”
OR “Voorhees College” OR “West Virginia State University” OR “Wilberforce University” OR
“Wiley College” OR “Winston-Salem State University” OR “Xavier University of Louisiana”)
(Lǐ OR Zhāng OR Liú OR Chén OR Yáng OR Huáng OR Zhào OR Wú OR Zhōu OR Xú OR Sūn
OR Mǎ OR Zhū OR Hú OR Guō OR Hé OR Gāo OR Lín OR Luó OR Tanaka OR Watanabe OR
Itō OR Yamamoto OR Nakamura OR Kobayashi OR Saitō OR Katō OR Yoshida OR Yamada
OR Sasaki OR Yamaguchi OR Matsumoto OR Inoue OR Kimura OR Hayashi OR Shimizu OR
Yamazaki OR Yamasaki OR Mori OR Abe OR Ikeda OR Hashimoto OR Yamashita OR Ishikawa
OR Nakajima OR Nakashima OR Maeda OR Fujita OR Ogawa OR Okada OR Gotō OR
Hasegawa OR Murakami OR Kondō OR Ishii OR Sakamoto OR Endō OR Aoki OR Fujii OR
Nishimura OR Fukuda OR Ōta OR Miura OR Fujiwara OR Okamoto OR Matsuda OR
Nakagawa OR Nakano OR Lee OR Yi OR Rhee OR Ree OR Rey OR Rhie OR Park OR Pak
OR Bark OR Pack OR Pak OR Bak OR Baek OR Paek OR Bac OR Chung OR Jung OR Joung
OR Chong OR Cheong OR Choung OR Choi OR Che OR Choy OR Chey OR Cho OR Joe OR
Joh OR Jou OR Kang OR Kahng OR Kwang OR Khang OR Yoo OR You OR Ryu OR Yoon OR
Youn OR Yune OR Yeun OR Chang OR Jahng OR Jhang OR Gang OR Jeung OR Jang OR
Zang OR Shin OR Shinn OR Sheen OR Chin OR Seen OR Lim OR Yim OR Rim OR Leem OR
Rhim OR Reem OR Rym OR Lym OR Hahn OR Hann OR Oh OR Oe OR Au OR Suh OR Su
OR Sur OR So OR Seu OR Jun OR Chun OR Chon OR Jeun OR Cheon OR Chen OR Jeon
OR Kwon OR Kweon OR Kwun OR Gwon OR Whang OR Hoang OR Whoang OR Whoan OR
Soung OR Sung OR Ahn OR Ann OR Aan OR Houng OR Hyong OR Ryang OR Yaung OR
Lyang OR Yang OR Ko OR Koh OR Goh OR Kho OR Gho OR Kor OR Moon OR Sohn OR
Shon OR Soon OR Soun OR Bai OR Bea OR Pae OR Pai OR Baik OR Back OR Beck OR Paik
OR Paek OR Beak OR Baek OR Pak OR Bak OR Pack OR Hur OR Huh OR Her OR Hu OR Ho
OR Noh OR Roh OR Ro OR Rho OR Nho OR Nahm OR Nham OR Narm OR Shim OR Shen
OR Shum OR Seem OR Sheem OR Shimn OR Sihm OR Joo OR Chu OR Chuu OR Choo OR
Jou OR Zoo OR Hah OR Har OR Sung OR Soung OR Seung OR Song OR Char OR Cha OR
Chah OR Tchah OR Tcha OR Chaa OR Woo OR Wu OR Ou OR Wo OR Uh OR Ra OR Nah OR
La OR Rha OR Rah OR Chin OR Jean OR Gin OR Minn OR Jee OR Ch OR Gi OR Chee OR
Gee OR Ji OR Jhi OR Um OR Eum OR Uhm OR Aum OR Oum OR Ohm OR Byun OR Byon
OR Pyun OR Byoun OR Pyon OR Weon OR Woon OR Wone OR Wun OR One OR Pang OR
Bhang OR Bahng OR Pahng OR Chai OR Tchai OR Che OR Chea OR Chun OR Chon OR
Chen OR Choun OR Jeon OR Jhon OR Jh'on OR Jhoun OR Jhun OR Jheon)

Active Job Seekers
(seeking OR seeker OR "looking for" OR
"in search of" OR "open to" OR "new job"
OR "actively pursuing" OR "pursuing new"
OR "searching for" OR "new opportunity "
OR "new opportunities" OR "available for")
#intalent

Military/Veterans
(Army OR USAR OR "U.S.A.R." OR "Army
Reserve" OR "Army Reserves" OR Navy OR
USN OR USNR OR "U.S.N." OR "U.S.N.R." OR
"Naval Reserves" OR "Naval Reserve" OR "Air
Force" OR USAF OR "U.S.A.F." OR USFAR OR
"U.S.A.F.R." OR "Force Reserve" OR "Force
Reserves" OR "Forces Reserve" OR "Forces
Reserves" OR Marines OR "Marine Corp" OR
"Marine Corps" OR USMC OR "U.S.M.C." OR
USMCR OR "U.S.M.C.R." OR MARFORRES
OR "Marine Expeditionary Force" OR MEF OR
"Coast Guard" OR USCG OR "U.S.C.G." OR
USCGR OR "National Guard" OR Veteran OR
"honorable discharge" OR "honorably
discharged")
This search returns > 2.6M results in the U.S.
#intalent

Text Rich, Text Poor
Keywords: -(java OR .Net OR sql OR C# OR C++ OR oracle OR…)
Current title: ("software engineer" OR programmer OR developer)
~8,600 results 25 miles from 94109
Keywords: (java OR .Net OR C#)
Current title: ("software engineer" OR programmer OR developer)
~13,500 results 25 miles from 94109 #intalent

Probabilistic Search
#intalent

Probabilistic Search
Required
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR consultant)
MATLAB (TS OR "Top Secret" OR "TS/SSBI")
Bachelor's degree
5 years of experience
Desired
(C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) (SIGINT OR "Signals
Intelligence" OR radar OR "communications systems" OR
EW OR "electronic warfare") ("signal processing" OR DSP
OR "pattern recognition" OR classification) ("business
development" OR RFP OR RFPs OR "RFP's" OR
proposals) (TS/SCI OR "sensitive compartmented" OR
SCI)
M.S. or Ph.D.
10+ years experience

Probabilistic Search Progression
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR consultant) MATLAB (C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) (SIGINT OR
"Signals Intelligence" OR radar OR "communications systems" OR EW OR "electronic warfare") ("signal processing"
OR DSP OR "pattern recognition" OR classification) ("business development" OR RFP OR RFPs OR "RFP's" OR
proposals) ("Top Secret" OR TS/SCI) ("sensitive compartmented" OR SCI)
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR Consultant) MATLAB (C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) (SIGINT OR
OR DSP OR "pattern recognition" OR classification) -("business development" OR RFP OR RFPs OR "RFP's" OR
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR Consultant) MATLAB (C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) (SIGINT OR
"Signals Intelligence" OR radar OR "communications systems" OR EW OR "electronic warfare") -("signal processing"
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR Consultant) MATLAB (C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) -(SIGINT OR
(Engineer OR developer OR programmer OR Consultant) MATLAB -(C OR C++ OR C/C++ OR MIDAS) (SIGINT OR
RESULTS
12
16
6
2
6
SEARCH
1
2
3
4
5

Examples
1. Develop Your Goal(s)
2. Develop and Implement Your
Strategy and Tactics
3. Commit to Mastery
4. Practice, Practice, Practice!
5. Visualize Success
6. Think and Experiment
#intalent

In cognitively
demanding fields, there
are no naturals.
-Malcolm Gladwell
"Complexity & The 10,000 Hour Rule"
The New Yorker
#intalent

Advanced Boolean search tactics for finding top talent

Advanced Boolean search tactics for finding top talent

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Advanced Boolean search tactics for finding top talent