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Smart Resume Search

Smart Resume Search

Smart Resume Search lets you search through the full text of every applicant's resume for a specific job. Whether you need to find candidates with a particular skill, certification, technology, or prior employer, the search scans parsed resume content and returns relevant matches with highlighted snippets.

  1. Navigate to any job's Applicants list.
  2. Click the Search Resumes button in the toolbar (top-right area).
  3. The Resume Search dialog opens as a full-width overlay.
  1. Type your search query in the text field (minimum 3 characters required).
  2. Press Enter or click the Search button.
  3. Results appear below showing matching candidates.

Search Query Tips

Query Type Example What It Finds
Single skill Python Any resume mentioning Python
Technology stack React Node.js Resumes containing React and/or Node.js
Certification PMP certified Project Management Professional certification
Company name Google Candidates who worked at Google
Education MBA Stanford MBA graduates from Stanford
Years 5 years management References to 5 years of management experience

Note: The search performs full-text matching on the parsed resume content. It is not case-sensitive and matches partial words.

Include Incomplete Applicants

Toggle the Include incomplete applicants switch to also search through resumes from candidates who started but haven't completed their full application. This is useful for:

  • Finding candidates who may have dropped off during the process
  • Sourcing from a wider pool when positions are hard to fill

Understanding Search Results

Each result card shows:

Candidate Header

  • Avatar – Color-coded initials
  • Full Name – Candidate's name (clickable to view profile)
  • Current Job Title – Their most recent position
  • Stage – Current pipeline stage (e.g., "New", "Interview", "Rejected")

Matched Snippet

  • A text excerpt from the resume showing where the match was found
  • The matched text is highlighted for quick identification
  • Shows surrounding context to help you evaluate relevance

Actions

For each result, you can:

Action Icon Description
Bookmark Ribbon icon Add/remove from bookmarks directly from search results
View Resume Document icon Opens the full resume PDF in a new browser tab
View Profile Person icon Navigates to the candidate's full profile page

Search Behavior

How Results Are Ranked

Results are returned in most recent first order (by application date), showing the 10 most relevant matches. The search uses the searchResumeText parameter which performs full-text matching against stored resume content.

Minimum Character Requirement

You must enter at least 3 characters to search. This prevents overly broad queries that would return too many results. If you try to search with fewer than 3 characters, a warning message appears.

Result Limit

The search returns up to 10 results per query. If you need to find more candidates, try refining your search terms to be more specific.

Search vs. Filters

Understanding when to use Resume Search vs. Advanced Filters:

Feature Resume Search Advanced Filters
Searches Full resume text Structured fields (skills, title, stage, etc.)
Best for Finding specific keywords, phrases, or experience Filtering by score ranges, stages, dates
Returns Highlighted text snippets Full applicant list with all columns
Scope All resumes for the job Active applicant list
Interaction Dialog overlay Inline filter panel

Tip: Use Resume Search to discover candidates with specific qualifications, then use Advanced Filters to narrow down from a structured perspective.

Practical Use Cases

Finding Candidates for a New Requirement

Your hiring manager just added "Kubernetes experience" as a requirement:

  1. Open Resume Search
  2. Search for Kubernetes
  3. Bookmark candidates whose resume mentions Kubernetes
  4. Use the bookmark filter to pull them up in the main list

Checking for Specific Certifications

Need a CPA for a finance role:

  1. Search for CPA or Certified Public Accountant
  2. Review snippets to confirm the certification (vs. just a mention)
  3. View profiles of confirmed CPAs to prioritize them

Evaluating Industry Experience

Looking for candidates with healthcare background:

  1. Search for hospital or healthcare or medical
  2. Toggle "Include incomplete applicants" to widen the search
  3. Reach out to promising matches who may not have completed their application

Identifying Internal Transfers

If a former applicant for another role might fit the current opening:

  1. Search for a specific skill or technology
  2. Review their current stage (they may have been rejected from a different role but be perfect for this one)

You can bookmark candidates directly from search results without navigating away:

  1. Click the ribbon icon on any result card
  2. A filled ribbon indicates the candidate is bookmarked
  3. Click again to remove the bookmark
  4. Bookmarks persist and are visible in the main applicant list

This is especially useful for quickly marking several candidates during a search session, then returning to the main list to process them together.

Limitations

  • Search only covers resumes for the current job (not across all jobs)
  • Maximum of 10 results per search query
  • Minimum 3 characters required for a search
  • Resume must be successfully parsed; corrupted or image-only PDFs may not be searchable
  • Search matches literal text, not semantic meaning (searching "coding" won't find "programming" unless both terms appear)
Last updated 4 months ago
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