Boolean Search

Boolean search is a method of building precise candidate queries using logical operators — AND, OR, NOT, quotation marks, and parentheses — to filter search results on platforms like LinkedIn Recruiter or Google. Recruiters use Boolean strings to surface passive candidates who match specific role criteria. A typical string combines job title variants, required skills, and industry terms while excluding irrelevant seniority levels.

Candidate Persona

A candidate persona is a semi-fictional profile of the ideal candidate for a role or role family — capturing their motivations, career goals, information sources, objections, and decision-making process alongside their skills and experience. Recruitment marketing teams use personas to tailor job ad copy, careers site content, and sourcing messages to what specific candidate segments actually care about. Personas are derived from interviews with successful current employees and analysis of historical hiring data.

Job Board

A job board is an online platform where employers post open vacancies and candidates search and apply for roles. General job boards (Indeed, Reed, Seek) aggregate postings across all industries; niche boards (Dice, eFinancialCareers, CWJobs) focus on specific sectors. Job boards operate on pay-per-click, pay-per-post, or subscription models, and remain the most widely used external sourcing channel despite the growth of social recruiting.

LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn Recruiter is a paid sourcing and talent acquisition platform that gives recruiters access to LinkedIn's full 1 billion-member network, advanced search filters, InMail credits for messaging non-connections, and team collaboration tools. It is the most widely used tool for sourcing passive professional candidates globally. LinkedIn Recruiter consistently ranks as the top source of hire for professional and technical roles in SHRM benchmarking studies.

Passive Candidate

A passive candidate is a professional who is currently employed and not actively looking for a new role but may be open to the right opportunity. Passive candidates make up the majority of the talent market and are typically reached through direct outreach on LinkedIn, referrals, or recruiter networks. Engaging passive candidates requires a more personalised approach than responding to active applicants.