Searching for Candidates
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      1. Firefish Software Help Centre
      2. Candidate Management
      3. Searching for Candidates

      How to Find Candidates

      Find candidates faster with intuitive search and advanced filtering.

      Quickly find the candidate records you want to see by using our search features. 

      Jump to Section:

      Universal Search

      Universal Search is an always-accessible search bar located in the menu at the top of the screen, so you can use it no matter which page you are on within Firefish.

      This feature allows you to find live candidates, contacts, and companies using:
      • Reference
      • Phone number
      • Name
      • Email address
      From here, you can head straight to a specific profile, view all results by selecting See More, or drill down further with Advanced Search.

      Advanced Search

      You can also search by going to People>Search or by using the search panel on your dashboard.  Ensure you are on the "Candidates" tab when searching for candidates. 

      From here, you can quickly find candidates by:

      • Name
      • Phone
      • Email
      • Reference Number
      • Keyword

      By default, Firefish will run the search on Live candidate records, however, you can change this to only Archived records or to include All by selecting the required option on the Status drop-down. You also have the option to further filter your search by selecting a minimum Star Rating, or searching for Hot Candidates

      To check the total number of results before running the search click 'Get Count'.

      Keyword Boolean Search

      You can use Keywords to search for a candidate using boolean search techniques. This is a great way to refine your search to return results that best match your requirements. You can enter a search up to 2000 characters and combine words or commonly used phrases together by using AND, OR and NOT to limit, widen or define your search. 

      You can also search for the beginning of a word, exclude words, search for groups of words and even search for words and terms that appear in proximity to each other. To check how to make the most of these rules, if you're ever unsure, or need a little inspiration for your searches then click the blue info icon for a helpful tip:

      We know that candidates can use lots of different terms to say the same thing, so we will include variations of the words you enter into a search by default. If you would prefer to only search for an exact keyword, select the Exact Keyword Match tickbox. 

      Once you have your boolean search, you will be able to run it against:

      • The Candidate Profile
      • The most recently uploaded Original CV
      • Candidate Action Notes
      • A combination of all three!

      You'll have to select at least one of these options to be able to run your Keyword search. By default, Candidate Profile and Candidate CV will be selected, however, you can change this by unticking the boxes next to these options:

      Candidate Preferences

      You can drill down further into your database by searching for candidates based on their Discipline, Location and/or Specialisation preferences. Selecting Also Interested will include candidates that are also interested in the selected Discipline, Location and/or Specialisation, but do not have this set as their preferred option.

      Salary/Rate

      The Salary/Rate search filters can be used to find candidates who are looking for a salary or rate within a specific range.

      Use the sliders to set a range, searching for candidates who have a desired salary and/or desired rate within that set range. You can also toggle between AND and OR if you want to find candidates with a desired rate AND desired salary, or either one.

      Availability

      The Availability search filters can be used to search candidates based on their Permanent and/or Contract Preference.

      You can tick one or more preference. You can also toggle between AND and OR if you want to find candidates with a Permanent preference and a Contract preference, or either one.

      You can also search on a candidates Availability status, Notice Period and Available date.

      Profile

      To conduct a postcode radius search for candidates, simply enter a UK postcode into Distance From and either type in a distance or use the slider:


      If you want to search for a specific Skill, Language or Certification, or you are looking for a candidate who is either currently, or was previously Working At a specific company, start by typing into the corresponding field and selecting from the suggestions. 

      You can also search for candidates currently or previously employed by companies in a specific Industry Sector or Sub Sector. 

      If you are interested in recently added or updated candidates, you can filter your search results by date ranges for Last Updated, Created Date and CV Updated.

      Details

      Within the details section of the candidate search, you can search up to 5 details at once. Click the +Add button then select the detail you want to search from the drop down.

      You can then click the +Add button again to select another detail.

      When more than one detail is selected, the search will be performed using the AND parameter e.g. Nationality AND Visa:

      When you select a detail, any fields which are enabled for that detail (within Compliance Details settings) will appear.

      If a drop-down field is enabled, you can select multiple values from the drop-down list. If a text field is enabled, start typing in the field and you'll see a list of auto-suggestions based on the data entered in this detail for each candidate. When multiple values are added in the drop-down or text fields, they'll be searched using the OR parameter e.g. British OR American:

      If a date field is enabled on a particular detail, you can perform the search on a date range using the From and To fields.

      Results

      You can view up to 450 records at once and sort each column alphabetically by clicking on the column's header. You're also able to change the information displayed in the results by using the Cog button at the top of the search.

      Hovering over a Candidate will display the Preview icon  Selecting this will open up the candidate side panel, where you will be able to access and update their profile information, view their CV and even get in contact with them, all without having to leave your search results page.

      Bulk Search Actions

      You can perform a number of bulk actions from your search results. Ignore unsuitable candidates from your list, Consider suitable ones straight to your live jobs, or send selected candidates a Bulk Email or Bulk SMS. Simply tick the box next to the candidates' names and then select an action:

      Find out how to send a bulk email here or send a bulk SMS here.

      When selecting Consider, you'll see a pop up allowing you to search all of your own (and all of your colleagues) open Jobs. Simply start typing, select the Job and Go:

      Please note that bulk considering several hundred candidates at once may take some time to process.

      The Delete button allows you to bulk delete or archive candidates.