What this feature does and when to use it?
AI Sourcing helps you find new candidates from Recruit CRM's Global Database, which contains 800 million+ external candidate profiles. You can search this database using either a natural-language description or manually selected search filters, without requiring the candidates to already exist in your Recruit CRM database.
Recruit CRM first narrows the Global Database using Search Filters and then, for AI Search, evaluates and ranks the resulting candidates using AI-generated Matching Criteria. This allows you to either describe the candidates you need in natural language or start from a Job Description and let Recruit CRM generate the search requirements for you.
You can use this feature when you want to:
Find candidates who are not already in your database.
Get an AI-ranked shortlist based on a natural-language description.
Quickly find a list of candidates using specific filters.
Search a large external candidate pool instead of only your existing records.
Ways to start a search in AI Sourcing:
You can start an AI Sourcing search in several ways:
- Natural-language-based AI Search: Describe the type of candidate you are looking for in plain language.
- Job-based Search: Select a recent job and use its Job Description as the basis for the search.
- Filter Search: Manually configure search filters to find candidates from the Global Database without AI ranking.
Search for candidates using AI Sourcing
1. Natural-language-based AI Search:
The AI search feature within AI Sourcing allows you to describe the type of candidate you are looking for using a plain-language description. Recruit CRM uses the information in your query to create relevant search filters and rank the resulting candidates.
Go to the Candidates list page and click on the AI Sourcing button at the top.
In the Search tab, describe the type of candidate you are looking for using natural language. Include details such as the job title, skills, experience, location, and any other requirements that are important for the role.
AI Sourcing selects Location Search or Radius Search based on your prompt. For example, "Find candidates within 50 miles of New Delhi" uses Radius Search.
You can also start the search using the Job Description from a recent job. Select a recent job to use its Job Description as the basis for the search. Recruit CRM will extract relevant Search Filters and Matching Criteria from the description.
2. Job-Based AI Search:
When you start an AI Sourcing search from a Job, Recruit CRM uses the job description from the selected job to generate the search requirements.
The job-selection screen displays your most recently added jobs, and you can search for additional jobs by job name, company name, city, or Job ID. Only jobs you have permission to view are available for selection.
Please note: The jobs that are on the 'Closed' job status will not be visible for selection.
If the selected job does not have a Job Description, you will be prompted to add one before continuing.
Review the AI Clarifying Questions displayed after you enter your search. Recruit CRM uses these questions to identify missing or ambiguous information that could affect the search results. For example, it may ask you to clarify an experience range, location, or another requirement. Clarifying the requirement helps produce more relevant results.
You can select from the available answers, provide additional information where applicable, or skip the questions if you do not want to provide the suggested information.
Click Continue to proceed to the Search Filters and Matching Criteria.
Review the Search Filters and Matching Criteria to see the parameters Recruit CRM will use to search and evaluate candidates. To make changes to the search filters, click Edit Filters.
The Filters panel will open on the right, where you can configure filters such as Employment Information, Skills and Keywords, Location, and Education. You can also add other filters based on your requirements using the option at the bottom of the panel.
In the Location filter, choose Location Search or Radius Search. In supported filters, you can exclude values.
Find Similar Values
AI Sourcing includes a Find Similar option that suggests related values for supported filters, helping you expand your search without manually entering similar terms.
Open the Search Filters panel.
In the Company, Skills, University, or Job Title filter, click the Find Similar (sparkle) icon next to a field that already has at least one value.
Review the suggested values. The AI adds them directly to the filter.
Click the icon again to generate and add more suggestions as needed.
Please note:
Up to 8 suggestions are added per click.
Suggestions are added in the order returned by the AI.
You can click the icon repeatedly to continue expanding the list, with no limit on the number of clicks.
For Job Title and Company, you can enable the Current Only toggle to limit the search to candidates whose current job title or company matches the selected criteria. Once these filters are configured, click on Save.
Next, review the Matching Criteria generated from your query. These criteria help evaluate and rank candidates based on how well their profiles match the requirements of the role. Each criterion contributes to the candidate’s overall match score.
You can adjust the weight of each criterion based on its importance to the role. Criteria with a higher weight will have a greater influence on the ranking, helping the most suitable candidates appear higher in the results.
You can also add a new criterion based on your requirements by clicking Add Criterion. Enter the criterion you want Recruit CRM to consider, then adjust its weight according to its importance in the search.
As you adjust the filters, a live count of the total matching candidates will be displayed at the bottom of the page. This count updates based on the filters currently applied, helping you understand the size of the matching candidate pool before running the search.
Click Find Candidates to run the search. The search usually takes 2–3 minutes to complete.
Once the search results are available, Recruit CRM displays 100 candidates per page. From the results page, you can review the matched candidates and take action directly such as:
Add the selected candidates to your Recruit CRM database.
Assign selected candidates to a job.
Add candidates to a hotlist.
Add a note to the selected candidates.
Select individual candidates or use the bulk selection option to select multiple candidates. Bulk selection from the AI Sourcing Search Results is limited to 100 candidates at a time, corresponding to one full page of results.
When you select a candidate, the panel on the right provides a detailed view of the candidate’s profile, along with the Matching Criteria that contributed to the candidate’s match score. This helps you understand why the candidate was ranked for the search and how well their profile matches the requirements.
How does the Job-based AI search work in AI Sourcing?
While using the job-based AI search in AI Sourcing, it extracts relevant Search Filters from your query or Job Description and uses the Matching Criteria to evaluate candidates. Each candidate is ranked and scored from 0–100 based on how closely they match the defined criteria, with reasoning provided for each score. You can review and customize the Matching Criteria before running the search.
Search for candidates using filters from the Filter Search section in AI Sourcing
Filter search allows you to manually define the criteria used to search the Global Database.
Go to the Candidates list page and click AI Sourcing at the top.
Select Filter Search.
Enter the values for the fields you want to use as search criteria. For Location, choose Location Search or Radius Search.
Review the selected filters and click Search.
Search filter fields:
Field | How it works |
Title | Title searches the candidate’s current role and previous roles they have held in the past. To search for only the current roles, you need to enable/turn on the 'Current Only' toggle. |
Company | Searches the candidate's current and past employers. Enable Current Only to limit results to candidates who currently work at the selected company. You can also exclude Company values. |
Total Experience | Set a minimum and/or maximum number of years of experience. |
Skills | Searches for skills across the candidate’s entire profile rather than a single field. Mark specific skills as Must-have to make them require, or leave them as Good-to-have to improve ranking without making them mandatory. |
Language Skills | Set the required proficiency level and optionally mark a language as Must-have. |
Location | Location Search matches any of the locations you enter. You can enter a city, locality, state, or country. Location matching is based on the candidate's current profile location rather than their employer's location. Recruit CRM can recognize known location synonyms in natural-language searches. |
Keywords | Use Boolean search operators such as AND, OR, and NOT, including grouped searches, across the candidate’s full profile. |
University, Graduation Year, Degree, Name | These fields are also available for searching. |
Current Only | Limits results to candidates who currently hold the searched Job Title or currently work at the selected Company, rather than candidates who held the title or worked at the company in the past. Recruit CRM may automatically enable this option when it is relevant to the search. |
Please note:
Only Skills and Language Skills allow Must-have and Good-to-have values to be combined in the same search. Other fields match any of the values entered by default. For stricter matching, use Boolean search with AND logic.
When using Filter Search in AI Sourcing, Recruit CRM does not automatically treat different names for the same location, such as Los Angeles and LA, as equivalent. However, when a location is included in a natural-language query or job description, Recruit CRM may automatically recognize and add known synonyms to the filters.
Filter Search in AI Sourcing returns candidates who match the selected filters but does not rank them based on suitability. No AI scoring is applied, so the order of the results does not represent a best-to-worst ranking.
For most fields, selecting multiple values returns candidates matching at least one of the selected values. For stricter combinations, you can use AND/OR/NOT Boolean logic in the Keywords search. Skills and Language Skills are exceptions because they allow requirements to be marked as Must-have or Good-to-have.
In supported filters, you can exclude values to rule out irrelevant candidates.
Exclusion is available for Job Title, Company, Location, University, Degree, Skills and Language.
Excluded values act as strict filters. Candidates who match an excluded value are removed from the results rather than ranked lower.
You can switch a value between include and exclude directly from the filter.
For Skills and Language, exclusion works alongside the Must-have option. Only one of the two is active at a time.
AI credits and usage
AI Sourcing uses credits based on the type of search performed.
Action | Credit cost | Note |
Filter Search | 1 credit per page, which returns up to 100 results. | (Since Filter Search does not use AI ranking/reasoning, it consumes only 1 credit compared to AI Search/Job-based AI Search). |
Natural-language-based AI Search | 3 credits per page, which returns up to 100 results, charged per page | - |
Job-based AI Search | 3 credits per new page, which returns up to 100 results. | - |
Refine Matches | 3 credits per new page, which returns up to 100 results. | Since it will be a totally new search when filters/matching criteria are refined, it will consume 3 credits. |
Please note:
Reopening a search from Search History does not consume any credits.
For Natural-language-based AI Search and Job-based AI Search, unlocking a new page of results consumes an additional 3 credits for that page.
Using Refine Matches to adjust the search and generate updated results consumes another 3 credits.
Previously unlocked result pages can be revisited from Search History without any credit consumption. However, loading another page of AI-ranked results from Search History consumes 3 credits for that page, and using Refine Matches consumes 3 credits because the AI matching process is run again.
Search History
Recruit CRM saves previously unlocked AI Sourcing results in Search History, allowing you to return to result pages you have already viewed without consuming additional credits.
How to access Search History
Open the History tab by clicking the clock icon at the top of the page.
The Search History panel will open on the left side of the screen.
Select any previously unlocked search to return to its results.
Previously unlocked result pages can be revisited without consuming additional credits.
Pin, rename, or delete a search
You can manage your saved searches directly from the Search History panel.
Hover over the search you want to manage.
Click the three-dot menu that appears on the left side of the search.
Select the action you want to perform:
Pin: Keeps the search easily accessible in your Search History.
Rename: Give the search a custom name.
Delete: Remove the search from your Search History.
Please note:
Natural-language-based AI Search and Filter Search history is specific to the user who created the search.
Job-based search history is shared between users who have access to the same job.
Natural-language-based AI Search and Filter searches can be renamed with a custom name of up to 500 characters.
Job-based searches cannot be renamed.
Refining a search creates a new AI run and consumes credits.
Important Notes
In AI Sourcing, Filter Search does not use AI ranking. It only filters candidates based on the criteria you specify, so the order of the results does not represent a suitability ranking.
AI Matching Criteria and explanations are currently generated in English, regardless of the language used in the Job Description.
Bulk selection from AI Sourcing results is limited to 100 candidates at a time.
When you add a candidate from AI Sourcing results to your Recruit CRM database, Recruit CRM imports their name, location, skills, summary, total experience (in years), job title, current organization, and work and education history. The candidate's LinkedIn profile PDF isn't imported through AI Sourcing.
Please note: Long work and education descriptions in the AI Sourcing profile overview can be expanded using Show More and collapsed using Show Less. When an external profile is added as a candidate, the complete descriptions are saved and displayed on the candidate's details page.
FAQs
What's the difference between Filter Search and AI Search while using AI Sourcing?
What's the difference between Filter Search and AI Search while using AI Sourcing?
In AI Sourcing, Filter Search returns candidates who match the filters you specify without AI ranking. AI Search uses AI to interpret your query, score the candidates, and rank them based on how well they match your requirements.
Can I edit the filters and Matching Criteria generated by AI while using AI Sourcing?
Can I edit the filters and Matching Criteria generated by AI while using AI Sourcing?
Yes, while using AI Sourcing, you can edit, add, or remove Search Filters and Matching Criteria before running an AI Search. You can also adjust the weight of each Matching Criterion based on how important it is to the role.
Does Filter Search rank candidates based on suitability in AI Sourcing?
Does Filter Search rank candidates based on suitability in AI Sourcing?
No, in AI Sourcing, Filter Search only applies the selected filters and does not use AI scoring or ranking. The order of candidates in the results does not represent a best-to-worst ranking.
What is the difference between Location Search and Radius Search in AI Sourcing?
What is the difference between Location Search and Radius Search in AI Sourcing?
Location Search finds candidates in the localities, cities, states or countries you enter. Radius Search finds candidates within a distance you set from a location you select.
Why are some candidates missing from my Radius Search results?
Why are some candidates missing from my Radius Search results?
Radius Search uses geocoded city data from candidate profiles. If an external profile mentions only a city, such as Manchester, without enough information to identify the country or region, the candidate is left out of radius results to avoid inaccurate matches.
Does AI Search use Radius Search automatically?
Does AI Search use Radius Search automatically?
AI Sourcing selects Location Search or Radius Search based on your prompt. For example, "Find candidates within 50 miles of New Delhi" uses Radius Search.
Which filters support exclusion?
Which filters support exclusion?
Job Title, Company, Location, University, Degree, Skills and Language.
Does excluding a value lower a candidate's ranking?
Does excluding a value lower a candidate's ranking?
No. Excluded values act as strict filters. Candidates who match an excluded value are removed from the results rather than ranked lower.
Can I exclude a skill and also mark it as Must-have?
Can I exclude a skill and also mark it as Must-have?
No. For Skills and Language, exclusion works alongside the Must-have option, but only one of the two is active at a time.
Which AI model powers AI Sourcing?
Which AI model powers AI Sourcing?
Recruit CRM uses a combination of large language models, including Google's Gemini, to generate matching criteria and score candidates in AI Sourcing.
In AI Sourcing, where are the candidate profiles in the Global Database sourced from?
In AI Sourcing, where are the candidate profiles in the Global Database sourced from?
In AI Sourcing, candidate profiles in the Global Database are sourced from publicly available profiles provided by third-party data partners.
Does Recruit CRM add candidate data from a customer’s Recruit CRM database to the Global Database?
Does Recruit CRM add candidate data from a customer’s Recruit CRM database to the Global Database?
No. Recruit CRM never aggregates or adds data from a customer’s Recruit CRM database to the Global Database. Your Recruit CRM database belongs exclusively to your company or agency and is not made available to other customers.
Can data from one customer’s Recruit CRM database be made available to other customers through the Global Database?
Can data from one customer’s Recruit CRM database be made available to other customers through the Global Database?
No. Data from one customer’s Recruit CRM database is never made available to other customers through the Global Database.
Conclusion:
AI Sourcing gives you 3 ways to find new candidates from Recruit CRM's Global Database: use Filter Search to quickly find candidates matching specific filters, use Natural-language-based AI Search to describe your search in plain language and receive an AI-ranked shortlist, or use Job-based Search to use the job description from a selected job to define the search criteria and find, rank, and score matching candidates.