What Is X-Ray Search and How Does It Help in HRM

In this diverse and vast world of internet presence, almost everywhere, it becomes complicated for any information to be available and visible through standard search engines. Therefore, this is where X-Ray search comes in and plays a powerful role in terms of technology and techniques as it is used to search and uncover the data hidden deep within the websites, especially on Platforms like LinkedIn, Job portals or GitHub. 

So it does not matter whether you are a recruiter looking for fresh talent, a cybersecurity analyst who is tracing down the digital footprints of someone or a tech-savvy researcher digging for niche insights. X-ray search helps you in equipping you with the skills that are just beyond the basic queries. 

In the blog below, we will take a deep dive into the world of technology and learn about one of the most used techniques, and that is X-ray search and gain immense knowledge into why X-ray searches are the most used methods, how you can use it at your disposal and supercharge your online searches.

What is X-Ray Search?

X-ry search is known to be a search technique which is used widely by many recruiters, top third-party recruiters, to match the job description of the company’s needs. The recruiters use this kind of technique to search for the perfect resumes and candidates from certain websites using advanced search engine queries, and it leverages the use of the search engine operators to help uncover the hidden information which is not easily available through the standard searches.

Key Features of X-RAY Search

• The advanced Search Operators like “site.”, “intitle” and “inurl” use the advanced search operators to get their desired search results, which focuses on specific websites to find the exact or a relevant candidate matching their job profile. 
• The Boolean Logic behind the keywords that combine with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) for the precise searches. 
• The efficiency of this X-ray search is that it saves time by quickly identifying potential candidates on the websites.

How does X-ray search work?

• The X-ray search involves the use of search engines like Google to perform the needed searches on these specific websites.  
• For instance, a recruiter might use these Boolean operators along with the keywords needed to search for the eligible and qualified employees. 
• Let’s take an example, a recruiter can type the following “ ‘site.com’ AND ‘teleccaller executive ’ AND ‘London’ ”. 
• This will help the recruiter to search for a candidate who fits perfectly for the role of telecaller executive and is also open to roles in London or resides in London.  
• If the recruiter does not use these Boolean Operators, then he might not be able to search for the right candidate through the traditional search methods. 

Best Practices for X-Ray Search

• Refine Keywords: Always ensure that the keywords you are using are correct and serve the purpose of your search. Use relevant keywords to have narrowed search results.
• Combine Operators: Make use of the various boolean operators as filters to filter out the wanted results effectively. 
• Stay Updated: With the help of the search boolean operators, you can stay updated with the recent trends and qualified candidates at your disposal.
• Practice: One-time use of this X-ray search technique is okay, but if you continue practising this technique, you will see an immense enhancement in proficiency and efficiency. 

What are Boolean Operators and their uses in X-Ray Search?

Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) are the essential tools which is used in X-ray searches, which is a technique that is used to refine search results by using logical operators to combine keywords and phrases. Through these operators, the recruiters can filter their search by skipping the vast amounts of information to find their requirements from the specific profiles, skills and job experiences.

Explanation of Boolean Operators

• AND: The AND operator is used to narrow down the search results by using it and making sure that all the phrases and keywords are represented in the result obtained through the use of AND.

For eg, searching for “JAVA coder AND computer programmer”; this will make sure that the results you get consist of both the keywords, and you get your desired results and resume.

• OR: The OR operator is used in cases which need either of the two keywords or phrases mentioned. This means that the OR operator is used when the recruiter or any user searches for a particular thing, talent, or specific qualifications in an employee, but is also okay with a similarity of that thing.

For eg, when a recruiter uses the OR operator, they will give a command to the search engine in the following way: “Search for a candidate who is a Java Coder OR a software programmer ”. This command given to the search engine will yield results which will mention either of the keywords present. 

• NOT: The NOT operator is used when there needs to be an exclusion of specific keywords or phrases from the results. This means that when a recruiter or a user enters a NOT operator, they do not want the mention of a specific keyword they have entered.

E.g. when a recruiter searches for a candidate to fit into the role of Sales Manager, they will enter the command in the following way, “Sales Manager NOT a fresher”. This command will fetch them some deep-researched results, which will include the keyword “Sales Manager” but not the keyword “Fresher”.

Apart from the above-mentioned Boolean Operators, other operators are also used by users and recruiters. Let’s take a look at these Operators. 

• Quotation Marks: This boolean operator is used for searching exact phrases.
• Parentheses: This is an operator which is used for complex queries.
• Asterisk(*):  This operator is a wildcard entry in the list of Operators as it is only used when there is a need for variation of a word. 

Advanced Boolean Operators:

• NEAR: This advanced operator is used when there is a need to find terms in a certain proximity.
• W/n: This operator is used when there is a need to know the maximum number of words between any term.
• PRE/n: This is an operator that is used to specify terms that must appear in a particular order within n words.

Now let’s read how these Boolean Operators are used in X-Ray Searches.

Uses of Boolean Operators in X-Ray Search

• Targeted Sourcing: The recruiters often use these Boolean operators to search for candidates with the specific qualifications or experiences needed for the job role.
• Filtering and Refining: By using Boolean operators, the researchers or the users can have a clean and specific result of the search instead of non-relevant data.
• Customised Searches: It becomes easy for the recruiters and the users to search for tailored searches which are specific, like skills, locations and other factors.
• Finding Specific Information: The Boolean operators can be used by the recruiters or the users to search for data based on the specific skills, locations or any other factor.
• Broadening Search Scope: The users or the recruiters can make use of the OR operator to broaden their search to include the variations of the keywords or the different job titles for the same role.
• Excluding Unwanted Terms: The recruiters and the users make use of the NOT operator when they want to have just one specific search keyword’s results and do not want to see results of the second keyword. 

What are the different X-Ray Search Tools for Recruitment? 

The X-ray search tools are also known as advanced search tools, help recruiters immensely in filtering candidates and their profiles. This technique helps recruiters search for job candidates beyond the traditional search capabilities of social media platforms and job boards. 

These tools make it easy for the recruiters as they use search engine operators and Boolean logic to pinpoint the specific keywords and locations within the candidates’ profiles.  Through these Boolean operators and search keywords, the recruiters can look for candidates who are not actively looking for a new job.

Below are some of the most common X-ray search tools:

1. Google Advanced Search: 

The advanced Google search operators allow recruiters or users to cut down and refine their searches for the specific websites, file types and keywords with the page title, URL or content. The boolean operators which are used in Google Advanced Search are “ AND, OR and NOT”. With the help of these Boolean operators, the recruiter and the Google search engine present results after deep research into the vast world of information.

The Basics of Google X-Ray Search

To make yourself familiarised with the usage of Google X-ray Search, you will have to get comfortable with the following few keywords of Google Search Operators:

• Site: This key Google operator helps in searching for the results on a specific website only.
• Intitle: The recruiters or the users use this key operator in finding pages that mention the keyword in the title of the page.
• Inurl: This Google operator is used for searching for URL addresses that mention the main keyword.
• “Quotation Marks”: When you use Quotation marks as your Google operators, it will search for the exact phrases.

With the use of these Google Operators, the users and the recruiters are allowed to search for targeted searches, which allow them to find candidate profiles that match their criteria.

For example: 

1. The recruiter can type ‘LinkedIn.com’ AND ‘Digital Marketing Executive’ AND ‘Udaipur’ AND ‘Resume’. This search will help them in looking for a candidate in  Udaipur for the digital marketing role through LinkedIn.com. 
2. The other example of Google X-ray Search is that of contact details, resumes and portfolios, employees who work or have worked in a specific company, academic degree and other certificates and candidates from a specific location. 

2. LinkedIn X-Ray Search: 

LinkedIn X-Ray Search is used by recruiters or the HR of the company to find resumes of candidates who match the qualifications of the post open position in the company. When you search for a job profile or candidates available on LinkedIn through a normal search, you might not get the accurate results as needed by you.
Therefore, the recruiters use LinkedIn X-Ray search so that their search results are not limited to the traditional search methods. The LinkedIn X-Ray searches are used because Google already saves many of the LinkedIn Profiles, and through an X-Ray search, the users and the recruiters get results that might not show up in LinkedIn’s search.

Benefits of the LinkedIn X-Ray Search:

• It helps in accessing more profiles and does not show the limitations of the search.
• It helps in viewing the whole profiles of the distant connections on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn X-ray allows users to bypass LinkedIn’s Search Limits.
• With the help of the X-ray searches, the users and the recruiters get more precise searches.
• Once you start using LinkedIn X-Ray search, you will not need the use of LinkedIn Premium, as you will find similar benefits to Premium on LinkedIn X-Ray search.
• To carry out a full-fledged search on LinkedIn, you do not need to have an account, and there is no need to log in to the account.

3. Other Specialised Tools: 

There are some other tools, too, that make use of Google X-Ray operators to achieve the best search results.

• Hiretual (now HireEZ): It is an AI-powered software that uses the Google Operators and helps recruiters in looking for those candidates who are passively looking for new job roles. 
• Entelo: Entelo is also a recruitment platform that uses AI and smart Google operators to help companies and recruiters in searching for the top talent. Entelo is now part of Rival, but still has the same insight into providing the best HRM practices.

How X-Ray Search Helps Recruiters? 

X-Ray Search also has a different name, which is called Boolean Search. It helps recruiters in searching for more targeted and refined searches for candidates. By the usage of boolean operators like AND, OR and NOT, the recruiters can search for more complex queries or commands that filter out irrelevant results and help in identifying the potential candidates with the specific skills, experiences and locations. 

With the help of these Boolean operators and search tools, the recruiters save on time and improve their quality of candidate sourcing. This, in turn, allows the recruiters to stay competitive at the edge in the hiring process.

Let’s look at the exact points that help the recruiters in X-Ray search:

• Improved Filtering: The X-Ray search allows recruiters to filter the candidate profiles based on various fields and segments that are applied by the recruiter. These criteria can be skills, experience level, location and specific keywords.
• Customizable Searches: The recruiters can tailor their searches to match the exact needs of the company and the job openings. This ensures that the recruiters get the exact fit for the role.
• Time Efficiency: With the help of these Boolean operators, the recruiters refine their searches and eliminate the irrelevant results. The X-Ray search helps recruiters to save a lot of time and effort in their sourcing efforts.
• Competitive Advantage: With the help of these modern and smart Boolean operators, the recruiters get to know about the top-qualified candidates who will be a good fit for the open role and will help them in staying competitive in the market.
• Hidden Talent Discovery: The X-ray search can help in uncovering the candidates that may not be actively looking for a job, but are still looking for an opportunity. It might get difficult to search for them through traditional search methods.

Let’s take an example, if a recruiter gives the command to the search engines to search for a candidate who is “Computer Engineer AND Jaipur AND (4 OR 5 OR 6)”. Then the results that they get through this search operation are those of a candidate who is a computer engineer, lives in Jaipur and has experience between 4 to 6 years in the industry.

Difference Between X-Ray Search and Boolean Search

The X-Ray search and the Boolean search are not two different concepts and are related concepts with just a variation of their functionality and usage. X-Ray is a technique that is used along with the Boolean operators within a search engine like Google for targeting specific websites or profiles. While the Boolean search, on the other hand, is the other underlying method of using the logical operators (AND, OR and NOT) to filter and refine the search results.

Particulars	X-Ray SEARCH	Boolean Operators
Purpose:	The X-Ray search is used to find out some specific profiles and information on the targeted websites, which most probably are search engines like Google.	Boolean Operators are used to refine the search results using logical operators like include, exclude or combine keywords.
Methods:	X-ray Search uses search engine operators like site: along with boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT) to filter searches from a specific domain.	Boolean Operators use the logical operators like AND ( to combine the keywords), OR ( to include many diverse options) and NOT (to exclude a specific term) from the search results.
Scope:	X-Ray search is more focused on the findings of specific websites or profiles.	Boolean operators are the generic techniques used for getting general techniques like refining search results on any search engine.
Operators:	The X-ray search is used by the search engine’s particular operators, like (site: ) along with the Boolean operators.	Boolean Operators are the majorly focus of the logical operators
Context:	The X-Ray search engines are used by recruiters who look for candidates on LinkedIn profiles.	Boolean Search is mostly used in various contexts for information retrieval.
Example:	The X-Ray search is used by the recruiters in the following way: “digital marketing executive AND not fresher”. This will give them the	The Boolean Operators are used in such a way that the X-ray searches achieve accurate results. The recruiters give commands like “HR Executive AND Training Expert NOT an intern OR a fresher”. This will refine the results and show them a candidate profile who is an HR executive and has experience in training employees, and is not an intern or a fresher in the industry.

Final Thoughts

X-Ray Search is a search engine operator that is used by recruiters or users to search for candidates who perfectly match the job profile. The recruiters use various platforms through which they look for candidates who are actively and passively looking for jobs. 

However, it is also seen that to have a deep search about this information is not possible without the X-Ray search and the Boolean Operators. The Boolean Operators are used effectively along with the keywords to refine and filter out the results. 

The most common logical boolean operators that are used are AND, OR and NOT. The X-Ray tools that are commonly used are Google X-Ray Search and LinkedIn X-Ray Search. These tools help the recruiters and the users to search and refine their results properly and accurately. Therefore, these search operators and the Boolean logical operators are widely used by recruiters to stay at the top of their competition and have the best talent in their workforce.