Employment recruiting system

• US 8,156,051 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2001
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northwest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Northwest Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Shah, Chetan, Malynur, Badri, Smith, Eric Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/757,322
• Time in Patent Office: 4,109 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring

Abstract

Recruiting or the process of locating and qualifying potential candidates for employment is largely a manual process consuming significant resources. The employment recruiting system automates many of the services related to employment recruiting. Position advertisements and candidate resumes are stored in computer searchable data bases. A data processing device automatically searches the data base containing candidate resumes in response to a search parameter associated with a position advertisement. The system automatically contacts screens candidates.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a candidate for a position of employment, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a position advertisement including a datum particularizing said position of employment;

(b) storing said position advertisement in a computer searchable position database;

(c) associating a keyword with said position advertisement;

(d) assigning a significance to said keyword;

(e) associated at least one candidate screening question with said position advertisement;

(f) associating a search periodicity with said position advertisement;

(g) upon expiration of a period substantially equal to said search periodicity, searching at least one computer searchable candidate database for a candidate resume including said keyword;

(h) scoring a candidate resume identified by said search as a function of said keyword;

(i) influencing said scoring of said candidate resume as a function of said significance of said keyword;

(j) upon identification of a candidate resume by said search, automatically requesting a response to said candidate screening question from a candidate resume identified by said search;

(k) scoring a response by said candidate to said candidate screening question;

(l) assigning a significance to said response;

(m) influencing said scoring of said response as a function of said significance of said response; and

(n) presenting an identity of a candidate associated with said candidate resume identified by said search to a computer user on a basis of said score.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of scoring a candidate resume identified by said search as a function of a keyword comprises the steps of:

(a) identifying a number of occurrences of said keyword in said candidate resume identified by said search; and

(b) comparing said number of occurrences to a threshold number of occurrences.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(a) associating an identity of a computer searchable candidate database with said position advertisement; and

(b) searching said candidate database associated with said position advertisement upon expiration of a period substantially equal to said search periodicity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of searching at least one computer searchable candidate database comprises the steps of:

(a) storing an identity of a searchable, computer network accessible, candidate database;

(b) upon expiration of a period substantially equating said search periodicity, accessing said computer network accessible candidate database with a computer;

(c) analyzing a text of a candidate resume stored in said computer network accessible candidate database;

(d) scoring an occurrence of said keyword in said text of said candidate resume; and

(e) as a function of said scoring, copying said candidate resume to another candidate data base.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating a position advertisement comprises the steps of:

(a) accessing a position advertisement template, said template comprising of at least one candidate qualification entry; and

(b) including in a candidate qualification entry of said template no more than one candidate qualification.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of identifying at least one keyword associated with a candidate qualification entry.

7. A method of employment recruiting comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a position advertisement, including a datum particularizing a position of employment;

(b) associating a keyword with said position advertisement;

(c) storing said position advertisement and said keyword in a computer searchable database;

(d) assigning a significance to said keyword;

(e) associating a search periodicity parameter in a computer searchable database;

(f) in response to expiration of a period substantially equal to said search periodicity parameter, initiating a computer search of at least one computer searchable candidate database for a candidate resume including said keyword;

(g) scoring a candidate resume identified by said search as a function of said included keyword;

(h) influencing said score of said candidate resume as a function of significance of said keyword,

(i) including an identification of a candidate associated with said candidate resume in a result reportable to a computer user if said keyword score of said candidate resume at least equals a threshold keyword score;

(j) in response to a determination that said keyword score at least equals said threshold keyword score, automatically contacting said candidate and requesting a response to at least one screening question associated with said position advertisement;

(k) scoring a response of said candidate to said screening question; and

(l) reporting said screening question response score in a search result presented to said computer user.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting said candidate approve contact with an employment reference;

(b) upon receipt of said approval, automatically requesting a response of said employment reference to at least one reference query; and

(c) reporting said response to said reference query in a search result presented to said computer user.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of automatically repeating said search in response to expiration of a period substantially equal to said search periodicity parameter associated with said position advertisement.