Hard criteria are used to match candidates with jobs and job alert subscribers with positions that align with their interests. Examples of hard criteria include key terms like "Field of Education" or "Language Skills." For instance, a match occurs if a candidate possesses the language skill "Spanish" and the job lists "Spanish" as a required language skill.

In the following section, a step-by-step explanation will be provided on how to create or edit hard criteria. The second section will offer information on where and how to use hard criteria.

How to create or edit hard criteria

1. Go to Connexys Setup > Basic Setup > Hard Criteria.
2. Choose "New Hard Criterion Type" to create a new hard criterion or select Edit in front of an existing hard criterion to make adjustments to that criterion. For adjustments in translations or the values for a specific hard criterion, proceed to list point 8.
3. After choosing the New Hard Criterion Type, the following screen appears:
   
4. To create a new hard criterion, the following detail fields can be filled:

7. Click "Save" or "Save & New" to save it and create another one.

8. The following screen opens:

9. In the second section, it is possible to enter the values that should be available for this hard criterion. Once an applicant has selected Computer Science on his application form, the match percentage will rise. This will assist in finding the most suitable candidate for the job. To add a value, click the button "New Hard criterion value".

10. In the following screen, a new value can be created by filling in the following fields:

• Hard criterion value name: Enter the name of the value (e.g. Bachelor in the hard criterion "Education level" or Senior in the hard criterion "Career level").
• Hard Criterion Type: Once a value is created right from the hard criterion, this field is automatically filled. Otherwise, select the hard criterion for which this value should be created.
• Sort: Provide a number to configure the order in which the values should be shown on the application form.

11. Click Save or Save & New to create another one.

12. Translation of the hard criteria can be done in the third section in the hard criterion file Translations. Choose New hard criterion translation at the top of that section.

13. In the following screen, it is possible to enter the translation by filling in the following three (3) fields:

• Translation: Enter the text of the translation.
• Hard Criterion Type: Again, this field is already filled if the translation is created from the hard criterion. Otherwise, select the value of the hard criterion this translation is for.
• Language: Select the language of the translation.

14. Click Save to create the translation or Save & New for another translation.

15. To translate the values that have been created for a hard criterion, click the specific value that needs to be translated from the section "Values" in the hard criterion file. After that, go to the section Translations in the hard criterion value file and click the button New Hard criterion value translation.

Where and how to use hard criteria?

After the creation of hard criteria, they can be used at several places in the application. Possible options are the use of hard criteria:

• In a job file
• In a job template
• In a candidate file
• In a job alert
• On a (application) form
• In the matching functionality

In a job file

One of the sections on the Job file is the section "Hard criteria", see image below.

When selecting "Hard criteria" at the top of the screen, the screen will scroll down to the section in the job file. This section is shown in the following screenshot.

Here, five hard criteria are linked to this job file. They indicate that this organization is looking for a candidate who has a Master's degree, 3-5 years of working experience, is willing to work full-time in Marketing / Product, and for a salary of 35,000 - 50,000 dollars. The user can add more existing hard criteria to the job by using the button "Change hard criteria" at the top of the section.

Therefore, all hard criteria have the same weight and are therefore seen as equally important. These hard criteria will be shown on the application form for candidates to fill out (if enabled in "Forms").

In a job template

It is also possible to add hard criteria to job templates.

The screenshot below is an example of how hard criteria can look in a job template. This job template has only one hard criterion, a candidate who is willing to work full-time. Every job created from this template shall automatically contain this hard criterion. 

In a candidate file

After filling out an application form, a Candidate may have indicated which hard criteria apply to him/her. These hard criteria will then be saved in the candidate file. Based on the hard criteria in the candidate file and the hard criteria in the job file, matching can be executed.

As can be seen below, there is a section that contains the hard criteria. This candidate has a PhD, and over 5 years of working experience and he is looking for a function in the category "Administrative / Clerical". New hard criteria can be added by the use of the button "Change hard criteria".

In a Job alert

To send a Job alert with suitable, matching Jobs to subscribers, the candidates/job alert subscribers need to have something in common with the jobs. Therefore, subscribers can select hard criteria on the Job alert registration page (see print screen below).

(On the job alert page the hard criteria are always shown as checkboxes).

On a (application) form

To show hard criteria on the application form of a job or job alert, the section on hard criteria must be enabled for the used application form. This can be done in the settings of the specific form, by checking the checkbox "Show hard criteria" (see screenshot below). This option shows the hard criteria that are attached to a job or job alert, but only if the checkbox is also checked in the configuration of the hard criterion (as was described in the section "How to create or edit hard criteria?"). 

Another option is to always add a specific hard criterion to the form (whether or not it is used in the job). Therefore, the section at the bottom of the application form can be used. By clicking the button "New Hard criterion usage", it is possible to link a hard criterion to the form or make it mandatory.

Note: if there are hard criteria filled in the section at the bottom of the screenshot below, the hard criteria in the job file will not be shown, regardless of the checkbox "Show hard criteria" being checked. Based on this, the recruiter can match the job applications or candidates in the database and find the best-suiting candidate(s) for this job. 

 (On the application form you can decide how the hard criteria are shown; Dropdown list, Multiple select, and Checkboxes).

In the Textkernel matching functionality

When using Match hard criteria are used to query Textkernel Search. This way hard criteria defined on the job are matched against candidates who have these criteria filled on the form.

Synonyms

For prefilling hard criteria values and hard criteria levels based on the Textkernel Extraction result, synonyms can be defined. E.g. we can define the synonym "jQuery" on the hard criteria value "Javascript" by adding a related record with the name "jQuery" to the hard criteria value. This means the Hard Criterion Synonym object has a filled lookup to the hard criteria value. In the same manner, synonyms can be defined from hard criteria levels, with the difference that such a record will have a filled lookup to the hard criteria level.

When a synonym is defined e.g. "jQuery" on "Javascript" the form prefills the hard criteria value "Javascript" when the Textkernel Extract! parsed skill "jQuery".