Flexible Qualification Factors

You can create additional factors—called flexible factors—without customization. The two types of flexible factors are Flexible Qualification factors and Flexible Preference factors. Flexible Preference factors are discussed later in this topic.

When Resource Matching uses flexible resource attributes to match resources to resource requests, the attributes are called Flexible Qualification factors. Flexible Qualification factor values can be specified on the Qualifications tab of the Resource Requests page so you can further define the resource requirements for an assignment. They also appear on the Resource Profile - General Information page so resources can further define their qualifications.

Flexible Qualification factors measure how well a resource matches the requirements for a specific attribute that you define during implementation in the Flexible Attributes Setup component (RS_ATTRIB_SETUP). An example of a Flexible Qualification factor is industry. While two resources may possess skills and experience in financial software applications, implementing financial software for a retail conglomerate differs significantly from implementing financial software for a large university. You can create an Industry qualification factor to track resource industry specialties, specify an industry on the resource request, and find the best candidate using Resource Matching.

Depending on the configuration of the attribute, the resource profile can have one or more values for each Flexible Qualification factor. You can request one or more attribute values on the resource request. You can also specify the importance of the requested values.

Single-value and multiple-value flexible qualification attributes are handled in a slightly different manner on the resource request. In both cases, the resource request user can request multiple values for each attribute, but the meaning of the lists of values is subtly different. For single-value attributes, the list of values on the resource request represents the pool of desirable attribute values; a resource with any of the specified values is acceptable. For multiple-value attributes, the list of values on the resource request represents a portrait of the ideal resource; the perfect resource has all of the requested values.

Flexible Qualification factor fit scores range from 0 to 100. The Flexible Qualification factor fit score is:

  • 100 for resources who have the values for that attribute that are specified on the resource request.

  • 0 for resources who do not have the requested values for that attribute.

  • Between 0 and 100 for resources who have some, but not all, of the requested values for the attribute.

Flexible Qualification Factor Importance Ratings

You can designate on the resource request which Flexible Qualification attribute values are desired and which are required.

For multiple-value attributes, you can designate each requested value as Desired or Required. The relative importance for multiple-value attributes provides a means for the resource request user to emphasize qualities that are important and de-emphasize qualities that are preferred, but not critical.

For example, you may want a resource with both government and telecommunications industry expertise, but government is more important to the success of the project. You therefore list both government and telecommunications on the resource request as values for the multiple-value attribute industry specialty, indicating that government industry experience is required and telecommunications is desired. Marking a value as required indicates that you will only consider resources with the required value. In this example using industry specialty, marking government industry experience as required means that resources without government industry experience are not evaluated by Resource Matching, while resources with both government and telecommunications are given priority.

For single-value attributes, you can designate each attribute value as Desirable or Very desirable to distinguish on the resource request which values you prefer more than others. For example, you may want a resource from either the western or southeastern regions, but your first choice is western. You can list both western and southeastern on the resource request as values for the Region single-value attribute, and specify the western region as very desirable and the southeastern region as desirable.

Single-value attributes function differently than multiple-value attributes with regard to required values. You cannot mark multiple requested values as required on the resource request because each resource only one value for the attribute. For single-value attributes, you can, however, specify that only resources with one of the requested attribute values be returned by Resource Matching in the search results. In the previous example using region, marking the Region single-value attribute as required means that only resources from the western and southeastern regions can be returned in the search results, while resources from the western region are still preferred.

Resources who don't have a required attribute value fail the associated Flexible Qualification factor. Resources who fail a Flexible Qualification factor are not recommended for the resource request, unless the relative importance of the Flexible Qualification factor is specified as 0 - Not at all important during implementation.

Note:

If during implementation you select 0 - Not at all important as the relative importance of a Flexible Qualification factor in the Resource Matching calculation of the Qualification factor family fit score, then a resource can fail the Flexible Qualification factor and still be recommended for a resource request.

Single-Value Versus Multiple-Value Factors

For single-value factors, the ideal resource has the requested attribute value with the highest importance. The Flexible Qualification factor fit score is:

  • 100 for resources who have the requested attribute value with the highest importance.

    In the previous example using region, resources from the western region receive a fit score of 100. In cases where two requested values share the same, highest importance, resources with either value receive a score of 100.

  • Between 0 and 100 for resources who have a requested attribute value that is not the highest importance.

    Resources with one of the other requested values receive a score between 0 and 100 proportional to the importance assigned to that value.

For multiple-value factors, the ideal resource has all of the requested attribute values. The Flexible Qualification factor fit score is:

  • 100 for resources who have all of the attribute values that are specified on a resource request.

    In the previous example using industry experience, only resources with both government and telecommunications experience receive a score of 100.

  • Between 0 and 100 for resources with some, but not all, of the requested values.

    Resources with some of the requested values receive a score between 0 and 100 proportional to the number of values they possess and the assigned importance of each value.