How do I enable Smart Search for jobs in candidate experience?

Smart search provides candidates with a simplified user interface and vector-based search engine to deliver highly tailored results.

When you enable smart search, the classic search bar combining keyword and location is replaced by a single search bar, which candidates can use to search for keywords and upload a resume. When candidates begin typing, a suggestion panel opens. The more information they provide, the more appropriate results they'll get. It also provides search guidelines, which are configurable.

Smart search uses vector search. When a candidate’s keyword is longer than 10 words, or a resume file is uploaded, the vector search is performed for more relevant results. For keywords shorter than 10 words, the keyword search query logic doesn't change compared to smart search.

Smart search provides a simplified location search experience. Because the location search bar isn't available, jobs can be searched by location using a set of new, hierarchical, location filters: City, State and Country. The filters list all locations where jobs are currently posted and are enabled by default.

Location-related filters are visible upfront, and the other search filters are collapsed. Once the Filters section is expanded using the Show Filters button, they can't be collapsed.

Before you start

  • If you had candidate experience sites before moving to release 26B, classic search is enabled by default. New sites use classic search unless you specifically indicate you want to use smart search.
  • When you enable smart search, the legacy job recommendations widget is automatically disabled.
  • Enabling smart search disables events on career sites, which means candidates can't search for events or see the posted events list on the site. Support for events is expected in a future release.
  • If there are multiple custom pages (search and splash) Oracle recommends that you update and publish them around the same time so that there's no interruption in the experience for candidates.
  • Beginning with release 26B, you can remove the search bar from a custom splash page, regardless of whether you’re using classic or smart Search.

Run the Scheduled Process to Index Job Requisitions

If you're enabling smart search in 26B for the first time, and didn't enable Career Coach in a previous release, you'll need to run the scheduled process for vector indexing first.

For existing customers:

  1. Make sure the Maintain Candidates and Job Requisitions for Search scheduled process has run at least one time. This is required to update the index mapping.
  2. Run the Load and Index Job Requisitions scheduled process and set the indexing mode to Upgrade Current Index.
  3. Run the Index Job Summary for Each Requisition scheduled process or the metadata "IndexJobSummaryVectors" and set the indexing mode to Full.
  4. Once the scheduled process is completed, schedule the Index Job Summary for Each Requisition process or the metadata "IndexJobSummaryVectors" and set the indexing mode to Incremental to run every 15 minutes.

For new customers:

  1. Run the Load and Index Job Requisitions scheduled process and set the indexing mode to Drop and Recreate.
  2. Once the Maintain Candidates and Job Requisitions for Search scheduled process is completed, schedule the Maintain Candidate and Job Requisitions scheduled process to run every 15 minutes.
  3. Run the Index Job Summary for Each Requisition scheduled process or the metadata "IndexJobSummaryVectors" and set the indexing mode to Full.
  4. Once the scheduled process is completed, schedule the Index Job Summary for Each Requisition process or the metadata "IndexJobSummaryVectors" and set the indexing mode to Incremental to run every 15 minutes.

Enable Smart Search

Here's what to do

  1. In Setup and Maintenance, go to Recruiting and Candidate Experience > Candidate Experience > Career Sites Configuration.
  2. Create a new career site, or edit an existing one.
  3. On the General tab, expand the Search Settings section and select Smart search.
  4. Select the location filters you want to use. By default, the Fixed location search option with City, State, and Country is selected. You can select other filters like Work Locations and Workspace. To use the old Locations filter, select the Combined Recruiting Locations filter.
  5. Make any other necessary changes.
  6. Publish the site.
    If you’re not using custom pages, enabling Smart Search automatically replaces the existing search widget on the splash and search results pages.
    If you're using custom pages, and you switch to Smart Search in the site editor's General tab, you'll need to complete a few steps. First you need to publish your site with the new search setting. This creates new draft versions of your custom pages, but it doesn't publish them. Your site will continue to use classic search until you publish the new drafts. Go to Pages tab to review your pages with the new search widget, adjust if needed, and republish them. Instructional messages will display throughout the process to let you now what needs to be done.