Title: From Query-By-Keyword to Query-By-Example: LinkedIn Talent Search Approach,
Abstract: One key challenge in talent search is to translate complex criteria of a
hiring position into a search query, while it is relatively easy for a searcher
to list examples of suitable candidates for a given position. To improve search
efficiency, we propose the next generation of talent search at LinkedIn, also
referred to as Search By Ideal Candidates. In this system, a searcher provides
one or several ideal candidates as the input to hire for a given position. The
system then generates a query based on the ideal candidates and uses it to
retrieve and rank results. Shifting from the traditional Query-By-Keyword to
this new Query-By-Example system poses a number of challenges: How to generate
a query that best describes the candidates? When moving to a completely
different paradigm, how does one leverage previous product logs to learn
ranking models and/or evaluate the new system with no existing usage logs?
Finally, given the different nature between the two search paradigms, the
ranking features typically used for Query-By-Keyword systems might not be
optimal for Query-By-Example. This paper describes our approach to solving
these challenges. We present experimental results confirming the effectiveness
of the proposed solution, particularly on query building and search ranking
tasks. As of writing this paper, the new system has been available to all
LinkedIn members.