Method and system for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience

A computer method for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience can include identifying an employer profile whose desired level of military service matches a level of military service of a candidate profile. The employer profile can be stored in a memory if the desired level military service for the employer profile matches the level of military service for the candidate profile. Remaining military fields in the employer profile stored in the memory can be compared against remaining military fields in the candidate profile. Weight values can be assigned to military fields of the candidate profile based on a degree of matching between the military fields of the employer profile and the candidate profile. The weight values can correspond to a preferred status and a non-preferred status for a respective field desired by an employer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to computer software for matching employers with job candidates. More particularly, the invention relates to using computer software to match civilian employers with candidates having former military experience.

BACKGROUND

Civilian employers often hire ex-military personnel (candidates) because of the extensive training that the military often provides for its service men and women. For example, civilian nuclear power plant operators can take advantage of military personnel who may have served on nuclear powered submarines and who may be very familiar with running and trouble-shooting nuclear reactors.

However, civilian employers frequently do not understand the terminology used by military personnel to describe their skills received from their military training. This means that civilian employers often cannot determine if a military person has the right tool set for a civilian job based on a resume alone because of the descriptions used in the resume by the military person. The descriptions used by military personnel can be cryptic due to terminology and acronyms specific to military training and military projects.

Software currently exists which can translate terms used by military personnel in their resumes to terms commonly used by employers to describe skills needed in a particular job. Once the military resumes are translated, the translated terms are compared to a pool of civilian employment opportunities which have civilian terminology to describe desired skill sets. One such software package is known as Turbo TAP (Transition Assistance Program). While it is an objective of this software to match military personnel with available civilian employment opportunities, this current software has a very low success rate in matching military personnel with an appropriate civilian employment opportunity.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for computer software that can bridge the current gap in properly matching civilian employers with former military personnel. Specifically, there is a need in the art for software that can instruct a computer to find highly qualified military personnel who are well suited for a particular employer that may have unique employment requirements. There is a further need in the art for computer software that can provide a quantitative measure of correlations between civilian employers and job candidates or applicants who have military experience.

SUMMARY

According to one exemplary aspect, a computer method for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience can comprise identifying an employer profile whose desired level of military service matches a level of military service of a candidate profile. The employer profile can be stored in a memory if the desired level military service for the employer profile matches the level of military service for the candidate profile. Remaining military fields in the employer profile stored in the memory can be compared against remaining military fields in the candidate profile. Weight values can be assigned to military fields of the candidate profile based on a degree of matching between the military fields of the employer profile and the candidate profile.

According to another exemplary aspect, a computer method for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience can comprise identifying a candidate profile whose level of military service matches a desired level of military service of an employer profile. The candidate profile can be stored in a memory if the candidate profile's level of military service matches the desired level of military service of the employer profile. Remaining military fields in the candidate profile can be compared against remaining military fields in the employer profile. Weight values can be assigned to military fields of the candidate profile based on a degree of matching between the military fields of the employer profile and the candidate profile.

According to another exemplary aspect, a computer system for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience can comprise a processing unit; a memory storage device; a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying data; and a program module for providing instructions to the processing unit. The processing unit can be responsive to the instructions of the program module and it may be operable for identifying a plurality of candidate profiles whose level of military service matches a desired level of military service of an employer profile. A candidate profile can be stored in the memory storage device if the candidate profile whose level of military service matches the desired level of military service of the employer profile. A first weight value can be assigned to a matched military field of a candidate profile if a status of the military field in a corresponding employer profile is preferred. A second weight value can be assigned to a matched military field of a candidate profile if a status of the military field in the corresponding employer profile is not preferred.

According to another exemplary aspect, a computer method for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience can be provided with a two-tier level of review. This two-tier level of review can comprise prompting a first level reviewer for entering and reviewing employer profile data at a first instance. Subsequently, a second level reviewer can be prompted to review and update employer profile data that was created by the first level reviewer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Opposite to conventional technology which translates military resumes into terms used to describe desired skills in civilian employment opportunities, a method and system has been developed to translate civilian desired skills into military terminology so that these translated civilian terms are used in a comparison against a pool of military resumes. The method and system provides an algorithm which allows certain skills and employment factors to be weighted. For example, an employer may be seeking a candidate who will work in a specific geographic location, like San Antonio, Tex. and who has specific computer skills and certifications. The algorithm of the invention, according to one exemplary aspect, allows these elements to be weighted differently depending upon their relative importance to the employer.

So, in this example, the geographic location of San Antonio can be assigned a first weight value while the certifications and computer skills can be assigned second and third weight values which are greater in magnitude relative to the first value. These values create a filter which may be applied to the pool of military resumes. Each military resume may be filtered and scored based on the total of these values applied to a particular resume. The result of the scoring may provide a matched candidate listing which enumerates a number of candidates having certain scores. For example, the matched candidate listing could enumerate three resumes which have a 100% match based on the weighted factors, as well five resumes with a 70% match based on the weighted factors. This matched candidate listing will likely provide the civilian employer with candidates who are most suitable for the civilian employment opportunity which was translated for comparison against the military resumes.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements,FIG. 1is a functional block diagram of a computer system102for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The computer system102can comprise a server179which can be coupled to a network173that can comprise a wide area network (“WAN”), a local area network (“LAN”), the Internet, or a combination of networks. The server179can also comprise a database which can store various records related to candidates and employer profiles.

The server179can comprise any type of computer server. According to one exemplary embodiment, the server179can comprise a MySQL server. However, other types of servers and server applications are not beyond the scope of the invention. For example, the server179can comprise a Linux based operating system and can process pages processed by the Ruby on Rails framework. Meanwhile, exemplary server application specifications, include, but are not limited to the following: RedHat Enterprise Linux 5; Apache 2.2; Ruby 1.8; and Ruby On Rails 2.3.3. Other hardware and software for the server179and its respective databases, other than those described, are not beyond the scope of the invention.

The server179can be coupled to the network173via a communication link193. Through the network173, the server179can communicate with various different client devices100A,B that can include desktop or laptop computers and other devices.

Each client device100A,B can run or execute various software145,149in order to access the server179and its various applications, such as its matching modules181. The client devices100A,B can take on many different forms such as desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld devices such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), in addition to other smart devices, such as cellular telephones. Any device which can access the network173can be a client computer device100A,B according to the computer system102. The client devices100A,B can be coupled to the network173by various types of communication links193. These communication links193can comprise wired as well as wireless links. The communication links193allow each of the client devices100A,B to establish virtual links195with the server179.

Each client device100A,B preferably comprises a display147and a camera175(SeeFIG. 2). The display147can comprise any type of display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, and a cathode ray tube (CRT) display. The camera can comprise a video camera such as a webcam. The camera175can be a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera.

The client devices100A,B can execute or run the recruiterware module149and the account representative module145. The recruiterware module149can provide a graphical user interface300for collecting candidate data based on a resume or telephone interview with a candidate, such as the one illustrated inFIG. 3and which is discussed below. The recruiterware module149can also help generate the candidate profile user interfaces illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6, described below.

The recruiterware module149can be coupled to the recruiter e-mail module143. The recruiter e-mail module143can be responsible for generating the e-mails containing the matched employer profiles associated with particular candidates, such as the e-mails illustrated inFIG. 20and described below. The recruiterware module149can also be coupled to an in-line SQL module160that can help translate commands between the recruiterware module149and the server179. Specifically, according to one exemplary embodiment, the in-line SQL module160can produce ActiveX data objects which can be COM objects that are handled by the database179.

The account rep client module145of the client device100B can provide various displays and collect various employer information such as illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 7described below. The server179can also run or execute various modules181,184, and187. For example, the server179can execute various matching modules181that are responsible for matching employer profiles with candidate profiles based on certain algorithms described in fuller detail below. The server179can also support a master look-up table in other tables and sub-tables184. The server179can also support an account rep e-mail module187that produces the e-mails for employer representatives when a match exists between employer profiles in candidate profiles.

FIG. 2is a functional block diagram of a computer100A,B that can be used in the system102for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The exemplary operating environment for the system102includes a general-purpose computing device in the form of a conventional computer. Generally, the client device100A includes a processing unit121, a system memory122, and a system bus123that couples various system components including the system memory122to the processing unit121.

The system bus123may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory includes a read-only memory (ROM)124and a random access memory (RAM)125. A basic input/output system (BIOS)126, containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer100, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM124.

The client device100A,B which may be a computer, can include a hard disk drive127A for reading from and writing to a hard disk, not shown, a magnetic disk drive128for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk129, and an optical disk drive130for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk131such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. Hard disk drive127A, magnetic disk drive128, and optical disk drive130are connected to system bus123by a hard disk drive interface132, a floppy disk drive interface133, and an optical disk drive interface134, respectively.

Although the exemplary environment described herein employs a hard disk drive127A, removable magnetic disk129, and removable optical disk131, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media which can store data that is accessible by a computer100, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, RAMs, ROMs, and the like, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment without departing from the scope of the invention. Such uses of other forms of computer readable media besides the hardware illustrated will be used in smaller client devices100A such as in cellular phones and/or personal digital assistants (PDAs). The drives and their associated computer readable media illustrated inFIG. 2provide nonvolatile storage of computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for computer or client device100A,B.

A number of program modules may be stored on hard disk127, magnetic disk129, optical disk131, ROM124, or RAM125, including an operating system135, the recruiterware module149, a recruiter e-mail module143, and an In-Line SQL module160. Program modules include routines, sub-routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Aspects of the present invention may be implemented in the form of the recruiterware module143or account rep module145which are executed by the client device100A,B in order to provide a method and system for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience.

A user may enter commands and information into computer100A,B through input devices, such as a keyboard140and a pointing device142. Pointing devices may include a mouse, a trackball, and an electronic pen that can be used in conjunction with an electronic tablet. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to processing unit121through a serial port interface146that is coupled to the system bus123, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, game port, a universal serial bus (USB), or the like.

The display147may also be connected to system bus123via an interface, such as a video adapter148. As noted above, the display147can comprise any type of display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, and a cathode ray tube (CRT) display.

The camera175may also be connected to system bus123via an interface, such as an adapter170. As noted previously, the camera175can comprise a video camera such as a webcam. The camera175can be a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera. In addition to the monitor147and camera175, the client device100A,B comprising a computer, may include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers and printers.

The client device100A,B comprising a computer, may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as the server179. A remote computer179may be another personal computer, a server, a client, a router, a network PC, a peer device, or other common network node. While the server179or a remote computer typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the client device100A, only a memory storage device127E has been illustrated inFIG. 2. The logical connections depicted inFIG. 2include a local area network (LAN)173A and a wide area network (WAN)173B. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the client device100A,B comprising a computer100, is often connected to the local area network173A through a network interface or adapter153. When used in a WAN networking environment, the client device100A, comprising a computer100, typically includes a modem154or other means for establishing communications over WAN173B, such as the Internet. Modem154, which may be internal or external, is connected to system bus123via serial port interface146. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the server179, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device127E. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor based or programmable consumer electronics, network personal computers, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

FIG. 3is an exemplary computer display300of a user interface which collects candidate information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. With this user interface, a recruiter may collect various information about an employment candidate. This user interface may comprise several data fields that are organized such that they are easily completed by a recruiter who may collect this information during a phone interview with the candidate or by reviewing the resume of a candidate. For example, various fields such as a name field302, an e-mail field304, and a home phone number field306may be in a predetermined alignment so that it is easy for the recruiter to key-in this data during the circumstances described above.

FIG. 4is an exemplary computer display400of a user interface which collects employer information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. With this user interface, an employer representative may collect various information about an employer. This user interface may comprise several data fields that are organized such that they are easily completed by an employer representative who may collect this information during a phone interview with the employer or by reviewing a hard copy of a list of job requirements provided by the employer. For example, various fields such as a military experience field504, and an undergraduate degree field508may be in a predetermined alignment so that it is easy for the employer representative to key-in this data during the circumstances described above.

FIG. 5is an exemplary computer display500of a user interface which displays and allows edits and updates to candidate profile information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This exemplary user interface can be presented to a recruiter on a client device100A after the recruiter has completed the candidate information collection screens as illustrated in the user interface ofFIG. 3. The recruiterware module149can pre-populate the candidate profile ofFIG. 5by extracting the data collected from the user interface ofFIG. 3. The candidate profile ofFIG. 5can display various fields of data that can be modified or edited by the user.

Specifically, the candidate profile ofFIG. 5is designed so that the recruiter can easily make changes and/or provide additional information about a particular candidate based on the fields listed in the profile. Some of the fields can be equipped with drop-down menus so that any data entered by the recruiter is consistent with other recruiters who may be filling out profiles of other candidates.

The various fields of the candidate profile ofFIG. 5, include but are not limited to, the following: name fields302, candidate availability502, need docs or applicant status field503, e-mail address304, home phone306, cell phone504, undergraduate school/graduation year506, undergraduate degree/major/GPA508, military experience509, graduate degree510, diversity data513, interpersonal rating512, industry experience514, military branch/rank/years of service516, security clearance518, certifications/licenses520, position522, military relocation524, foreign language526, geographic preferences528, city preferences530, salary/bonus by532, travel/shiftwork534, and allow target hire offers536.

A simple list of the exemplary fields of candidate data that can be tracked by the invention is provided in Table 1 below:

Other fields of candidate data may exist and which could be tracked by the invention. In other words, the invention is not limited to the fields of candidate data listed in Table 1 above.

As one example of a data field that provides a drop-down menu in the user interface of the computer display500, the undergraduate school/graduation year field506provides a drop-down menu of options that can be selected by the recruiter for this field506. Similarly, the military experience field509provides a list of options that can be scrolled through with a pointer device and then selected by the recruiter. The invention is not limited to the specific mechanisms for selecting values for the various fields of candidate data shown. That is, other mechanisms for selecting values can be employed without departing from the invention. For example, instead of using a scrollable list to present options for selecting values in the military experience field509, a drop-down menu could be employed and would be within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 6is an exemplary computer display600of a user interface which displays candidate profile information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This computer display600generally corresponds with the candidate profile edit display500ofFIG. 5. This user interface allows the recruiter to view the candidate data in a simple format. Most of the fields in this user interface cannot be changed or edited by the recruiter.

The display600can provide a list302A of names of candidates that can be scrolled through by the recruiter. When a name302A1is selected by the recruiter from the list302A, the data corresponding to the selected name302A1is displayed on the right-hand side of the list302A. The invention is not limited to the scrollable list302A. Other ways of displaying the candidate profile information are within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 7is an exemplary computer display700of a user interface which displays and allows updates to employer profile information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The user interface of computer display700is very similar to the user interface of the computer display500. Specifically, the user interface of the computer display700also allows an employer representative to select values from drop-down menus and scrollable lists for various fields of employer data, similar to how the values for the fields of candidate data are selected inFIG. 5. Further, most of the fields of data provided in the user interface of the computer display700are pre-populated based on the employer data collection user interface of the computer display400illustrated inFIG. 4.

While the user interface of the computer display700is used to track employer data instead of candidate data, the fields of employer data generally correspond to the fields of candidate data so that matching between groups of employers and groups of candidates can be made.

As noted above, many similarities between the employer profile of the computer display700ofFIG. 7and the candidate profile of the computer display500ofFIG. 5exist. But there are some differences between these two profile user interfaces. One main difference is that the employer profile of the computer display700provides additional data that can be tracked by the system102.

Some of the additional data includes the “required” field702and the “preferred” field704. These fields702,704allow an employer representative to specify the relative importance or weighting of certain employer data which can be used to filter out or rank candidates. The required field702and the preferred field704are options that are generally provided for each field of employer data which is tracked by the invention. A further description of how the required field702and the preferred field704for employer data can impact the weighting of corresponding candidate data is provided below in connection withFIG. 10.

FIG. 8is a logic flow diagram highlighting various steps of a method800for creating a candidate profile and matching it against existing job orders/employer profiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the functions described herein as they relate to either the candidate profile or employer profile can comprise firmware code executing on a microcontroller, microprocessor, a DSP, or state machines implemented in application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic, or other numerous forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In other words, these steps illustrated inFIG. 8, and any other logic flow diagrams of this disclosure, may be provided as a computer program which may include a machine-readable medium having stored there on instructions which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform a process according to the invention. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, a floppy diskette, optical disk, CD-ROM, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EEPROMs, EEPROMs, magneto-optical cards, flash memory, or other type of medias/machine-readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Further, certain steps in the processes or process flow described in this specification must naturally precede others for the invention to function as described. However, the invention is not limited to the order of the steps described if such order or sequence does not alter the functionality of the invention. That is, it is recognized that some steps may performed before, after, or parallel other steps without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some instances, certain steps can be deleted or not performed without departing from the invention.

Additionally, one of ordinary skill and programming would be able to write computer code or identify appropriate hardware or circuits to implement the disclosed invention without difficulty based on the flow charts and associated description in the application text, for example.

Therefore, disclosure of a particular set of program code instructions or detailed hardware devices is not considered necessary for an adequate understanding of how to make and use the invention. The inventive functionality of the claimed computer implemented processes will be explained in more detail in the following description and in conjunction with the Figures which may illustrate various process flows.

Referring now toFIG. 8, step801is the first step of the method800in which an application form, such as the user interface of the computer display300ofFIG. 3, is displayed for receiving candidate data. Next, in step803, candidate data can be received in the form such as the name field302, the e-mail field304, in the home phone number field306as illustrated inFIG. 3.

In step806, the candidate data can be stored in the database179in the form of one or more tables184. Once the application form for the candidate data is completed by a recruiter, in step809the recruiterware module149can pre-populate the candidate profile user interface ofFIG. 5. In step810, the profile of the candidate which has pre-populated data fields can be displayed such as in the computer display500ofFIG. 5.

In step812, expansion and/or narrowing data for the candidate profile can be received by the user interface ofFIG. 5from the recruiter. Next, in decision step815, it is determined whether the recruiter has indicated if a particular candidate should be selected for a target hire only instead of being considered for both target hire opportunities and conference opportunities. Target hire opportunities generally comprise those traditional opportunities that correspond with an employer seeking candidates for employment and who have completed an employer profile. Meanwhile, conference opportunities comprise those opportunities associated with job fairs or hiring conferences in which one or more employers may gather at a single, specific geographic location to meet candidates for interviews on particular scheduled days.

If the inquiry to decision step815is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step818in which a flag associated with the candidate profile is set to indicate that this particular candidate profile should be excluded from any hiring conference opportunities. The process then proceeds to step830.

If the inquiry to decision step815is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step821in which the flag associated with the candidate profile is set to indicate that this particular candidate profile can be included in any hiring conference opportunities that may be available and tracked by the system102. Next, in step827, the candidate profile may be included in a pool of candidate profiles that are ready for matching with job orders/employer profiles associated with particular hiring conferences.

In step830, the candidate profile with its corresponding hiring conference flag data is stored in the database179in the form of one or more tables and sub-tables as will be described below in connection withFIGS. 13 and 14. Next, in decision step833, the recruiterware module149can query the database/server179to determine if any job orders/employer profiles exist in the database179. If the inquiry to decision step833is negative, then the “NO” branch may be followed to step848in which the process800ends.

If the inquiry to decision step833is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to routine836and which a matching process is initiated by the database179between the candidate profile just entered and any existing, matched job orders/employer profiles. Further details of the matching process or subroutine836will be described in further detail below in connection withFIG. 15A.

After routine836, in step839, the results of the matching process are stored in the database179. Next, in routine or sub-method842, customized e-mails can be generated based on the results of the matching process of routine836. Further details of routine842which generates customized e-mails will be described below in connection withFIG. 18. After routine842, in step845, the customized e-mails can be sent to recruiters and employers. The process800then ends in step848.

FIG. 9is a logic flow diagram highlighting various steps of a method900for creating an employer profile and matching the employer profile against candidate profiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The first step of method900is step901in which an application form, such as the user interface of the computer display400inFIG. 4, can be displayed by the account representative client module145for receiving employer data from an employer/account representative. Next, in step903, the employer data can be received by the account representative client module145in the form, such as receiving values for the military experience field504and the undergraduate degree field508.

In step906, the employer data can be stored in the database179in various formats such as in tables as will be described in further detail below. Next, in step909, the account representative client module145can query the database179to pre-populate the employer profile with the data that is collected in step903. In step910, the profile of the employer can be displayed by the account representative client module145on a display device147such as the profile of a user interface displayed inFIG. 7.

In step912, the account representative client module145can receive expanding or narrowing data in the user interface ofFIG. 7for the candidate profile from a first level reviewer or first employer representative. Next, in step915, the employer profile as displayed in the computer display700ofFIG. 7can be stored in the form of various tables and sub-tables184within the database179. Subsequently, in routine or sub-method918, a matching process between the employer profile and existing candidate profiles can be initiated. Further details of routine918will be described below in connection withFIG. 16.

In step921, the matched results from the matching sub-method or routine of918can be stored in a database179. Next, in step927, the employer profile of the user interface ofFIG. 7can be displayed along with the matched results to a second level reviewer or second employer representative that is more senior relative to the first level reviewer or first employer representative. Generally, the second level reviewer or second employer representative will have more experience than the first level reviewer in working with employer profiles. With this additional experience with employer profiles, the second level reviewer may be able to expand or narrow employer profiles appropriately such that an increased level of matching can occur between employer profiles and candidate profiles.

Specifically, in step930, the account representative client module145can receive expansion and narrowing data for the employer profile from the second level reviewer who generally has more experience than the first level reviewer. In step933, the updated employer profile ofFIG. 7is stored in the database179. Next, in routine or sub-method936, the matching process is initiated again between the employer profile and any existing candidate profiles, similar to routine918described above. Further details of routine936are described below in connection withFIG. 16. In step939, the employer profile ofFIG. 7and corresponding matched results are displayed to a second level reviewer.

In decision step942, it is determined whether the second level reviewer has approved the employer profile. If the inquiry to decision step942is negative, then the “NO” branches followed back to step927so that the second level reviewer can further update the employer profile and execute additional matches between the employer profile and existing candidate profiles.

If the inquiry to decision step942is positive, then the “YES” branches followed to routine or sub-method948in which the matching process between the employer profile and existing candidate profiles is initiated once again, similar to routines918and936. Like routines918and936, further detail of this routine948will be described below in connection withFIG. 16. Next, in routine or sub-method951, customized e-mails can be generated based on the results of the matching process of routine948. Further details of routine951will be described below in connection withFIG. 18. Subsequently, in step954, the customized e-mails generated in routine951can be sent to recruiters and employers. The process900then ends in step957.

FIG. 10is an exemplary table1000which lists a weighting scale and the effects of selected parameters for employer profiles on candidate profiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As noted in the table1000, when a parameter or value in an employer field ofFIG. 7is listed, then during the matching process if a candidate matches the parameter, a value of one is assigned to the corresponding candidate field. During the matching process, if a candidate profile does not match a parameter which is listed in employer field, then a value of zero is assigned to the corresponding candidate field. This weighting and logic is fully described in and articulated in the first row of table1000.

In the second row of table1000, the impact of the required field702of the computer display700for the employer profile is described. Specifically, if a parameter or value in an employer field is indicated as required when the required field702is selected, then during the matching process candidate profiles that do not have this value in a corresponding field are eliminated from the matching process.

In the third row of table1000, the impact of the preferred field704of the computer display700for the employer profile is described. Specifically, if a parameter or value in an employer field is indicated as preferred when the preferred field704is selected, then during the matching process candidates profiles that have this value in a corresponding field are assigned a value of three for this particular candidate field. If the candidate profile does not match this value for the particular employer field, then a value of zero is assigned to the corresponding candidate field.

And lastly, in the fourth row of table1000, the impact of selecting both the required field702and preferred field704of the computer display700for the employer profile is described. Specifically, if a parameter or value in an employer field is indicated as preferred and required when the preferred field704and the required field702are selected, then during the matching process candidate profiles who do not have values which matched this particular employer field are illuminated from the match. However, for those candidate profiles which do have values that match this particular employer field are assigned a value of three for this particular candidate field. While specific weighting values have been described above in connection with table1000, one of ordinary skill the art will appreciate that other weighting values and schemas for assigning these weighting values are within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 11is an exemplary table1100that can be stored in memory, such as in the database179ofFIG. 1, and which lists the parameters that may be tracked for an employer profile according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The first column of the table1100refers to fields from an employer profile such as illustrated inFIG. 7. The second column of the table1100lists a numerical value which corresponds to the field contained within a particular row. For example, each employer profile may be assigned a unique identification number1103. In the example listed in table1100, unique identification number1103can have a value of 18979. Similarly, the initial data entered for a particular employer profile through the computer display400ofFIG. 4can also be assigned a unique identification number1106. In the example listed in table1100, this unique identification number can have a value of 87654.

The values listed in table1100can also correspond with the values selected for the required field702and the preferred field704. This means that for the third row of table1100which lists the diversity field, this field has been assigned a value1109that comprises one. In this exemplary embodiment, this means that the diversity field has been requested by an employer as being required. If this value1109have been assigned a magnitude of zero, then this would have meant that the employer does not require diversity status for the particular job order being matched.

Similarly, for the military experience preferred field of the fifth row of table1100, this field has been assigned a value1121that comprises one. In this exemplary embodiment, this means that the military experience preferred field has been requested by an employer as preferred. In other words, had the value1121that assigned a magnitude of zero, then such a value would indicate that the employer has no preference for military experience for candidates of a job order.

Other values1112,1121,1127,1130, and1136have been assigned for other various employer profile fields such as the auto match date which corresponds to when a match was completed for a particular employer profile. The other values correspond to a military experience required field, a total possible points field, a salary field, and a security clearance field. It is noted that certain values within the table1100may be derived from a type identifier numeric value in combination with another numeric identifier. For example, for the salary field listed in table1100, the value1130associated with the salary field has been assigned a number of 2.7. This means that the type identifier for this value1130is two and the regular identifier is seven. This type identifier and regular identifier are used to track values assigned to fields of the employer profile in a lookup table1300which will be described in further detail below. The invention is not limited to the table1100described above and the additional tables1200-1400described below. One of ordinary skill the art recognizes that other styles or techniques that may be different from what is disclosed in these exemplary embodiments for tracking data are well within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 12is an exemplary sub-table1200that can be stored in memory, such as in the database179ofFIG. 1, and which lists exemplary parameters that may be tracked for a particular field of an employer profile according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This sub-table1200can be used to track the values assigned to a service branch field from an employer profile. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIG. 12, the employer profile unique identifier has been assigned a value1103that is equal to the value1103of table1100. This means that the branch sub-table1200ofFIG. 12corresponds with the specific employer profile being tracked in the matching table1100ofFIG. 11. The branch identifier field in the third row of the sub-table1200has been assigned a value1203having a magnitude of 3, 1. This value1203generally corresponds with the type identifier column and identifier column of table1300andFIG. 13. Further details of table1300will be described below in connection withFIG. 13.

FIG. 13is an exemplary look-up table1300that can be stored in memory, such as in the database179ofFIG. 1, and which lists exemplary parameters that comprise numbers and/or alpha numeric text which are translations or short-hand for values and fields used in candidate profiles and employer profiles according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The lookup table1300ofFIG. 13can comprise the main table which is cross reference by all other tables in the database179.

For example, in the fourth row of the look-up table1300, the type identifier column has been assigned a value of three while the second column for the identifier has been assigned a value of one. These two numeric values correspond to a service branch field having text value1303that defines the U.S. Air Force branch. This fourth row of the lookup table1300generally corresponds with of the branch sub-table1200for the employer profile. As noted previously, the branch identifier in the sub-table1200was assigned a value1203having a magnitude of 3.1. This magnitude of 3.1 corresponds to the “Airforce” value1503tracked in the fourth row of the main look-up table1300of the database179.

FIG. 14is an exemplary table1400that can be stored in memory, such as in the database179ofFIG. 1, and which lists the translated values for the fields within a candidate profile according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the exemplary table1400, the particular candidate associated with this table1400has been assigned a security clearance in the fourth row having a value1403equal to 5.1. This value1403generally corresponds with the eighth row and value1315of the look-up table1300ofFIG. 13. The value1315of the look-up table1300comprises the text of “top-secret poly” which can be a certain level of security clearance. The security clearance field, as illustrated inFIG. 13, can have other values selected by an employer. For example, the security clearance field can have any one of the following text values/magnitudes: top-secret poly, top secret SSB1, top secret, secret, and no clearance.

FIG. 15Ais a logic flow diagram highlighting various steps of a sub-method or routine836for matching single candidates with existing matched employer profiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Decision step1501is the first step of routine836and which the server179determines if a candidate profile needs more information to be complete for matching. In other words, the server179determines whether the need documents status field503ofFIG. 5has been selected by a recruiter to indicate that a candidate cannot be matched at this time since the candidate may need more documentation to complete his or her profile.

If the inquiry to decision step1501is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1503. Step1503returns the process to step810ofFIG. 8. If the inquiry to decision step1501is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step1506. In step1506, all existing employer profiles whose military experience matches the military experience of a candidate profile are identified. Weight values are assigned to the candidate profile that match the employer profiles based on military preferences listed in the employer profile. The inventors have discovered that this step1506which checks for military preferences of employer profiles can significantly reduce or cull down the amount of data which is handled during the remainder of the matching process.

In step1509, the matching employer profiles are stored in temporary storage such as in a table in the database179. In step1512, all employer profiles who have availability dates which do not match the availability dates of the candidate profile are removed from the temporary storage. Like step1506, the inventors have discovered that this removal step1512also reduces or cull downs the amount of data handled during the remainder of the matching process described below.

In step1515, all employer profiles who have diversity required data which does not match the candidate profile are removed from the temporary storage. Also like step1506, the inventors have discovered that this removal step1515also reduces or cull downs the amount of data handled during the remainder of the matching process described below.

Next, in step1518, for each employer profile in temporary storage and for remaining fields of the employer profiles that have been selected for the matching process, each field of the employer profile is compared by the server179to a corresponding field of the candidate profile. In decision step1521, the server179determines if a match exists between an employer profile field and a candidate profile field. If the inquiry to decision step1521is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to decision step1533.

If the inquiry to decision step1521is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to decision step1524. In decision step1524, the server179determines if the matched field of the employer profile has a preferred status. If the inquiry to decision step1524is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1527in which a first predetermined weight value is assigned to the candidate profile for the preferred status indicated. According to an exemplary embodiment, this predetermined weight value has a numeric value of three. However, one of ordinary skill the art recognizes that other predetermined weight values can be used which are within the scope of the invention.

If the inquiry to decision step1524is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step1530in which a second predetermined weight value for a match with a non-preferred status is assigned to the corresponding field of the candidate profile. According to an exemplary embodiment, the value associated with a match but without any preferred status has a numeric value of one. However, one of ordinary skill the art recognizes that other predetermined weight values can be used which are within the scope of the invention. After step1527and step1530, the sub-method836continues to decision step1542.

In decision step1533, it is determined whether the employer field under consideration has been marked as being required. If the inquiry to decision step1533is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1536in which the employer profile is removed from further consideration relative to the candidate being examined during the sub-method836.

If the inquiry to decision step1533is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step1539in which a third predetermined value is assigned to the corresponding candidate field for the no-match status. According to an exemplary embodiment, this third predetermined value can have a magnitude of zero or the null set. However, one of ordinary skill the art recognizes that other predetermined weight values can be used which are within the scope of the invention.

After step1539, a sub-method836continues to decision step1542. In decision step1542, it is determined whether all of the fields selected for matching have been reviewed by the server179. The fields generally addressed by steps1518through1539include those listed in Table 1, excluding the military experience field, availability date field, and the diversity required field addressed in steps1506,1512, and1515. If the inquiry to decision step1542is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed back to step1518. If the inquiry to decision step1542is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1545.

In step1545, the particular candidate profile being considered during sub-method836can be removed from previous matches prior to the current execution of sub-method836. Next, in step1548, keywords of the matched employer profiles can be compared and matched to the current candidate profile under consideration. Any matches with keywords can be stored in the database179. In step1551, the process continues to step1554ofFIG. 15B.

FIG. 15Bis logic flow diagram that is a continuation ofFIG. 15AandFIG. 16and which highlights various steps for generating output in the form of e-mails according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In step1554, the percent match of each candidate profile is determined with respect to each matched employer profile. Next, in step1557, the date field for the employer profile that tracks the time in which the matching process was completed is updated. In step1560, the matched list table for the employer profile that list candidates sorted by descending match percentage is updated.

In sub-method or routine1563, customized e-mails can be generated based on the results of the matching process. Further details of routine1563will be described below in connection withFIG. 18. After routine1563, in step1566, e-mails can be sent over the communications network173to recruiters and/or employer representatives based on preferences selected by the recruiters or employer representatives. After step1566, the process ends.

FIG. 16is a logic flow diagram highlighting various steps of sub-methods or routines918,936,948for matching employer profiles with candidate profiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Step1601is the first step of routines918,936,948. In step1601, the server179determines the weight values for each field in each employer profile based on the preference field704, the required field702, or no status selections of the employer profile of the computer display700inFIG. 7. Next, in step1603, the maximum number of points based on if all criteria of an employer profile was matched perfectly can be determined by the server179.

In step1606, the server179can identify all candidate profiles whose military experience matches the military experience of the employer profile under consideration. The server179can also assign weight values to the candidate fields of the candidate profile based on the military preferences listed in the employer profile. The inventors have discovered that this step1606can significantly reduce or cull downs the amount of data processed after this step when only matches to the military experience fields are considered from this step onward.

Next, in step1609, the server179can remove from consideration all candidate profiles who have availability dates which do not match the availability dates of the particular employer profile under consideration. Like step1606, the inventors have discovered that this step also significantly reduces or cull downs the amount of data processed after this step.

In step1612, the server179can then remove from consideration all candidate profiles who have diversity data which does not match the diversity required data for a particular employer profile under consideration. Similar to steps1606and1609, the inventors have discovered that this step also significantly reduces or cull downs the amount of data processed after this step.

In step1615, any previous matches of the candidate profile with the current employer profile are deleted. In step1618, the remaining matching candidate profiles up to this step1618are stored in temporary storage by the server179. In step1621, for each candidate profile in temporary storage and for the remaining fields of the candidate profile that have been selected for the matching process, each field of the employer profile is compared with a corresponding field of the candidate profile by the server179.

In decision step1633, the server179determines if a match exists between the employer profile field and the current candidate profile field under consideration. If the inquiry to decision step1633is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to decision step1645. If the inquiry to decision step1633is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to decision step1636. In decision step1636, the server179determines if the current matched field of the employer profile has a preferred status.

If the inquiry to decision step1636is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1639in which a first predetermined weight value for the preferred status is assigned to the corresponding field of the candidate profile. According to one exemplary embodiment, this first predetermined weight value for the preferred status has a numeric value of three. However, one of ordinary skill the art recognizes that other weight values can be used and which are within the scope of the invention.

If the inquiry to decision step1636is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step1642. In step1642, the server179assigns a second predetermined weight value for the match with the non-preferred status. According to one exemplary embodiment, this second predetermined weight value for the non-preferred status has a numeric value of one. However, one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that other weight values can be used and which are within the scope of the invention.

After steps1639and1642, the process continues to decision step1645. In decision step1645, the server179determines if the current employer field under consideration is a required field. If the inquiry to decision step1645is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1648. In step1648, the candidate profile is removed from further consideration.

If the inquiry to decision step1645is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to step1651in which a third predetermined weight value is assigned for the no-match status. According to one exemplary embodiment, the third predetermined weight value has a magnitude of zero or the null set. However, one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that other weight values can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

In decision step1654, the server179determines if all fields that have been selected for matching have been reviewed. The fields generally addressed by steps1621through1651include those listed in Table 1, excluding the military experience field, availability date field, and the diversity required field which are addressed in steps1606,1609, and1612. If the inquiry to decision step1654is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed back to step1621. If the inquiry to decision step1654is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1657.

In step1657, the server179removes candidates from previous matches prior to the current matching cycle or execution of routines918,936,948. In step1660, the server179can match keywords of matched candidate profiles with keywords of the employer's profile and store the data in memory. In step1663, the process continues to step1550ofFIG. 15Bdescribed above.

FIG. 17is an exemplary computer display1700of a user interface which displays results of an employer profile match according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, the candidates1702which matched a particular employer profile are listed in descending order based on the percent match listed in the percent match column1704. This user interface can also display the raw or actual weight values1706that were calculated by the server179. This user interface can also display contact information1708for each candidate1702that is listed.

FIG. 18is a logic flow diagram highlighting various steps of a sub-method842,951,1563for generating e-mails that can be sent to recruiters and employer representatives according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This sub-method842,951,1563generally corresponds toFIGS. 8,9, and15B. Decision step1801is the first step of the sub-method or routine842,951. In decision step1801, it is determined whether a single candidate match has been executed. This decision step1801may comprise a purely logical function and not actually practiced by a computing device since automated e-mail generation can be performed by either the server179or the recruiterware e-mail module143residing in the client device100A.

So this means if a single candidate match was executed (meaning that the inquiry to decision step1801is positive ant that a single candidate match ofFIG. 15Awas executed), then the recruiterware e-mail module143can execute the remaining steps1803through1812. Alternatively, if a single candidate match was not executed (meaning that the inquiry to decision step1801is negative and that an employer profile match ofFIG. 16was executed), then the server179can execute the remaining steps1818through1827.

If the inquiry to decision step1801is positive, then the “YES” branch is followed to step1803. In step1803, the recruiterware e-mail module143removes candidates from an e-mail listing of the matched results if the candidate has been locked by a recruiter. Specifically, this step corresponds to the ability of a recruiter to select a candidate from a prior e-mail listing of matched results. The recruiter can indicate to the server179that a candidate may have already submitted applications to one or more employers and should not be considered for any future opportunities at this point in time.

In step1806, for each recruiter, the recruiterware e-mail module143identifies employer profiles with matches for candidates associated with a particular recruiter. Next, in step1809, for each employer profile with matches, the recruiterware e-mail module143identifies only those candidates with a score greater than or equal to a predetermined value. According to one exemplary embodiment, this exemplary predetermined value can be set equal to 50% relative to the percent or degree of match with a particular employer profile.

Next, in step1812, the recruiterware e-mail module143can prepare text for the e-mail message that comprises the matched employer profiles and candidates having a score greater than or equal to the predetermined value. An exemplary e-mail message is illustrated inFIG. 20and discussed in further detail below. The process then returns to either step845ofFIG. 8or step1566ofFIG. 15B.

If the inquiry to decision step1801is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed to decision step1815and which the server179can execute the remaining steps1818through1827. In decision step1815, the server179determines for each employer profile whether the employer representative has indicated whether the representative wants to receive e-mails about employer profile matches. This step generally corresponds with the ability of an employer representative to turn on a notice function for receiving automated e-mails that correspond to matched employer profiles.

If the inquiry to decision step1815is negative, then the “NO” branch is followed in which the process returns to step954ofFIG. 9or step1566ofFIG. 15B. In step1818, the server can remove candidates from the e-mail list if a particular candidate was locked by a recruiter as discussed above in connection with step1803. Next, in step1821, for each employer representative, the server179can identify those employer profiles with matches that are assigned to a particular employer representative.

In step1824, for each employer profile that has matches, the server179identifies the candidates with a score greater than or equal to a predetermined value. According to one exemplary embodiment, this predetermined value can comprise a magnitude of 50%. However, one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that other magnitudes for this predetermined value without departing from the scope of the invention.

In step1827, the text is prepared for the message for the matching employer profiles and candidates who have a score greater than or equal to the predetermined value discussed above. An exemplary e-mail message generated by the server179is illustrated inFIG. 19and discussed in further detail below. The process then returns to step954ofFIG. 9or step1566ofFIG. 15B.

FIG. 19illustrates exemplary contents of an e-mail message1900generated for a candidate profile match that can be sent to an employer representative according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As noted previously, this e-mail message1900can be generated by the server179. The e-mail message1900can comprise employer profiles1905which are associated with a particular account representative so that each account representative is receiving a unique e-mail message1900based upon the employers assigned to a particular account representative. The e-mail messages1900can further comprise candidate information1910which lists the names of the candidates who scored above the predetermined and exemplary value of 50%. One of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that additional and different information about matched employer profiles can be provided in the e-mail message1900and would be within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 20illustrates exemplary contents of an e-mail message2000generated for a employer profile match that can be sent to a recruiter according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The e-mail message2000may comprise various fields such as, but not limited to, an employer profile identifier2003, the name of the employer2006, the account representative assigned to the employer2009, the location of the opportunity2012, and the job description2015. Under these various fields for each matched employer profile, a listing of the matched candidates who have scores greater than or equal to the predetermined value can be listed. Adjacent to each candidate can be a lock button2021which can allow a recruiter to lock out a candidate from receiving information on any future opportunities as discussed above in steps1803and1818ofFIG. 18.

FIG. 21is an exemplary computer display2100of a candidate profile which displays the employer profiles matched to the candidate according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary display2100, when a particular candidate302A1is selected from the list302A, further details of the employer profiles2105which match the candidate can be displayed. Additional details about the selected candidate302A1can also be displayed such as, but not limited to, contact information that includes e-mail address information304and cell phone information504. Other fields that can be displayed which may be relevant to a particular candidate302A1are within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 22is an exemplary computer display2200of a candidate profile which displays the employer profiles2205in which the candidate has submitted an application and/or resume according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, employer profiles2205can correspond with a candidate302A1that is selected from a list302A of matched candidates and in which the candidate302A1is actively pursuing employment with the potential employer listed. Other fields that can be displayed which may be relevant to a particular candidate302A1are within the scope of the invention.

Alternative embodiments for the method and system102for matching civilian employers with candidates having prior military experience will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, although this invention has been described in exemplary form with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that the present disclosure is made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts or steps may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.