When you search by skills, our AI doesn’t just look for the exact words you typed.
It also looks for synonyms and variations of those skills in the candidate profile.
This happens completely in the background – you don’t see the synonyms in the UI, but they influence which candidates are shown and which are filtered out.
1. What is a “synonym” in Candidate Search AI?
A synonym is:
A different way of writing the same skill
React→ReactJS,React.jsQuality Assurance→QA,Quality Control (QC)Business Development→BizDev,BD Rep
A closely related term that recruiters use interchangeably
JS→JavaScriptNurse↔Staff Nurse,Clinical NurseReceptionist↔Front Desk Associate
A localized version of the same skill
Entwickler↔Developer(German/English)Krankenpfleger↔Nurse(German/English)
We use AI to automatically expand skills into a list of synonyms and related terms.
2. What does this mean for my search?
When you add a skill to your filters, our system quietly turns it into:
Original skill + a list of synonyms/variations
So if you add:
Must-have skill:
React
We’ll also try to match candidates who mention things like:
ReactJSReact NativeReact.js(and other sensible variations)
Even if the resume doesn’t literally say "React".
3. How synonyms work with must-have, nice-to-have, and excluded skills
We apply synonyms to all three skill types:
✅ Must-have skills
If you say a candidate must have React:
We look for
Reactor its synonymsA candidate who only has
ReactJScan still pass the filter
⭐ Nice-to-have skills
If you add optional skills:
Synonyms help boost candidates higher if they mention related terms
Example: Optional
AWSmight also rewardAmazon Web Servicesor common service names
⛔ Excluded skills
If you exclude React:
We also look for synonyms and variations of
ReactCandidates mentioning those are filtered out, even if they don’t use the exact word you typed
This makes your filters more realistic and closer to how people actually write resumes.
4. Why do I sometimes see candidates without the exact word I searched?
You might think:
“I searched for React but I don’t see the word ‘React’ in this CV. Why is this candidate showing up?”
That can happen because:
The candidate uses a synonym like
React NativeorReactJSOur AI understands that this is still relevant to your search
We also combine this with semantic search, so it understands context, not just words
If you click into the profile, you’ll usually see a strongly related skill or stack that explains the match.
5. Do I need to type all variations myself?
No. You can just type the skill how you normally would.
Examples:
Type “JavaScript” → we understand
JS,Node.jscontext, etc.Type “PostgreSQL” → we recognize common spelling variants.
Type “React” → we handle
ReactJS,React Native, etc.
The system takes care of expanding that into a richer list of search terms in the background.
6. Supported languages (high level)
The synonym system is designed to work across multiple languages.
That means if you work with non-English CVs (e.g. German, Spanish, French, Polish), our AI can still:
Recognize and connect equivalent skills
Understand localized terms and translations
You don’t need to manually translate skills – just search as you normally would.
7. Quick FAQ
Q: Can I see or edit the synonym list somewhere?
A: Not right now. Synonyms are generated and updated automatically by our AI in the background.
Q: Will synonyms ever cause “wrong” matches?
A: Occasionally you might see a candidate who looks slightly off. That’s usually because the system chose a broader or related synonym. You can tighten your filters (e.g. add more must-have skills) if that happens.
Q: Do synonyms also apply to excluded skills?
A: Yes. If you exclude a skill, we also exclude its synonyms and common variations, so you don’t have to think of every possible spelling.