Patent Application
20170300864
A user of a computing device can request a network resource to obtain information about an opportunity, such as an employment opportunity, for which he or she believes they are qualified. The network resource can be served to the computing device to provide the user with information and to enable to user to take actions to pursue the opportunity.
In a general aspect, a method includes receiving a request associated with a first attribute, the request representative of an opportunity for employment, the attribute representative of a qualification associated with the opportunity for employment; querying a database to identify a record including a second attribute satisfying the first attribute associated with the request, the second attribute included in the record having been determined based on other information in the record; and serving, to a computing device operated by a user associated with the identified record, a network resource providing the user with access to information about the request.
Embodiments can include one or more of the following features.
The method includes updating a table to include a representation of the identified record.
The method includes updating a data storage to include an identifier of the identified record.
The method includes updating a data storage to include a reference to the identified record.
The second attribute is the same as the first attribute.
The second attribute is different from the first attribute, and in which identifying the record includes querying an attribute database to determine that the second attribute is related to the first attribute.
The request is associated with an opportunity record, in which the first attribute associated with the request is included in the opportunity record.
The first attribute is associated with a first level, and in which querying the database includes querying the database to identify a record in which a second level associated with the second attribute matches the first level associated with the first attribute.
The request is associated with multiple first attributes, each first attribute having a respective weighting factor.
Querying the database to identify a record includes identifying a record having second attributes satisfying the first attributes subject to the respective weighting factors of the first attributes. The method includes determining a score for the record based on the second attributes and respective weighting factors, and in which identifying the record comprising determining that the record has a score higher than a threshold score. The method includes determining a score for each of multiple records based on the second attributes and respective weighting factors of each of the multiple records, and in which identifying a record comprising identifying the record having the highest score.
The method includes querying the database to identify a second record, the second record not having a second attribute that satisfies the first attribute; and serving, to a computing device operated by a user associated with the identified record, a network resource providing the user with access to information to obtain the second attribute that satisfies the first attribute.
First attribute comprises one or more of a skill attribute, a certification attribute, and a tool attribute.
The second attribute included in the record having been determined based on a job title included in the record.
In a general aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for causing a computing system to receive a request associated with one or more attributes, the request representative of an opportunity for employment, each attribute representative of a qualification associated with the opportunity for employment; query a database to identify a record including the one or more attributes associated with the request, the one or more attributes included in the record having been determined based on other information in the record; and serve, to a computing device operated by a user associated with the identified record, a network resource providing the user with access to information about the request.
Embodiments can include one or more of the following features.
The instructions cause the computing system to update a table to include a representation of the identified record.
The instructions cause the computing system to update a data storage to include an identifier of the identified record.
The instructions cause the computing system to update a data storage to include a reference to the identified record.
The second attribute is the same as the first attribute.
The second attribute is different from the first attribute, and in which identifying the record includes querying an attribute database to determine that the second attribute is related to the first attribute.
The request is associated with an opportunity record, in which the first attribute associated with the request is included in the opportunity record.
The first attribute is associated with a first level, and in which querying the database includes querying the database to identify a record in which a second level associated with the second attribute matches the first level associated with the first attribute.
The request is associated with multiple first attributes, each first attribute having a respective weighting factor.
Querying the database to identify a record includes identifying a record having second attributes satisfying the first attributes subject to the respective weighting factors of the first attributes. The instructions cause the computing system to determine a score for the record based on the second attributes and respective weighting factors, and in which identifying the record comprising determining that the record has a score higher than a threshold score. The instructions cause the computing system to determine a score for each of multiple records based on the second attributes and respective weighting factors of each of the multiple records, and in which identifying a record comprising identifying the record having the highest score.
The instructions cause the computing system to query the database to identify a second record, the second record not having a second attribute that satisfies the first attribute; and serve, to a computing device operated by a user associated with the identified record, a network resource providing the user with access to information to obtain the second attribute that satisfies the first attribute.
The first attribute comprises one or more of a skill attribute, a certification attribute, and a tool attribute.
The second attribute included in the record having been determined based on a job title included in the record.
We describe here an approach to providing network resources, e.g., web pages, pages of a mobile application, etc., to a user based on attributes associated with the user. A system receives a request associated with one or more attributes. Responsive to the request, the system queries a database storing user records, each user record associated with a corresponding user, to identify a user record having attributes that match the attributes associated with the received request. The system provides network resources to a user associated with the identified user record, the network resources providing the user with access to information about the request. For example, the network resources provided to the user can provide the user with access to information about the request.
In some examples, the request can be a request for a user possessing one or more qualification attributes associated with an available opportunity for employment, such as skill, tool, or certification attributes associated with the opportunity. The database storing user records can be queried to identify a user record associated with a user possessing the one or more qualification attributes indicated by the request. Network resources provided to the user associated with the identified user record can provide the user with access to information about the opportunity.
Referring to
Each user 102 of the system 100 possesses a set of qualification attributes, such as skill, tool, and/or certification attributes the user has accumulated through education or previous or current employment experience. Each opportunity 104 offered through the system 100 is associated with a set of qualification attributes, such as skill, tool, and/or certification attributes, the employer 106 offering the opportunity expects that a person qualified for the opportunity will possess. The system 100 can automatically identify one or more users 102 that are qualified for a particular opportunity 104 based on a match between the qualification attributes (e.g., skill, certification, and/or tool attributes) possessed by each user 102 and the qualification attributes associated with the particular opportunity 104. The server 101 can serve network resources 105 associated with the particular opportunity 104 to one or more of the users 102 identified as qualified for the opportunity.
The server 101 can access a user database 110 that stores a user record 112 for each user 102. The user record 112 for a user 102 can be established upon enrollment of the user 102 with the system 100. The user record 112 for a particular user 102 can include biographical information about the user 102 (e.g., the user's name, address, e-mail address, phone number, or other biographical information), information about the user's work history, information about the user's educational history, skills possessed by the user, a level of proficiency for each skill, certifications possessed by the user, tools at which the user is proficient, a level of proficiency for each tool, or other information. Information about the user's work history can include titles of jobs previously or currently held by the user, names of previous or current employers, or other information. Information about the user's educational history can include degrees earned by the user, degrees partially completed by the user, coursework completed or in progress, professional certifications, or other information.
In some examples, the user record 112 for a user 102 can include attributes indicative of user preferences, such as location attributes (e.g., indicative of a geographical area the user prefers for his opportunities, a geographical area outside of which the user will not consider opportunities, or other location preferences), schedule attributes (e.g., indicative of preferred days or times for opportunities, days or times the user is unavailable for opportunities, or other schedule preferences), or other attributes. In some examples, the user record 112 can include information about opportunities previously completed by the user, such as the user's rating of a previous opportunity or an employer's rating of a user following completion of a previous opportunity (discussed below).
Some information stored in the user record 112 for a particular user 102 can be entered by the user. For instance, the user 102 can enter biographical information, work history or educational history information, user preferences, or other information. Some information stored in the user record 112 can be determined by the system 100, in conjunction with input from the user. For instance, an attributes engine 130 can identify the qualification attributes (e.g., skill, certification, and/or tool attributes) possessed by the user and/or a level of proficiency associated with each qualification attribute (e.g., the level of proficiency for each skill or tool or the level of a multi-level certification achieved by the user) based on information about the user, such as based on the user's work history or educational history.
An attributes engine 130 implemented by the server 101 can identify one or more qualification attributes that may be possessed by a particular user 102 based on information about the user. For instance, a user may provide information about a previous job, including the title of the position. An attributes database 132 includes job title records 134, each of which includes a job title and an indication of any related job titles (e.g., a pointer to a job title record of each related job title). The attributes engine 130 queries the attributes database 132 to identify one or more job title records 134 that include job titles that are similar or related to the title entered by the user. Each job title record 134 also includes a list of qualification attributes associated with the job title or a reference (e.g., a pointer) to each qualification attribute associated with the job title. The attributes engine 130 identifies a list of the qualification attributes associated with each of the identified job title records 134. The identified qualification attributes are presented to the user via a network resource rendered as a web page (e.g., based on HTML code), a page of a mobile application, or another rendering of the network resource. The user can interact with the network resource to indicate which of the presented qualification attributes (e.g., skills, certifications, or tools) he or she possesses, and in some cases a level of proficiency associated with each qualification attribute. Based on the user interaction with the network resource, qualification attributes (and, in some cases, a level of proficiency associated with each qualification attribute) are stored in the user record 112. In some examples, the network resources interacted with to navigate to the presented qualification attributes can also be stored in the user record 112.
The qualification attributes can be skill attributes indicative of skills possessed by the user. Skills are capabilities that the user has acquired through past employment, education, and/or other experiences. The qualification attributes can be certification attributes indicative of certifications possessed by the user. A certification is achieved by a user who completes a defined set of activities to achieve the certification, such as classes, trainings, or exams. Certifications can be issued by governmental bodies, trade or professional organizations, employers, or other entities. The qualification attributes can be tool attributes indicative of tools with which the user is proficient. Tools can be physical tools, such as a forklift, an arc welder, or an espresso machine; or software tools, such as word processing or billing software or programming languages.
In an example, if a user enters the title “Admin Assistant,” the attributes engine 130 may query the attributes database 132 to identify the following similar or related job titles: Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Secretary, Office Manager. A list of the qualification attributes associated with one or more of the job titles Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Secretary and Office Manager is presented to the user. The user can then select the skills and certifications he possesses and the tools at which he is proficient from the presented list of qualification attributes, and in some cases can indicate his level of proficiency for each selected skill, certification, and/or tool. The selected skills, certifications, and/or tools are stored as qualification attributes in the user record 112.
Example skills for the job titles Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Secretary, and Office Manager can include Word Processing, Scheduling, Business Correspondence, and Editing, among others. Example certifications for these job titles can include the Certified Professional Secretary and the Certified Administrative Professional certifications, among others. Example tools for these job titles can include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Quickbooks, among others.
In some examples, two or more skill attributes can be linked in the attributes database 132 as substantially equivalent skills, such that if a user selects one of the linked skill attributes, the other one or more linked skill attributes are also automatically selected for the user. For instance, if the user selects the skill Appointment Scheduling, the linked skills Calendar Management and Schedule Management can also be automatically selected for the user.
In some examples, tool attributes are children of skill attributes, such that if a user possesses a tool attribute, the user always also possesses the skill attribute from which that tool attribute depends. For instance, if the user possesses the Microsoft Word tool attribute, the user will also possess the Word Processing skill attribute.
In some examples, a certification attribute is associated with one or more skill attributes and/or one or more tool attributes, such that if a user possesses a certification attribute, the user will also possess the associated skill attributes and/or tool attributes. For instance, the Certified Administrative Professional certification attribute can be associated with the skill attributes Business Writing and Records Management, among others.
In some examples, the attributes database 132 can include education records 136, each of which includes a type of degree (e.g., associate's degree, bachelor's degree or another type of degree) and a field of study (e.g., business, chemistry, English, or another field of study). In some examples, the attributes engine 130 can query the attributes database 132 to identify one or more education records 136 that are similar or related to items in the user's educational history. Each education record 136 also includes a list of qualification attributes associated with the type of degree and field of study or a reference (e.g., a pointer) to each qualification attribute. The qualification attributes associated with each of the identified education records 136 are presented to the user via a network resource rendered as a web page, a page of a mobile application, or another rendering of the network resource. The user can interact with the network resource to indicate which of the presented qualification attributes (e.g., skill, certification, or tool attributes) he possesses, and in some cases a level associated with each qualification attribute. Based on the user interaction with the network resource, qualification attributes (and in some cases, a level associated with each qualification attribute) are stored in the user record 112.
In some examples, a user can acquire new qualification attributes through activities undertaken through the system 100, such as through completion of opportunities or education offered through the system 100. The attributes engine 130 can automatically update a user's user record 112 to reflect the qualification attributes acquired through the system.
The system 100 includes an opportunity database 120 that stores an opportunity record 122 for each available opportunity 104 in the system 100. The opportunity record 122 for a particular opportunity 104 can include the title of the position represented by the opportunity, information about the employer 106 offering the opportunity (e.g., the name of the employer, contact information for the employer, or other information), qualification attributes (e.g., skill, certification, or tool attributes) associated with the opportunity, a level of proficiency associated with each qualification attribute, a location attribute for the opportunity, a schedule attribute for the opportunity, a description of the opportunity (e.g., including text, images, video, or other types of data), or other information.
Some information stored in the opportunity record 122 for a particular opportunity 104 offered by an employer 106 can be entered by or on behalf of the employer, such as the title of the position, information about the employer, a location of the opportunity, a schedule for the opportunity, a description of the opportunity, or other information. Some information stored in the opportunity record 122 can be determined by the system 100, in conjunction with input from or on behalf of the employer. For instance, the attributes engine 130 can identify qualification attributes to be associated with the opportunity 104 and/or a level of proficiency associated with each qualification attribute based on information about the opportunity, such as based on the title of the position, as described above.
A match engine 140 identifies one or more users 102 as qualified for a particular opportunity 104 based on a match between the qualification attributes possessed by the users 102 and the qualification attributes associated with the opportunity 104. For instance, to identify users for a particular opportunity 104, the match engine 140 can query the user database 110 to identify those user records (e.g., record 112) having all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record 122 for the particular opportunity 104. In some examples, the opportunity record 122 for the particular opportunity includes a level of proficiency associated with one or more of the qualification attributes, and the match engine 140 can query the user database 110 to identify those user records (e.g., record 112) having all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record 122 and having the indicated level for each of one or more of the qualification attributes. We sometimes refer to user records (e.g., record 112) that have all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record 122 for a particular opportunity and having the indicated level of proficiency for each of the one or more qualification attributes as user records that are matched with the opportunity record.
In some examples, user records (e.g., record 112) identified as matched with an opportunity record are stored in a match table 124 associated with the opportunity record. In some examples, user records identified as matched with an opportunity record can be tracked in another way, such as through a document storing identifiers of the user records or references (e.g., pointers) to the user records.
In some examples, the match engine 140 can identify user records (e.g., record 112) that include all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record for a particular opportunity 104 and at the designated level as matches for the opportunity. In addition, the match engine 140 can identify one or more user records as imperfect matches for the opportunity. A user record (e.g., record 112) that is an imperfect match with an opportunity is a user record does not include all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record for the opportunity 104, or not at the designated level of proficiency, but is otherwise substantially similar. In an example, a user record that is an imperfect match with an opportunity may include all but one of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record for the opportunity. In an example, a user record that is an imperfect match with an opportunity may include all of the qualification attributes included in the opportunity record for the opportunity, but may have at least one qualification attribute at a level of proficiency different from that designated in the opportunity record. User records that are imperfect matches for an opportunity can be flagged for review by an operator, such as a human resources professional, who can determine whether the user record may anyway be regarded as a match for the opportunity.
In some examples, the opportunity record 122 can include one or more rules that can be implemented to govern how a user record 112 is identified as a match for the opportunity 112 represented by the opportunity record 122. For instance, each of one or more qualification attributes associated with an opportunity is assigned a weighting factor to indicate its relative importance as compared with other qualification attributes associated with the opportunity. A user record (e.g., record 112) can be identified as a match for an opportunity 104 subject to the qualification attributes and associated weighting factors for the opportunity. In an example of a rule, if a user record is missing a highly weighted qualification attribute associated with an opportunity, the user record may not be identified as a match, but a user record missing a lower weighted qualification attribute may still be identified as a match. In an example of a rule, a score can be determined for a record based on the qualification attributes and associated weighting factors, and the record can be identified as a match if the score exceeds a threshold score. In an example of a rule, a score can be determined for each of multiple records based on the qualification attributes and associated weighting factors, and the record having the highest score can be identified as a match.
In some examples, the match engine 140 can identify one or more users for a particular opportunity 104 based on attributes other than qualification attributes (e.g., skill, tool, and/or certification attributes). For instance, the match engine 140 can query the user database 110 to identify those user records (e.g., record 112) having location or schedule attributes that are consistent with location or schedule attributes for the opportunity. In some examples, to identify users for a particular opportunity 104, the match engine 140 first queries the user database 110 to identify one or more user records based on location and/or schedule attributes, and then identifies a subset of those user records having qualification attributes that are matched with the opportunity record 122 for the opportunity 104. In some examples, the match engine 140 first queries the user database 110 to identify one or more user records (e.g., record 112) having qualification attributes that are matched with the opportunity record 122 for a particular opportunity, and then identifies a subset of those user records based on location and/or schedule attributes.
A network resource engine 150 renders a network resource, such as a web page or a page of a mobile application, for presentation to one or more of the users 102 whose user record (e.g., record 112) was identified by the match engine 130. The network resource can include information about the opportunity 104. Through the network resource, the one or more users 102 are prompted to respond to accept or decline the opportunity 104. When an acceptance is received from a user 102, the user record 112 for the user 102 is updated to reflect that the user 102 is assigned to the opportunity 104. If a user declines the opportunity, the opportunity can be presented to another user.
The approach of the system 100, in which users are identified as qualified for a particular opportunity based on matching of qualification attributes between the user's user record 112 and the opportunity record 122 for the opportunity, enables qualified users to be offered opportunities even if the opportunity differs from previous jobs the user has held. For instance, a qualified user may be offered an opportunity for a Wait Staff position even if the user has not previously worked as a waiter. Offering opportunities to qualified users enables efficient use of the labor pool of users in the system and helps to provide employment to users and to fill open positions with employers.
In some examples, the match engine 140 can determine that a particular user would be able to match with an opportunity if the user possessed one or more additional qualification attributes or if the user increased his level of proficiency for one or more of his qualification attributes. The system can suggest to the user that he acquire the missing qualification attribute(s) or increase the level associated with one or more of the qualification attributes he already possesses. For instance, the system can suggest that the user acquire certain skill, certification, or tool attributes or increase his level of proficiency for one or more of his skill or tool attributes. In some examples, educational opportunities can be provided through the system in order to assist users in acquiring additional skill, certification, and/or tool attributes, or in increasing their level of proficiency in one or more of their skill or tool attributes. This approach can help users to become qualified for better opportunities, such as opportunities with higher pay, more responsibility, or other features.
In some examples, educational opportunities (e.g., training courses) can be provided to users through the system 100 to enable the users to obtain additional qualification attributes or to increase their level of proficiency for each of one or more qualification attributes. In some examples, the system 100 can host the educational opportunities, e.g., by serving network resources including live or previously recorded training courses or interactive training modules. In some examples, the system 100 can provide links to external network resources with appropriate educational opportunities.
Referring to
In this example, a user 102a has worked in a Title A role (e.g., Custodian) and a Title C role (e.g., Gardener) and has indicated (e.g., during an enrollment process) that he has acquired all of the qualification attributes associated with these two roles. The worker 102a thus possesses qualification attributes X (Manual labor), Y (Cleaning), Z (Facilities management), J (Managing client expectations), and H (Working outdoors). Although the user has never worked in a Title B role (e.g., Housecleaner), the match engine 140 identifies the user 102a as qualified for an opportunity 104a in a Title B role because the user 102a possesses all of the qualification attributes associated with the Title B role.
In some examples, the matching of skill attributes can be based on linked skill attributes. Skill attributes can be linked in the attribute database 132 if the two skills are substantially equivalent. If the user 102a does not possess a specific skill attribute associated with the opportunity 104a but does possess a different skill attribute that is linked to that specific skill attribute, the user 102a may be identified as qualified for the opportunity 104a.
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In some examples (not shown), the employer can select a predefined opportunity. A predefined opportunity includes a title and associated qualification attributes. Selection of a predefined opportunity simplifies the opportunity creation process in that the employer is freed from having to select the desired qualification attributes for an opportunity. Predefined opportunities can be default job opportunities defined by the system or can be based on opportunities previously created by the employer.
Referring to
For each opportunity defined by an employer, the system queries the user database to identify user records that include qualification attributes matching the qualification attributes associated with the opportunity. For instance, in the example of
Additional description of approaches to offering the opportunity to the user and enabling the user to accept and complete the opportunity can be found in co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. [Attorney Docket No. 43023-0003001], the contents of which are incorporated here by reference in their entirety.
Other implementations are also within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/324,839, filed on Apr. 19, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated here by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62324839 | Apr 2016 | US |
