Step 1. Set up
Fill out these three initial fields to kick off your search:
- What job are you sourcing for? : Select the position you’re sourcing for (Gem will only show active jobs in your ATS)
- Job description: If the job you have selected does not already have a job description, you will then give Gem a description of the role. If you have already created a role intake doc or other job description outside of Gem, you can paste it here. Otherwise, describe your ideal candidate profile when it comes to their current or past titles, location, years of experience, or desired skills.
Once you’ve filled out these fields, click “Next” to proceed.
Step 2. Define talent pool
Use filters like job title, location, and years of experience to shape your talent pool—the set of eligible profiles Gem AI will evaluate, score, and rank. These filters help define any must-have qualifications, such as past experience, education, or specific job titles, ensuring only candidates who meet your criteria are considered. You can apply as many or as few filters as needed to refine your search and focus on the most relevant prospects. Filters include:
- Job titles : Filter by “Is/Contains,” “Current title only,” and use Boolean “OR/AND” to include multiple title variations within a single query
- Location : Filter by city, metro, state/province, and country, and exclude specific regions using a “NOT” option
- Experience & tenure: Months at current company and overall years of experience (custom date range)
- Companies : Select from default presets and team presents, filter by “Current company only,” include companies from specific industries, of a certain size, backed by certain investors, and allow Gem to find similar companies to those you have already selected.
- Education : Filter by school, degree, and field of study; use Boolean “OR/AND” to include multiple degree and field-of-study variations within a single query
- Keywords : Get even more granular by filtering for specific keywords
- Spoken languages : Use Boolean “OR/AND” to include multiple language variations within a single query
- Last contact : Use the dropdown to filter by contact history (e.g., in the past three months, none in the past three months, never, etc.)
- Exclude Projects : Use the dropdown to filter out candidates who belong to specific Getting started with Gem Projects: Overview and dashboard
As your filters are applied, you’ll be shown the approximate size of your defined talent pool.
Note : Gem AI performs best with a well-defined talent pool. If your search includes more than 20,000 candidates , you may encounter less relevant results. Adjust filters strategically to maintain a strong balance between specificity and reach.
For a deeper dive into filtering best practices, see Gem AI sourcing: Filters best practices.
Step 3. Add criteria
Gem AI analyzes your talent pool based on the criteria you set, surfacing only the most qualified candidates. You can:
- Copy and paste must-have and nice-to-have qualifications directly from your job description
- Manually enter key criteria to refine how candidates are ranked
These criteria should be concise, single-line statements about your ideal candidate similar to what you might include in a job description, such as experience with a specific technology, process, or application.
For tips on optimizing your criteria, see AI scoring criteria best practices.
Step 4. Summary & settings
Before Gem AI begins your search, you’ll be shown a summary of your search criteria. Name your search and select a default Project to associated with the search if you’d like. Then review the details, make any necessary adjustments to the filters or criteria, and click “✦ Activate Search” to proceed.
As soon as you activate your search, Gem AI will begin sourcing profiles from your selected talent pool, evaluating their profiles based on your defined criteria. High-match profiles will be ready for review as soon as the next day. (In the meantime, you’ll see the search you just created on your AI Sourcing page.)
Editing your search
If you need to make changes to your search, you can do so from the AI Sourcing page. Locate your search by the name you selected, then click “View Search Details”. Your filters and criteria will be displayed, similarly to the original search set up. You will have the option to add, edit, or remove criteria. When complete, click ‘Apply changes’ to re-start the search.
Looking for more articles on Gem AI Sourcing? Please take a look at **AI Sourcing!**
Have any issues or questions on this topic? Please feel free to contact your dedicated Gem Customer Success Manager directly or our Support team at support@gem.com.