Search Ranking Algorithm

For each result in a given search, we calculate a ranking factor for each of the following focus areas that the search filters on:

• Discipline
• Vertical
• Model
• Stage
• Expertise

Note that:

1. Role is not included, so selecting multiple roles will not impact your rank.
2. Only focus areas that have been enabled as a filter for a search are considered in the rankings for that search.
3. Discipline is a required filter, so is always a factor in ranking.

• ((T - N) + 1) / T
• where N is the number of options selected for the focus area on the profile concerned
• where T is the total number of options available for that focus area

For example, the below table shows how the ranking factor for 'stage' varies depending on whether the profile has one, three, or all six of the available stages selected (pre-seed, seed, early, growth, exit, and mature):

A ranking factor is also calculated to reflect the relationship between the location of the role and the location of the profile. However, this factor is calculated in different ways depending on whether the search is for a remote or hybrid/onsite role.

For a search relating to a remote role, the ranking factor favours profiles that serve smaller areas, as per the below table.

For a search relating to a hybrid/onsite role, the ranking factor is based on the "as the crow flies" distance (as calculated using the Haversine formula) between the profile's location and the search location, and the number of locations on the profile. If a profile has multiple locations, we assume that the member concerned divides their time evenly between locations, and reduce the weight of each location accordingly.

The formula used is as follows:

• (1000 - D)/(D x N)
• where D is the distance in km between the closest location on the profile to the the role
• where N is the number of locations on the profile

Note that:

1. Although the profile allows distances to be defined in miles, all distances are stored in kms, and ranking factor is therefore calculated in kms
2. Adding additional locations to your profile will ensure that your profile is returned in searches for roles near all of those locations, but has a significant negative impact on the location ranking factor. You should therefore avoid adding more than one location unless you are equally open to hybrid / onsite work in multiple locations that are significantly separated in distance (eg. London and New York).

Once all ranking factors have been calculated, the final rank of a profile is calculated by multiplying all the ranking factors that apply to that search together, and then by 100.

All matching profiles are initially sorted by rank. However, because focus areas only impact ranking when a filter is applied to them, multiple profiles may have the same rank for a given search, particularly for searches for remote roles, or for hybrid / onsite searches in major cities.

In this situation, profiles that do have the same rank are sorted amongst themselves by two additional factors:

1. The geographical distance between the profile and the approximate location of the end user performing the search, based on their IP address.
2. As a final tie-breaker, a hash of the end user's IP address and the profile's ID. This ensures that although an individual user will see consistent ordering within a session, different users will see results of the same rank in different orders, to avoid favouritism towards certain profiles.

Consider a profile that has the following number of focus areas selected:

• Disciplines: 1 out of 3
• Verticals: 7 out of 61
• Models: 3 out of 4
• Stages: 4 out of 6
• Expertise: 18 out of 28

The profile has a single location in Oxford, UK, and is open to remote work across EMEA.

1. A query that filters on every focus area, for a remote role with a team in Germany.

   		Discipline		Vertical		Model		Stage		Expertise		Location		Rank
   100	x	1.0	x	0.9	x	0.5	x	0.5	x	0.39	x	0.67	=	5.88

2. A query that filters only on Discipline and Stage, for a hybrid/onsite role 40km from Oxford.

   		Discipline		Vertical		Model		Stage		Expertise		Location		Rank
   100	x	1.0					x	0.5			x	0.96	=	48

• Be selective: Choose only the focus areas where you have significant experience and expertise.
• Consider your reach: If you prefer to work with local clients, or those with significant timezone overlap, specify your country or region for remote roles, rather than selecting worldwide availability.
• Set just one location: Only add multiple locations if you are equally available for hybrid / onsite work in multiple locations that are significantly separated in distance (eg. London and New York).
• Update regularly: Keep your profile focused on your current specializations and remove focus areas that are no longer central to your work.