The core principle: describe, don't filter
AIRA Search works best when you write like you're briefing a colleague, not filling in a form. The more naturally and completely you describe who you're looking for, the better your results.
A thin query gives thin results. A specific, contextual query gives ranked, evidence-backed results.
The seven practices that make a real difference
1. Describe the ideal candidate without thinking in filters
Write a description of a person, not a list of fields.
Weak: Location: NYC, Title: VP Sales, Industry: SaaS
Strong: A VP of Sales based in New York who's grown revenue at a SaaS company and built and led teams from scratch
2. Be as descriptive as possible
A short query returns a broader, less ranked result set. More context = better matching.
Weak: Java developer 5 years
Strong: A Java engineer with 3–6 years of experience who's built and owned microservices at a fast-moving product startup
3. Explain ambiguous terminology
If you use industry shorthand, abbreviations, or internal terms, spell them out. AIRA handles common terms well, but edge cases benefit from context.
Weak: Looking for an MD with PE background for a portco
Strong: Looking for a Managing Director with Private Equity background, to be placed at one of our client's portfolio companies
4. Combine follow-up criteria into one query
If you've refined your search across multiple attempts, consolidate everything and re-run. AIRA works best with full context upfront, not layered incrementally.
Weak: "CFO biotech" → "CFO biotech M&A" → "CFO biotech M&A public company"
Strong: A CFO with 12–18 years in biotech or pharma who's led M&A transactions and has worked at or taken a company public
5. Mention the environment they've come from
Where someone has worked tells as much as what they've done. Company stage, industry culture, and team size are all useful signals.
Weak: An HR leader with scaling experience
Strong: An HR leader with 8–14 years experience who's built people functions at high-growth startups, ideally through a Series C to IPO journey
6. Anchor on outcomes and credentials (both matter)
Titles and years describe a resume. Outcomes describe a person. Use both.
Weak: CFO with 15 years in healthcare
Strong: A CFO with 12–18 years in healthcare who's led a Series D raise and built out the finance function ahead of an IPO
7. Give context, not just attributes
Attributes describe what's on a resume. Context describes what the person has actually done and where they've done it. AIRA's qualitative ranking is activated by the latter.
Weak: Product manager fintech 8 years
Strong: A product manager with 5–10 years in fintech who's worked on consumer-facing payment products and taken 0-to-1 features to market
A strong query witg all seven principles applied
"A Chief Medical Officer with 15–20 years in rare disease or gene therapy, who's led IND submissions and has experience at a clinical-stage biotech. Ideally someone who's come from a founder-led environment and is comfortable operating without a large team underneath them."
This query specifies years of experience, explains the domain, anchors on outcomes (IND submissions), describes the environment (founder-led, clinical-stage), and avoids filter syntax entirely.
What to do when AIRA asks a clarifying question
If your query is ambiguous, AIRA will ask a clarifying question in the side sheet before running the search. For example:
"You mentioned 'Bay Area' — should I include remote candidates, or only those physically located in the SF Bay Area?"
"When you say 'senior,' do you mean Senior-level individual contributors, or are you also including management roles?"
Select an option from the chips shown, or type a free-form reply. AIRA will incorporate your answer and confirm the final interpretation before running the search. If you don't respond within 10 seconds, AIRA will proceed with its best-guess interpretation and note the assumption in the side sheet.