Troubleshooting Search Issues for Company Listings on LinkedIn

Hi! When I run a search to find people from a list of companies in the table, I'm often finding that I'm not getting as many results as I should (e.g. when I search for people with 'HR' in their job title, it's only showing 1 result for a list of 10 companies but when I look manually on LinkedIn, I am finding more than 1 person for even 1 company so should be seeing at least 1 result for a list of 10 companies). Please can someone help me work out what I might be doing wrong?

47 comments

Channeled
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There are two main reasons you might be seeing fewer results than expected:1. Our data providers don't use your active LinkedIn session or cookies when retrieving data, which means they can only access publicly visible information. When you search manually on LinkedIn, you're seeing data that's only visible to logged-in users. 2. The search functionality doesn't support semantic search, meaning variations of job titles are treated as completely different titles. For example, "HR Manager," "Human Resources Manager," and "HR Lead" are all considered different titles. To get more comprehensive results, make sure to include all possible variations of HR titles in your search.To improve your results, try including multiple variations of HR-related job titles in your search, such as:** HR ** Human Resources ** People Operations ** People Ops ** Talent ** HRBP * HR Business Partner Source: Find People [Clay 101] - Clay University
Jacob T.
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Flora C. do you have the "exact title match" condition toggled on?
Channeled
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To check if exact keyword matching is enabled, you'll need to look in the Job Title section of your search parameters. By default, the system treats similar titles as the same (for example, "SWE" and "Software Engineer" are treated as equivalent). If you have "Exact keyword match" enabled, then the search will only return exact matches. Source: Find People Overview - Clay University
Flora C.
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No I don't! I've been searching more generally e.g. 'HR', 'People'
Channeled
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While you're using general terms like 'HR' and 'People', getting more comprehensive results requires being hyper-specific with your search terms. Here's why and how to improve your results:1. Being as specific as possible in your search will yield much better results. Instead of broad terms, try including multiple variations like: • HR Manager • Human Resources Director • People Operations Manager • HRBP • HR Business Partner • Talent ManagerThe good news is that our recent improvements mean the system now automatically includes similar job titles. For example, when you search for "software engineer" it will include variations like "SWE" and "software developer". This feature should help you get more comprehensive results without manually listing every variation. Sources: Find People [Clay 101] - Clay University Find AI, Improved People Search, JSON Inputs, Weighted Round Robin, New Integrations, and more!
Jacob T.
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Hmm, that's tough
Jacob T.
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sometimes Clay's find contact search is a bit wonky
Channeled
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Since Clay doesn't have semantic search capabilities yet, you'll need to be more comprehensive with your search terms to get better results. Here are some tips to improve your search:1. Include various permutations of job titles instead of using broad terms 2. Start with a broader search and then use filters to narrow down results 3. Use our waterfall enrichment feature, which automatically searches across multiple data providers to maximize your chances of finding contactsFor example, instead of just searching for "HR," try including variations like:• HR Manager• Human Resources Director• People Operations Manager• HRBP• HR Business Partner Sources: Find Jobs Source + Enrichment [Clay 101] - Clay University DropContact - Clay University Email Finder • Find verified emails across all data providers | Clay
Flora C.
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Would be great to know if anyone has any workarounds / Clay support has any advice?
Jacob T.
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Flora C. do you have any other data tool subscriptions? You can import qualified account list into Apollo for example or LinkedIn sales nav and find people at those companies with matching job title keywords
Channeled
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Here are some effective workarounds to improve your people search results:1. Use our new auto-query feature for job titles - when you search for a role like "software engineer," we'll automatically include variations like "SWE" and "software developer" without you having to list them all. 2. Follow these search optimization tips: • Start broad and then use filters to narrow results • Remove any overly restrictive limits • Preview initial results and adjust accordingly • If job titles seem off, add terms to negative exclusion criteria • If your list is too small, try expanding headcount ranges or removing narrow filters 3. Since we don't have semantic search yet, be comprehensive with your search terms: • Include various permutations of job titles • Start broad then narrow down using filters • Regularly iterate and refine your search parameters if you're not getting the expected resultsIf you need further assistance or have more specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask. You can also request human assistance by clicking on "Talk to a person" if you need more in-depth support. Sources: Find Companies [Clay 101] - Clay University Find Jobs Source + Enrichment [Clay 101] - Clay University Find AI, Improved People Search, JSON Inputs, Weighted Round Robin, New Integrations, and more!
Channeled
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Yes! We integrate with Apollo.io to help you find people at specific companies based on job titles. You can use Apollo.io within Clay by:1. Providing a list of job titles you want to search for (comma-separated) 2. Specifying company domains to search within 3. Optionally adding location filters 4. Setting a limit for the number of results (up to 10 people)We also integrate with Datagma, where you can:• Search by company name or website• Specify up to six job titles• Retrieve up to 10 employee profiles• Filter by countryBoth integrations work seamlessly within Clay's workflow to enhance your people search capabilities. Sources: Find People at Company By Job Title with Apollo.io Apollo.io - Clay University Datagma - Clay University
Flora C.
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Jacob T. I’m looking for a solution to ensure Clay functions as expected, as this is what my company is investing in, and we’d like the platform to deliver the intended functionality directly. Ideally I'd like to find a solution on Clay as opposed to having to utilise another platform. Do you know if there's a way I can speak to a Clay representative directly?
Channeled
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Looks like you're still looking for help. We're escalating this over to our support team and someone should be in touch soon. In the meantime, feel free to include any other information that may be helpful in solving your issue!
Jacob T.
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Flora C. yeah, I'm a Clay expert, but don't work for Clay directly... I may be able to help you out myself if you want, or you can wait here for a Clay rep to chime in.
Flora C.
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Yes I'm definitely looking for a solution! If there's anything you can advise to make this work within Clay, that would be great 🙂
Jacob T.
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Flora C. let me ask my engineer who has more hands-on experience fixing this issue
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Jacob T.
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Christian H. any advice here?
Flora C.
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For context I've just pulled this 'Find People' table from this list of 275 companies and it's only come up with 40 results. If you have any advice on how to yield a better search, it would be much appreciated!
Stefano
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Hi Flora, Thank you for reaching out. The best approach would be to select "Human Resources and Recruiting" under "Include Job Functions" instead of using job title keywords. https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/w28k1kwz/1266667383/cc993c3c601af965137aac16700e/CleanShot+2024-11-26+at+12_44_27%402x.png?expires=1732644900&signature=c36c5477600e65c1b795a8abd96e0437896acf909b6451f55fb6d5f02845ff07&req=dSIhEM94moJXWvMW1HO4zfzlEwMTYNbQPoUMLihdeK4%2BBr%2BLHws%2BxNgGMPQu%0APM4z%0A Since our data comes from LinkedIn, only individuals with the exact term "HR" in their profile will be included in your search results. On the other hand, selecting "Human Resources and Recruiting" as a broader criterion will likely return the same individuals you're looking for, but with a wider scope, even if they do not specifically say "HR" in their title. Currently, your search would exclude anyone who says "Human Resources" as their job. The "Include Job Titles" section is best for more specific roles, but since your search appears to be a bit broader, I recommend giving the broader "Human Resources and Recruiting" option a try. Let me know if this helps!
Flora C.
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Thanks Stefano. I've tried with the above advice and I'm still only getting 23 results for a table of nearly 300 companies. I've attached the Job Titles that I'm searching for and I'd also filtered for job functions as 'Humans Resources and Recruiting'. I've used Clay for over a year now and it never used to yield so few results when I searched in the same way so I'm confused if something has changed?!
Bo (.
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Hey - Can you send us the search once you've exported it so we can see what's wrong?
Flora C.
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The table is here: https://app.clay.com/workspaces/52490/tables/t_2xWYj9c7H5FY/views/gv_4jijNKphsukz it's now generated 17 but the table is almost 300 so there should still definitely be more
Bo (.
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Hey Flora! I checked your table and can see why you're getting fewer results than expected. After some testing, I found we get more results by: 1. Removing specific titles (only keeping the function) 2. Letting less senior people in. For the ~300 companies, about 50 are likely too small to have these specialized roles in-house. To catch more people, try: 1. Use Lookup in your company table to see which ones have results 2. For the others (you can filter the table based on which one have results), use Claygent with targeted prompts - Specify you want full names and LinkedIn URLs - Use JSON format based on the prompt - Write to Table to send the new findings to that people's table Let me know if you want help setting this up! 😊
Flora C.
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Hi Bo, Thanks for your reply. The thing will the more broad function search, I'm getting lots of talent acquisition employees which I do not want to target - is there a way to filter so these are removed? Also I'm concerned that these will remove Office Managers and Facilities managers by selecting the HR and Talent Aqusition Filter. Also how do I let fewer senior people come in?
Bo (.
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Hi Flora :)
Channeled
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Hey there - just wanted to check in here to see if you needed anything else! Feel free to reply back here if you do.
Channeled
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We haven't heard back from you in a bit, so we're going to go ahead and close things out here - feel free to let us know if you still need something!
Channeled
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Hi Flora C.! This thread was recently closed by our Support team. If you have a moment, please share your feedback:
Flora C.
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Hi - is it possible to reopen this thread? I'm only able to see 'Hi Flora' as the most recent reply from Bo (.
Tanvi R.
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Hey Flora, do you mind re-sending your previous message? It looks like it might have been cut off, as the only message we are seeing is "Hi Bo". Happy to help once we have more information!
Flora C.
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Hi Bo, Thanks for your reply. The thing will the more broad function search, I'm getting lots of talent acquisition employees which I do not want to target - is there a way to filter so these are removed? Also I'm concerned that these will remove Office Managers and Facilities managers by selecting the HR and Talent Aqusition Filter. Also how do I let fewer senior people come in?
Stefano
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Hi Flora, One option you have is to go to "Job Title" and select "Exclude job titles" (as shown below). Then, you can add any keywords related to positions you’d like to exclude. For example, if you're targeting more senior roles, you could add terms like "intern" or "junior," along with any other words that typically indicate non-senior positions. https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/w28k1kwz/1276409607/c8b9ddb228655e18916d6e954f1c/CleanShot+2024-12-04+at+09_49_15%402x.png?expires=1733325300&signature=632ff79c4b861736600b266d836afee4ed73f524d11e5909bc11404bc58e96b8&req=dSIgEM1%2BlIdfXvMW1HO4zXMHZw8qm1%2FG18UZHN6FUVOcceqxN6Fu77jKXFmE%0Avxo2%0A Let me know if this helps!
Flora C.
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I've tried all of these and I'm still only getting way fewer people than I would if I did it manually 😩 Is there any way you could try with my table and the information I provided above to see how many you can come up with?
Stefano
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Hi Flora, looking at your search it seems like you are looking for people working in Human Resources. If that is the case remove all the titles from "Include job titles" and re- run this search just with the "Include Job Functions" section. I believe that this will expand the search parameters allowing you to see more results. https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/w28k1kwz/1276699342/358e0c9f84c01498b38da5dec159/CleanShot+2024-12-04+at+12_47_30%402x.png?expires=1733336100&signature=5689fb4b3e8bb5f2091ba7c0fe326b7f11a8d8f8b7bb07e021032487233f1cc8&req=dSIgEM93lIJbW%2FMW1HO4zXWamRvhkAeJHXtastHW6wmfQJyJg24pQ3ovo%2FtY%0ANMZc%0A
Flora C.
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Will Office Managers and Executive Assistants still be encapsulated in this search?
Stefano
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Hi Flora, they should still be included. I recommend previewing the results when you re-run the search, and you might also want to add the Manager and Director titles under "include levels" to specifically target individuals with those titles. https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/w28k1kwz/1277756862/8bafc5c92bc3fcc6e776a7e0f7ee/CleanShot+2024-12-05+at+08_30_04%402x.png?expires=1733407200&signature=b06cf0e58753ba5759b087d2b0de2cb246cb7ba88e0726472d688a4230e3bfce&req=dSIgEc57m4lZW%2FMW1HO4zcHXYOwgBob5rqK7N369PYylmU31GwDBiZMxDJ%2FJ%0A3CUO%0A
Flora C.
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Ok great thank you - I will give it a go!
Flora C.
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I've tried this and I'm still only getting 51 results for a list of over 300 companies. It's a shame because it means I have to do each of these manually which defeats the purpose of what we're using Clay to achieve
Bo (.
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Do you mind sending the link to the table so we can take a look? https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/1171717996/ac7729f84b426e1d0358af02/image.png?expires=1733418000&signature=03c1b47afe022940a8890157fada59299df32869a903b617365bc11b5f26bbe8&req=dSEgF85%2FmohWX%2FMW1HO4zYTywSj4B58W2BKsam%2FhVPsIYQ%3D%3D%0A
Flora C.
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https://app.clay.com/workspaces/52490/tables/t_g9N22RHRbTzx/views/gv_vcYrapehB84U
Bo (.
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Hey Flora - I've recorded a quick video showing you how that can be done: https://cln.sh/897vV9J4 In this video I'm showing you how to expand your search to new limit with Claygent, the lookup, the write to other table and how it can be all automated.
Flora C.
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Thanks Bo! I will review this early next week and come back to you 🙂
Flora C.
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Hi Bo - I've just watched the video and this isn't relevant to my situation. The lookup only works if you have another table containing the contacts but my issue is that I'm not able to use LinkedIn properly to retrieve the contacts in the first place. At the moment, it seems that we're not able to utilise Clay for it's intended purpose which is a shame. The whole reason we're using it is to be able to easily pull contacts and emails and, at the moment, I'm having to do this manually.
Bo (.
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Hey! I think there might be a mix-up. Claygent is actually the key to avoiding all that manual work you're doing! The lookup part I mentioned is just step 1 - it helps save your credits by not re-scraping data you already have. The real magic happens with Claygent, which automatically pulls all those LinkedIn contacts and emails for you! Would you be able to try it like in the video? I guarantee this will be a mind-blowing experience. Feel free to record a Loom at the same time so we can troubleshoot things. This should fix all the manual data entry issues! 😊 Let me know if you have any questions.
Flora C.
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I didn't see a mention of Claygent in the video - do you mind confirming what part of the video that's used in?
Bo (.
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Oh sorry for that it's starting at 1min :)