The heart of XC3 is a searchable database of consultant profiles. The database was tailor made for XC3 and this is therefore very effective. Targeted information is stored as individual searchable fields and therefore most searches do not rely on unreliable word searches of text documents, but rather on quick select tickbox and list options. Text search is also possible in some fields.
The database allows rapid and reliable searches by any or all of the factors in the consultant profile, except for some background information fields such as nationality. This includes the ability select maximum and minimum requirements in fields such as "rank", and to search for minimum levels for skills such as languages. The three Micro CVs are searchable by keyword and searching by consultant availability includes the ability to define two or three time periods - a very sophisticated system.
Search results can be presented in two forms - a huge table of almost all profile information, or a series of short summaries based on the 3 Micro CVs (see profile information section).
More about consultant availability….
Availability Information. This is probably the most important information in the XC3 database and the key advantage of a 24/7 directly accessible online database.
Up to four separate periods of availability can be recorded in a consultant's profile at any one time - each accurate to one day and qualified with information about the type of work that a consultant is able to undertake in each.
In order to ensure that this information is kept up to date XC3 consultants must login to the site once every 14 days otherwise their profiles will go offline. They are regularly reminded by email of this responsibility.
More about consultant credibility….
XC3 goes to great lengths to ensure that no company time wasted as a result of inaccuracies in the database. Inaccuracies are minimised by:
- Reading and checking all consultant profiles before acceptance.
- Speaking to the consultant.
- Contacting references in cases of doubt.
- Requesting post interview feedback from companies.
- Removal of any dubious profiles without refund of subscription charges.
- Conducting further consultant checking if requested by companies.
We do not publish negative comment about consultants for legal reasons and any feedback given by companies is strictly confidential.
In short we would rather a company visited the site and made an unsuccessful search of the database than found apparently ideal consultants and then wasted time as a result as a result of inaccuracies - either accidental or intentional.
More about the site organiser...
Since consultants are dealt with by an ID number XC3 provides a system of record keeping to allow companies to keep track of known users, emails sent etc. This is visible only to the company concerned.
Notes can be recorded about consultants. Once a note has been made an icon appears on all search results against the user's ID number to remind the company that the note exists. This can be used to "put a face to the number".
A job reference system may be used. This allows companies to look at previous emails sent for each job. Additionally notes may be recorded for every email sent. As with user notes an icon appears against user numbers where contact has previously been made with the user.
All of the above functions may be disabled. This enables anonymous use of the site and means that any unauthorised site access reveals no information about a company's site use.