Frequently Asked Questions

What is the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM?

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is an enhanced variant of the O*NET Auto-Coder Beta developed by R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc. for the US Department of Labor.

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is the first affordable, commercially available system developed specifically to assign SOC 2018, O*NET 2019, and OES 2020 codes to jobs, resumes and UI claims at an accuracy level that exceeds the level achieved by human coders. As an added benefit, O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is more consistent in assigning occupational codes.

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is flexible, providing a web interface for real-time staff use and web services that allow integration of the coding service into existing applications.

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is powerful, using a proprietary parsing and coding algorithm developed and refined by R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc., to assign occupation codes and fit scores to job content. In contrast to traditional keyword searches, the more information provided about a job, the better the match results.

Why do we need an O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM?

The O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is a tool that can instantly provide a high-quality occupational classification for a job order, unemployment insurance claim, resume or search string. Long experience has shown that whether assigned by professional staff or customers themselves, the quality of occupational classification tends to be quite poor. High-quality occupational coding, even for experts, requires time and analysis that is not usually available to those responsible for assigning codes in the real world; resulting in a critical point of failure in systems that may rely largely (or solely) on matching occupational information.

Improving the quality and consistency of occupational code assignment may be the single most powerful way to improve job-match systems. The O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM provides the means to accomplish this easily and efficiently.

How does O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM v14 differ from version v12?

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM v14 adds support for SOC 2018, ONET 2019 and OES 2020 taxonomies. We've also expanded our proprietary dictionary of analyst-weighted terms. This dictionary continues to grow as new terms become important in describing the world of work.

With O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM v14 you can install one copy of our application and obtain codes for any of our supported 6- and 8-digit taxonomies (11 variants at this time).

How accurate is O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM?

R.M. Wilson Consulting guarantees 80% accuracy for codes assigned to job titles, and we guarantee 85% accuracy for codes assigned to job ads (titles plus descriptions).

How does it work?

The basic mechanism of the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is straightforward: it splits the text of a job opening, resume or UI claim into its individual words and phrases, which are then matched to a database of words and phrases associated with O*Net codes. The words in the database have been reviewed and weighted by analysts so that the most important words for a given occupation are given more importance in the match calculation. The O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM has several different methods for matching an occupation code to an order. The final result is a weighted average of these methods.

How do I use it?

The O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM allows two primary inputs: job title (up to 150 characters) and job description. To find an O*Net code for a job order, applicant, or claimant, enter a job title and/or description. Supplemental inputs (firm name, job category, education level, and industry code) provide additional context and improve coding accuracy.

Clicking on the occupation title or match score of any of the match results will display a side-by-side comparison of the full job title and description along with the description of the occupation code. Each individual word that matched is also displayed, along with its relative contribution to the overall score for the occupation.

What does the score mean?

The match score is the weighted average of the various match methods. If a code is the top selection of all methods (and meets expected match thresholds and separation from other codes), then the overall match score will approach 100, the maximum possible. Scores above 70 accurately predict the correct code at least 70% of the time; scores above 80 accurately predict the correct code at least 80% of the time; and scores above 90 accurately predict the correct code at least 90% of the time. Accuracy rates drop off rapidly when scores are in the 60s or lower.

How do I get the best results?

Because the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is relying solely on the text of the job or claim to determine the appropriate O*NET code, the quantity and quality of the order text has an impact on the coding accuracy. Providing both a title and description tends to increase the accuracy rate from approximately 80% (for titles only) to approximately 85% based on test results.

Text which is not directly related to the duties and qualifications required for the job being posted (e.g. general information about the company, marketing pitches, contact information, etc.) is at best irrelevant, and at worst misleading. Although the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM has filters that can screen out some of this type of text, the less there is, the better. Real-world job orders sometimes contain information regarding openings for a variety of different jobs. Needless to say, such orders are challenging to code, whether by computer or expert human coder. Best results are achieved when each job ad is focused on an opening (or openings) for a single type of position.

Can I code more than one job order, resume or claimant?

Yes. To assign an O*NET-SOC code to many job orders, resumes or claims it will be more efficient to use the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM's web services. Performance will vary based on the hardware platform, but on a standard PC, the AutoCoder should be able to process 100,000 records per hour.

Can I integrate the AutoCoder functionality into my existing applications?

Yes. O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM Web Services allow web developers to incorporate the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM coding functionality into their applications. Your existing applications can pass job title and description information to one of the Web Services and receive O*NET-SOC codes back. By default, the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM Web Services are deployed when the web application is deployed.

How often will O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM be updated?

R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc. intends to release one update per year as part of the AutoCoder maintenance and support package. Updates will reflect new releases of the O*NET Database, and include new weighted-words, improved coding methodologies, interface updates, and enhanced web-service functionality.

Why should we choose O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM v14 over the version available from ETA?

O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM v14 is a much more accurate and mature product, allowing more extensive automation of code assignment with confidence - by itself, this justifies the selection. In addition, as the original developers of O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM, we can provide you with a more flexible license. And when it comes to choosing a support provider, no one knows the inner workings of O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM like R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc.

For more information about O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM, check out the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM blog, or contact:

Bob Wilson
President
R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc.
P.O. Box 2103
Sisters, OR 97759

email: bob@rmwilsonconsulting.com
cell: 703-282-3571
fax: 866-850-4893 (toll free)

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
O*NET-SOC AutoCoder^TM is a trademark of R.M. Wilson Consulting, Inc.