Dynamic assignment of qualification block to person

1. A computer-implemented method for matching a position represented by a position object having a first set of qualifications arranged in a hierarchical structure, to a person represented by a person object, wherein the position object is organized as a hierarchical structure having the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, said method comprising:

examining, by a computer, the position object having the first set of qualifications arranged in the hierarchical structure, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications from the position object;

assigning to each qualification, by the computer, a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

producing, by the computer, a flat list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

removing, by the computer, duplicate qualifications from the flat list, wherein duplicate qualifications having higher classification numbers are removed; and

responsive to the removal of the duplicate qualifications, matching the flat list of qualifications to qualifications from a second set of qualifications associated with the person object to determine whether the person is a match for the position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of removing duplicate qualifications comprises:

determining a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications, wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications; and

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, removing the duplicate qualifications having a lower level of proficiency.

3. A computer-implemented method for matching a person represented by a person object within a database, to a position represented by a position object having a hierarchy of qualifications within the database, wherein the position object is organized as a hierarchical structure having the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, the method comprising:

examining, by a computer, the position object having the hierarchical structure of qualifications, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications in the hierarchical structure of qualifications from the position object;

assigning to each qualification, by the computer, a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

determining, by the computer, a flattened list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

determining, by the computer, a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications;

removing, by the computer, duplicate qualifications from the flattened list of qualifications, wherein duplicate qualifications having a classification further from the position object are removed and wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications;

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, removing the duplicate qualification having a lower level of proficiency; and

matching the flattened list of qualifications with removed duplicates to a set of required qualifications associated with the person object to determine a match between the person and the position.

4. A computer storage medium including computer executable code for providing a system for matching a position represented by a position object having a first set of qualifications arranged in a hierarchical structure, to a person represented by a person object, wherein the position object is organized as a hierarchical structure having the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, said computer executable code comprising:

code for examining the position object having the first set of qualifications arranged in the hierarchical structure, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications from the position object;

code for assigning to each qualification a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

code for producing a flat list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

code for removing duplicate qualifications from the flat list, wherein duplicate qualifications having higher classification numbers are removed; and

code for, responsive to the removal of the duplicate qualifications, matching the flat list of qualifications to qualifications from a second set of qualifications associated with the person object to determine whether the person is a match for the position.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the code for removing duplicate qualifications comprises:

code for determining a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications, wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications; and

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, code for removing the duplicate qualifications having a lower level of proficiency.

6. A system for matching a person represented by a person object within a database, to a position represented by a position object having a hierarchy of qualifications within the database, wherein the hierarchy has the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, the system comprising:

an examining unit for examining the position object having the hierarchy of qualifications, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications in the hierarchy of qualifications from the position object;

an assigning unit for assigning to each qualification a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

a first determining unit for determining a flattened list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

a second determining unit for determining a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications;

a removing unit for removing duplicate qualifications from the flattened list of qualifications, wherein duplicate qualifications having a classification further from the position object are removed and wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications;

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, removing the duplicate qualifications having a lower level of proficiency; and

a matching unit for matching the flattened list of qualifications with removed duplicates to a set of required qualifications associated with the person object to determine a match between the person and the position.

7. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for matching a position represented by a position object having a first set of qualifications arranged in a hierarchical structure to a person represented by a person object, wherein the position object is organized as a hierarchical structure having the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, the method comprising:

examining the position object having the set of qualifications arranged in the hierarchical structure, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications from the position object;

assigning to each qualification, by the computer system, a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

producing a flat list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

removing duplicate qualifications from the flat list, wherein duplicate qualifications having higher classification numbers are removed; and

responsive to the removal of the duplicate qualifications, matching the flat list of qualifications to qualifications from a second set of qualifications associated with the person object to determine whether the person is a match for the position.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the step of removing duplicate qualifications comprises:

determining a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications, wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications; and

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, removing the duplicate qualifications having a lower level of proficiency.

9. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for matching a person represented by a person object within a database, to a position represented by a position object having a hierarchy of qualifications within the database, wherein the position object is organized as a hierarchical structure having the position object as a root and including requirements and tasks having requirements, each requirement further including a plurality of qualifications of the each requirement, said method comprising:

examining the position object having the hierarchy of qualifications, and determining a relative hierarchy level of each of the qualifications in the hierarchy of qualifications from the position object;

assigning to each qualification a classification number indicating the relative hierarchy level of the qualification;

determining a flattened list of qualifications from the hierarchical structure, each qualification being associated with its corresponding classification number;

determining a level of proficiency associated with each of the qualifications;

removing duplicate qualifications from the flattened list of qualifications, wherein duplicate qualifications having a classification further from the position object are removed and wherein for duplicate qualifications having the same hierarchy level, a determination is made whether there is a difference in proficiency levels associated with the duplicate qualifications;

for duplicate qualifications having different proficiency levels, removing the duplicate qualifications having a lower level of proficiency; and

matching the flattened list of qualifications with removed duplicates to a set of required qualifications associated with the person object to determine a match between the person and the position.