I manage a web-based job search process. The search interface is in one place on the site, but the site's main navigation allows users to get there from anywhere. The interface allows users to search for jobs by specifying values for any of half a dozen or so criteria, including job category, location, keyword, etc. It's recently been suggested that we give users the ability to search for jobs from lots of places on the site, including the home page, not just in the traditional 'search' section. To accomplish that, however, users will only be able to specify two of the regular six possible search criteria--job category and location--instead the full six. As you can imagine, there simply isn't the room on every page to accommodate the full search interface. The idea, then, is to have a small version of the search interface available to users everywhere, much like some sites have a small keyword search field available on every page. I agree with the proponents of this plan that we'll probably get more people to conduct searches. Indeed, with an interface on every page (apologies to Herb Hoover), users will be able to search whenever and wherever the urge strikes. I like that--I don't want users to have to work more than necessary to do what we want them to do (search). On the other hand, I'm concerned that the truncated search interface will actually reduce the number of quality results that users get. First--and I can't quantify or justify this--it seems like one thing to give users a 'simple search' and an 'advanced/power' search; is it something else altogether to reduce the number of options users have to formulate an accurate query? The full interface isn't difficult. I don't *think* we're necessarily saving novice users from an advanced, i.e. confusing or overwhelming, search process. Second, it seems likely that a large number of users will come to the site and use the new, truncated version of the job search interface without, perhaps, *ever* realizing that a richer, more flexible search interface is available. Are we undermining our own efforts by encouraging users to conduct less accurate job searches? After all, it's in my company's best interest to have users conduct job searches *and* apply to the jobs they find--that's the business model. Just having users conduct more searches isn't really all that beneficial to anybody if the results are of a lesser quality and users leave the site thinking the search function isn't very useful. Finally, I wonder if it better serves all parties if we strive to provide users with a consistent searching experience, not one that might appear different in different places. Is there any validity to my feeling that it's probably better if users have a single, consistent concept of what it means to search for jobs on our site rather than multiple, *perhaps* competing concepts? Indeed, part of what makes our search interface useful is that it *does* give users options and tools for specifying the jobs they want to see. If many of our users stop seeing these options, I can't help but wonder if we'll just be creating a population of users who don't see our service as different or more useful than that of our competitors. Anybody have any thoughts? Am I overthinking this?! Thank you. mf