How can PHP developers optimize performance when managing a large number of candidate and employee records in a database?

To optimize performance when managing a large number of candidate and employee records in a database, PHP developers can utilize indexing on frequently queried columns, use efficient SQL queries, implement caching mechanisms, and consider database normalization to reduce redundancy and improve data retrieval speed.

// Example of using indexing on frequently queried columns
$sql = "CREATE INDEX idx_lastname ON employees (lastname)";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);

// Example of using efficient SQL queries
$sql = "SELECT * FROM employees WHERE department = 'IT'";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);

// Example of implementing caching mechanisms
$cacheKey = 'employees_data';
if ($data = apc_fetch($cacheKey)) {
    // Use cached data
} else {
    // Query database and store data in cache
    $sql = "SELECT * FROM employees";
    $result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
    $data = mysqli_fetch_all($result, MYSQLI_ASSOC);
    apc_store($cacheKey, $data);
}

// Example of database normalization to reduce redundancy
// Separate tables for employees and departments