Job pools are used to place successful candidates on a pre-screened list after going through several stages of testing. These pools are then made available to interested hiring managers for additional testing or to provide managers the opportunity to extend a formal job offer. Being placed in a job pool does not necessarily guarantee that a job offer is forthcoming. In fact, it is not uncommon for job pools to be established with candidates who wait six months or longer before receiving a job offer. Some pools even expire without the candidates in the job pool receiving a formal job offer.
Job pools can be categorized as a “fully assessed pool” or a “partially assessed pool”. A fully assessed pool contains a list of candidates who have met the qualifications in the Statement of merit criteria for the position. A partially assessed pool contains a list of candidates who meet some merit criteria, but who may require further testing to be hired for a position. This is often the case with large competitions such as those for the Post Secondary Recruitment campaign. Often, candidates are chosen from these pools are chosen based on additional qualifications required for the position, ability to satisfy specific work conditions of the position, experience and qualifications related to the position, and other factors such as employment equity status (when clearly stated), and/or language profiles.
It is important to note that job pools should not be confused with eligibility lists. An eligibility list is usually a list of the most qualified applicants for the position ordered in rank of their qualifications and suitability for the position. Job positions are usually offered based on a top-down approach which provides the opportunity for the top-ranked applicants on the list to be hired first.