Talent pooling: a shortlist before the role opens

Your people first

Your own people sit in the pool first, alongside past applicants and contractors, all measured against the same evidence rather than how well they are known.

Internal candidates compete on equal terms
Strong runners-up stay in view
Contractors judged on evidence, not tenure

Weeks back

The weeks between a role opening and a shortlist existing are the weeks a pool gives back to your time to fill.

No campaign before first interviews
Hiring managers see evidence sooner
Critical roles are covered faster

Nothing extra

The pool is the assessment work you have already done, held and read again, not a separate process somebody has to run.

No spreadsheet to keep current
Grows with every assessment you run
Results written in plain language

A success profile

A clear statement of what good looks like for the roles you fill most often, agreed with the hiring managers who will use the shortlist.

Define what good looks like

One assessment

A behavioral assessment each person completes once, with a range of options for length and depth. Every person in the pool is measured the same way.

Choose the right depth

One result, reused

One completion serves more than one decision. The same assessment data supports bench-building and internal moves, so nobody sits a second assessment for the next role.

Move people without retesting

Feedback for everyone

Every person gets strengths-based feedback when they finish, so the people you are not ready to hire yet still leave with something useful.

Talent pooling questions

What talent acquisition teams ask before they build their first pool.

Talk to us Explore Support

What is talent pooling?

Talent pooling is building a group of people assessed against a success profile before a vacancy opens, so you start from a shortlist rather than an advert. The pool can hold past applicants, contractors and current employees, all measured against the same standard.

What is the difference between talent pooling and talent pipelining?

A talent pool is the group of people you already hold evidence on. Talent pipelining is the ongoing work of keeping that group matched to the roles you will need to fill. The pool is what you draw from; the pipeline is how it stays useful.

Do people need to be reassessed for each new role?

No. A person completes the assessment once, and the same result is used for later decisions, such as the next role or an internal move, with no repeat assessment.

Can external candidates and employees sit in the same pool?

Yes. Past applicants, contractors and internal candidates are measured against the same profile, so everyone is compared on evidence rather than on how well they are known. Internal mobility covers moving your own people in more depth.

How does talent pooling fit with workforce planning?

Workforce planning tells you which roles you will need; talent pooling means people are ready for them. We do not forecast headcount. We supply the evidence about people that a plan needs, as part of our approach to talent mobility. See workforce planning.

What do people in the pool experience?

They complete one assessment online and get strengths-based feedback as soon as they finish, whether or not a role opens for them. That keeps a good impression of your organization with the people you may want to call later.

Build your first talent pool with us

Tell us the roles you fill most often and we will show you where to start.

Talent pooling: start your shortlist from your own people

How talent pooling works

THE CHALLENGE

SET THE PROFILE

ASSESS ONCE

START FROM EVIDENCE

A wider starting line

Your people first

Weeks back

Nothing extra

Tell us which roles keep reopening

What you need to build a talent pool

Everything a pool needs, from the success profile to the shortlist, with one assessment per person.