A talent pool is a group of candidates who have been assessed and meet the capabilities required for a role. Being placed in a talent pool gives candidates opportunities to be considered for employment over an 18-month period.
Establishing your own talent pool allows you to attract a wide range of candidates and have quick access to pre-assessed candidates when you need it. You can establish a talent pool when:
- you are recruiting for a specific role and more than one candidate has met requirements
- you know you will be recruiting in future and want to be prepared.
You can partner with one or several agencies to establish a shared talent pool.
The requirements for setting up a talent pool are set out in the Government Sector Employment (GSE) Rule 19.
Use this guidance to help you set up talent pools within your department or agency.
Requirements, recommendations and guidelines to assist you when using an agency talent pool.
Public Service talent pools
The PSC centrally manages Public Service talent pools which can save you time in set-up and administration. Typically, there is one talent pool established per year and it is at a specific grade level, determined through consultation with sector recruiters.