This article provides a comprehensive guide to using the Talent Pool feature within the Recruitment module. It covers the essential functions, including how to add internal and external candidates to position-based talent pools, use those pools to fill requisitions, and manage your candidate reserves. You will also find a list of frequently asked questions to help resolve common scenarios.
What is a Talent Pool?
It's helpful to know that a Talent Pool is always linked to a specific Position within your ELMO system (e.g., "Senior Accountant," "Marketing Manager," "Retail Assistant"). It is not a general collection of all candidates. This design allows you to create targeted reserves for different roles across your organisation. When you need to fill a new requisition, you can draw from the specific Talent Pool that matches the requisition's position.
Adding Candidates to a Talent Pool
There are a few ways to add people to your talent pools, depending on whether they are an existing employee, an external candidate, or someone who has applied for another role.
Adding an External Candidate
This method is ideal for candidates who exist in your database but are not yet in a specific requisition.
1. Navigate to Administration → Recruitment → Candidates.
2. Use the search functions to find the candidate you wish to add.
3. From the search results, click the Actions menu (three dots) next to the candidate's name.
4. Select Add to Pool.
5. In the pop-up window, start typing the name of the Position you want to add the candidate to and select it from the list.
6. Click Add.
Note: There may be instances where the candidate has a pending application already in the requisition that is yet to be completed, this will prevent you from adding this candidate to the requisition. You can check if they have by opening their candidate profile (Administration > Recruitment > Candidates > Scroll down until you see Applications)
Adding an Internal Employee
For current employees you’re considering for other roles, you can add them from the Talent Search area.
1. Navigate to Recruitment → Talent Search.
2. Search for the employee by name or email.
3. From the search results, click the Actions menu and select Add to Pool.
4. Choose the relevant Position for the talent pool and click Add.
Adding a Candidate from an Existing Requisition
If you have a great candidate who applied for one role but might be a good fit for another, you can add them to a different talent pool directly from their current requisition.
1. Open the requisition containing the candidate.
2. Find the candidate in the list (e.g., under 'New' or 'Shortlist').
3. Click the Actions menu next to their name and select Add to Talent Pool.
4. Select the Position for the talent pool you wish to add them to.
Using Talent Pools to Fill a Requisition
Once you have built up your talent pools, you can easily add those candidates to new, active requisitions.
1. Navigate to your open requisition.
2. Click the + Add Candidate button and select From Talent Pool.
3. A window will appear showing all candidates within the Talent Pool that matches your requisition's Position.
4. Find the candidate(s) you wish to add and click the + Add button next to their name.
5. You will be prompted to select a Portal. This refers to the Careers Portal the original job ad was posted on. Start typing the name of your portal (e.g., "Careers Portal") and select it from the list.
6. Click + Add. The candidate will now appear in your requisition's 'Shortlist'.
When a candidate is added from a talent pool, the 'Application Confirmation' notification is typically sent to them. You can manage this and other notifications by navigating to Administration → General → Notifications.
Candidate Not Appearing in Talent Pool Search?
If you've added a candidate to a talent pool but can't find them when trying to add them to a requisition, it's usually for one of two reasons:
System Delay: There can be a slight delay of a few minutes after adding a candidate before they appear in the talent pool search. Please allow a few moments and refresh the page before searching again.
Position Mismatch: A requisition will only show candidates from a talent pool that is linked to the exact same position. For example, a requisition for the "Senior Accountant" position will only show candidates from the "Senior Accountant" talent pool.
To ensure you are adding candidates to the correct talent pool, you first need to confirm the position linked to your requisition. You can find the position details in a couple of ways:
From the Requisitions List: Navigate to Recruitment → My Requisitions. In the list of your requisitions, the position title is typically displayed next to the requisition name, for example: Requisition Name (Position Name) (ID).
From the Requisition Overview: Click on the title of your requisition to open its details. The associated Position will be listed on the Overview tab.
Once you have confirmed the exact position name, ensure the candidate is added to the talent pool for that specific position.
Managing Your Talent Pool
To see all candidates within a specific talent pool or to remove someone, you can manage the pool through the Positions settings.
1. Navigate to Administration → General → Positions.
2. Find the position whose talent pool you wish to manage.
3. Click the Talent Pool icon (a group of people) in the 'Actions' column.
4. From here, you will see a list of all candidates in that pool and have the option to remove them using the delete icon.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why can't I find a candidate in the Talent Pool after adding them?+
This usually happens for one of two reasons. First, allow a few moments for the system to update after adding someone to a pool; there can sometimes be a short delay. Second, confirm that the Position linked to your requisition is the exact same Position you added the candidate to in the talent pool. A requisition for a "Sales Manager" will only show candidates from the "Sales Manager" talent pool.
Do a candidate's resume and application answers carry over when I add them from a Talent Pool?+
Application-specific information like answers to screening questions will not carry over when moving a candidate to a new requisition. For internal employees, details like their address might not populate as that information is tied to their main employee profile, not the application form. As a helpful workaround, you can add any necessary documents or information to the 'Notes' section of the candidate's profile in the new requisition.
Can I create a general talent pool that isn't linked to a specific position?+
Talent pools are designed to be linked to positions to help you build targeted reserves of talent. A popular workaround is to create a new, broad position like "General Expression of Interest" or "Future Opportunities" and use its associated talent pool for wider candidate management.
Why can't I add an inactive employee to a Talent Pool?+
The employee's user account must be active in the system before they can be added to a talent pool or a requisition.
I'm trying to add a candidate from one requisition to another, but they don't show up in the talent pool search. Why?+
To move a candidate, you must add them to the talent pool of the destination requisition's specific Position. For example, if you want to move a candidate to the "Project Manager" requisition, you must first add them to the "Project Manager" talent pool.
I am trying to add a candidate to the Talent Pool, however the candidate is not being added +
There may be an instance where a candidate has already tried to apply to the Requisition however has not completed their application. Please check their candidate profile by going into Administration → Recruitment → Candidate and search their profile. Scroll down under the Application section to see if they have a pending application.