Candidate pipeline
A candidate pipeline (alternatively known as talent pipeline and recruitment pipeline: hereinafter, the Pipeline) is a pool of pipeline candidates (or pipelined candidates; hereinafter, the Candidates). Depending on various organizational cultures, these candidates are:
- Qualified workers interested in employment vacancies as they become available.
- Employment candidates whose qualifications are being assessed or new credentials are being built.
The Candidates are included into the Pipeline because their KSAs, attitudes, and other credentials match one or more roles. These roles are not employment vacancies yet, but can become one day. When they do, the Candidates are interviewed for or offered the position.
The Candidates may be those current employees who are considered for career ladder promotion or those who are not currently employed by this employer. Regardless of their status, the potential employer may keep the Candidates involved and, possibly, enrolled in onboarding or socialization. At any rate, the employer is supposed to nurture relationships with the Candidates.
The Pipeline can be called a staffing reserve, although the reserve may indicate a candidate database (resume database) or a combination of both. Cultivating the Pipeline is a more proactive technique that just maintaining the database.
