How to Safely Use Pipeline Requisitions

There can be many challenges in the Recruitment Process such as attracting the most qualified candid...



Posted by Therecia Davis on October 29 2024
Therecia Davis

There can be many challenges in the Recruitment Process such as attracting the most qualified candidates, competition from other employers and eliminating hiring bias.  Effectively managing this process is essential for a company’s overall success.  So, what do you do when you have a position available and need someone to fill the position immediately?  As talent professionals, wouldn’t it be great to have a “pipeline of applicants” ready and available? As compliance professionals, the application of pipeline or evergreen requisitions can be tricky; but can be used, if done properly.  Read on for guidance on how to build your pipeline, while keeping compliance issues top of mind.

What are pipeline requisitions?

Pipeline requisitions are when you have a pool of candidates that are interested in positions with your company as they become available. They are sometimes known as evergreens, when a req is opened with an Unspecified Number of Hires assigned.

How do you get a pipeline of candidates?

You post a requisition just as you normally would, but you want to be clear in the posting that this is a pipeline requisition and not a job opening. When a position becomes available, invite all candidates that are in the pipeline who meet the basic qualifications to apply to the job opening. Ensure that you are asking clear, job-related screening questions at the beginning of the process to ensure that the candidate meets the basic requirements. Link your pipeline requisitions to a single job and a single location to mitigate any risk or confusion.

How does this affect my applicant log?

When reviewing candidates and determining who should be included in the AAP applicant log, you should follow the normal process of determining if they are an applicant or a job seeker, which is through the Internet Applicant Rule.

This rule requires that a job seeker must meet 4 prongs to be considered an applicant, and therefore included in the AAP applicant analysis: 1) apply electronically for the position, 2) be considered by the companyfor a position 3) meet the basic qualifications for the position and 4) not withdraw from the process prior to an offer of employment.

When inviting all candidates to apply to the requisitions, you may have some that decide that they are not interested in that specific position. Therefore, only those that applied would be considered in the applicant pool. Those that decided not to apply would be considered a candidate under the 4th prong of the internet applicant rule (withdrawn/presumed not interested).

Close and renew the pipeline.

You want to ensure that you close the requisition on a regular basis (every 30-120 days) and have candidates re-apply to the new pipeline requisition. This will allow you to clean up the active pools and analyze smaller data sets.

Keys to keeping your pipeline compliant:

Pipeline requisitions can be beneficial for candidates as well as the company, however, it’s important to remember the following tips:

  • Add a disclaimer in the job posting description clarifying that it is a pipeline requisition not an active job opening.
  • Be sure to follow the proper protocols in posting, inviting all candidates, interviewing, and dispositioning candidates properly.
  • Keep your requisition current and accurate.  Be sure you close and repost your pipeline requisition every 30 - 120 days. 

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