What is a key characteristic of a candidate pipeline?

• A. A staged collection of potential hires at various readiness levels, maintained for long-term talent attraction.
• B. A static list of applicants for a single role.
• C. A tool only used for onboarding.
• D. A source for customer leads.

Answer: (A)

A candidate pipeline is a living, staged pool of potential hires at different readiness levels that you maintain over time to attract talent for future openings. The idea is to nurture relationships with candidates who aren’t yet ready to hire but could be strong fits later, so you can move quickly when a role opens. This ongoing approach supports proactive recruiting, keeps a diverse set of talent in view, and reduces time-to-fill by having ready-to-engage candidates when needs arise. It’s not merely a static list for one role, not something used only for onboarding, and it isn’t about customer leads.