Ideal Candidate

Ensure you have completed all prior steps for recruitment before proceeding.

Defining your ideal candidate is crucial for successful recruitment. A well-defined profile acts as a guide, enabling managers to identify essential skills, qualifications and cultural fit, which creates a targeted approach to attracting and selecting candidates who contribute positively to your team and the university.

Key Resources

Have the following documents available to support you through identifying your ideal candidate:

  1. Job Card, Job Fact Sheet or Position Description
  2. Organizational Chart
  3. Collective Agreements + Handbooks
  4. Job Posting Template
  5. Qualifications List

Steps

1. Identify key skills, experience and qualifications
  • List technical skills required for the role.
  • Identify soft skills, such as communication, teamwork and adaptability.
    • Consider qualities that enhance collaboration and productivity.
    • Define cultural values and behaviors that align with your team and the university.
  • Determine experience and expertise necessary for the position.
    • Specify any industry-related knowledge or specific qualifications required.
  • Specify the educational qualifications.
    • Determine if specific degrees, certifications or licenses are required.
  • Clearly distinguish between non-negotiable requirements and desirable attributes.
2. Outline key responsibilities
  • Define the primary responsibilities of the role.
    • Highlight tasks that contribute significantly to team and university goals.
3. Consider equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Ensure inclusivity in your ideal candidate criteria.
    • Promote diversity by avoiding biases and welcoming candidates from varied backgrounds.
  • Find a balance between specific criteria and openness to diverse experiences.
    • Allow flexibility for candidates who demonstrate potential for success.
4. Reflect on past hires who have excelled in similar roles
  • Identify common characteristics and skills that contributed to their success.
5. Seek feedback from team
  • Collaborate with team members to gather diverse perspectives.
    • Understand the qualities they value in a team member.
  • Evaluate current teams’ skills and consider what is required to build bench strength.
6. Consider where you might find this candidate
  • Review the Talent Pipeline step for guidance on how to build and maintain a pool of potential candidates.
  • Determine where your ideal candidates are likely to search for job opportunities.
    • Review the Job Posting step for more information on free and paid advertising options.
7. Continuous improvement
  • Periodically review and refine your ideal candidate profile based on evolving needs.
    • Adapt criteria to align with changing industry trends and the university’s goals.

Next you will need to determine if the position requires evaluation through the Design + Evaluate Position step. The above ideal candidate information will also support your completion of the Job Posting Request Form in the Job Posting step.

Need Support?

Shared Services can provide recruitment support related to the following:

  • Job postings
  • Recruitment folder set-up
  • Initial screening
  • Immigration
  • Recall and duty to accommodate
  • Reference checks
  • Moving and relocation
  • Records management
  • Offer letters

If your faculty, department, or unit is a Recruitment Pilot participant, learn more  about how to access services for your hiring needs.

Your HR Partner  can provide support for interviews at the leadership level and any other questions throughout the steps for recruitment.

Foundational Recruitment Resources