These are the questions owners and people leaders ask us most often, usually in the first ten minutes of a call. The short answers are in the list below; the sections here cover the three topics that need more space: cost, what "done" looks like, and how we differ from the agencies you may have used.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does TalentAcquisition.ca do?
We design recruiting systems and employer brands for Canadian companies: the hiring process, the employer value proposition, careers pages and job ads, sourcing campaigns and recruiting metrics. Your own team runs the system afterwards.
Are you a staffing or placement agency?
No. We don't find, place or represent candidates, and we don't supply temporary workers. We build and improve the way you hire.
How much does it cost?
We don't publish prices. Each engagement is scoped to your roles, regions and needs, and the cost is set out in a written proposal before work begins. Canadian clients add GST/HST at their province's rate.
Is there a long-term contract?
Engagement length and terms depend on the format you choose, from a 90-day sprint to ongoing advisory. Every term is written into the proposal so you can read it before agreeing.
How long before we see a difference?
Speed improvements, such as faster first responses, often show within the first few searches on a new process. Changes in applicant quality and source of hire usually need one to two full hiring cycles to measure reliably.
We tried a recruiting agency before and it didn't work. Why would this be different?
An agency fills a role and leaves. We fix the system that keeps creating hard-to-fill roles, and leave your team able to run it. If your past problem was a single urgent search, an agency may still be the right tool for that.
Who owns the job ads, careers content and templates you create?
Ownership of every deliverable is stated in your proposal before work starts. Ask about it in your first conversation so it is clear from day one.
Who controls our applicant tracking system and job board accounts?
Those accounts should be in your company's name. Any access we use is granted by you, so you decide when it ends.
How do you report progress?
Against a baseline we set together at the start: stage times, pass-through rates, offer acceptance and source of hire. During active work we review progress with you weekly.
Do you advise on employment law, human rights or immigration?
No. We link the relevant regulators on each region page and tell you when to speak with an employment lawyer, a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or an immigration lawyer.
Do you help set pay or salary ranges?
No. Pay decisions belong to you and your advisors. Where a province requires pay information in job postings, we build a field for it in the ad template and link the official guidance.
Can you work with us if we're outside BC?
Yes. We work with employers in all 10 provinces and 3 territories, meeting by video call or in person, and by phone, text and email.
Do you use AI in recruiting work?
Where it saves real time, for drafting, summarising and scheduling, and always with a person making decisions about people. We also flag any posting rules about disclosing AI use, such as Ontario's.
About cost and commitment
We don't publish prices because scope varies so much between employers. A company hiring one kind of role in one city needs a fraction of the work of a company hiring across three provinces in two languages. Every engagement is quoted in writing before work starts, and the pricing page explains the formats and what drives cost.
The first consultation with a senior partner is complimentary and confidential. It's a working conversation about your hiring, not a sales presentation.
What "done" looks like
An engagement is finished when your team can run the system without us. In practice that means:
- every hiring manager has used the new process on at least one live search
- the careers pages and ad template are published and in use
- the weekly report runs, and someone owns it
- you have before-and-after numbers for the measures we agreed
If one of those isn't true, we say so in the final review. The services page describes each deliverable in detail.
How we differ from a recruiting agency
| Recruiting agency | TalentAcquisition.ca | |
|---|---|---|
| Main output | A filled role | A hiring system |
| Who contacts candidates | The agency | Your team |
| What stays after | The hire | Process, content, data, trained managers |
| Best for | One urgent or confidential search | Repeated hiring that keeps going wrong |
Both have a place. Many employers use an agency for an occasional executive search and a well-run internal system for everything else.
When we're the wrong choice
We'd rather tell you early than waste your time. We're probably not the right fit if:
- you need one urgent hire filled this month and don't hire often otherwise; a staffing or search firm is built for that
- you need help with an employee dispute, a termination or a workplace investigation; that's for an employment lawyer or HR consultancy
- you want someone to set pay ranges; that belongs with your compensation advisors
- you need immigration sponsorship advice; speak to a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or an immigration lawyer
What the first month usually looks like
Most engagements start the same way, whatever the format. In the first week we gather records: recent job ads, applicant tracking exports or spreadsheets, and a list of hires and departures. In the second week we interview hiring managers and whoever schedules interviews. By the end of the month you have a written baseline, a short list of the stages losing the most candidates, and an agreed order of fixes. Nothing about that requires you to change tools, and very little of it takes much of your managers' time. We review progress with you weekly while active work is under way, and every finding is written down so it survives staff changes.
How we treat your data and your candidates
During an engagement we may see applicant records. We use them only for the work agreed in your proposal, ask for the minimum access needed, and follow the retention and privacy decisions your company makes. We never contact your candidates on our own behalf.
Questions we'll ask you
To make the first call useful, it helps to know:
- how many people you hired in the last twelve months, roughly, and in which roles
- which provinces or territories you hire in
- where applicants come from today
- one recent hire that went well, and one that didn't
- what tools you use: an applicant tracking system, spreadsheets or email
You can send these in a first text or email; the contact page has a template. For background reading, the guides cover capacity planning, job ads and candidate experience.