Rank and match with your candidates

Go to: Introduction to ranking | How to submit rankings | Good to know

Please note: These steps do not apply to the Employer-Student Direct job board.

Introduction to ranking

For jobs posted on the Full-Cycle Service job board, you’ll receive an email reminder to submit your rankings. Rankings indicate which students you want to hire and which student(s) will receive an offer.

The matching process uses ranking input from both students and employers to generate employment matches.

Here's how ranking works:

After interviews, employers rank the students they want to hire from 1-10 (1 being your first choice). Students then rank jobs from 1-10 in return. Any numerical ranking submitted could result in a job match.
All rankings must be submitted before the employer ranking due date (see recruitment dates for a full list of ranking dates). Rankings that are submitted late will automatically be included in the next cycle’s match.
After the ranking due date closes for both employers and students, ranking numbers are summed for each job.
The match algorithm then looks for the lowest sum based on the employer ranking + student ranking. As students become employed, the matching algorithm then continues to look for the next lowest sum until all potential matches take place.
If both the student and the job are still available, the student is assigned to the job.

Ranking	What it means
#1	You are offering the job to the student. Your top choice! Could result in a match. You can only submit one #1 rank per job opening. Student will see #1 and any comments you write.
#2-10	You are willing to hire the student. This is a lower-ranked offer. Could result in a match. Only rank students you’d be willing to hire as any value could result in a match. You can assign the same number to multiple students to increase your chances of getting matched (e.g., multiple candidates ranked #2). The lower the number, the more likely it is you’ll be matched. Students will see Ranked and any comments you write (actual number not shown).
"Not Ranked"	You do not want to hire the student. Will not result in a match. This will let the student know they are no longer being considered so they can focus on other jobs. You can include ranking comments to justify your decision or offer constructive criticism for future interviews. Students will see Not ranked and any comments you write.

How to submit rankings

After your interviews and before the ranking due date, follow these steps:

Log in to WaterlooWorks.
Scroll to the Rank and Match section and click on the View Rankings button.
Select the job that you want to submit rankings for.
Click Submit Rankings to access your ranking form. If you want to change the number of positions you are ranking for, click Update Positions.
Choose from the drop-down list under the Ranking column to rank each candidate (see the chart above for an explanation of each ranking option).
New: ranking form fields for job salary and location
1. We recommend using the optional compensation/benefits and job location fields to enter the rate of pay for the role, any benefits, and the location where the student will spend their work term. These details help students to make ranking decisions and can help you find the right student for your role.
2. When you enter your ranking form, you’ll see now see the fields below:
  1. Salary (i.e., numeric value only – do not enter currency or special characters)
    1. Please note: The salary field will automatically default to 0.00 unless you choose to add a different salary amount. Students will see either 0.00 or whatever you choose to enter in this field.
  2. Payment frequency (i.e., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)
  3. Currency (i.e., CAD, USD, Other – specify in note to student)
  4. Location (open text field)
  5. Note to Student (open text field) – can be used to provide additional information about salary, location, benefits or other details.
Use the Note to Student field to provide students with ranking comments and additional information about your role.
1. Using the Note to Student field to provide more details helps students with their decision-making.
2. You can include personal messages and additional details such as role specifics, start date, and any other salary and benefits information (like free parking/transit or professional development).
3. If you’ve chosen Not Ranked for a student, it is helpful to use this field to explain the decision and provide constructive feedback.
Click Save and Finalize Rankings to submit for the match.
1. Save Rankings will not submit your ranking selections. Only use Save Rankings if you are not ready to submit but want to save your rankings to complete later.
If you need help, or to make any changes after finalizing, contact your service team.
Once the employer ranking due date closes, students can see their ranking. They will submit their rankings in return.
If you miss the employer ranking due date, contact your account co-ordinator.
After both employer and student rankings are submitted, a matching algorithm is applied to create matches.

Good to know

Rankings are confidential: To help us maintain the integrity of our process, do not discuss your ranking decisions with candidates or make direct job offers before the match results are released.
Rankings are a commitment: By ranking a student, you commit to hire the student if matched. We suggest that you rank as many students as possible. Only rank a student if you are prepared to honour the match.
Rankings are time-sensitive: Any rankings received after the ranking due date will be held until the following match. There’s no guarantee that your candidates will still be available. View our recruitment dates for a full list of ranking dates.
Students can choose not to rank a limited number of positions: If a student is not interested in the position or job, they can choose not to rank. To maximize your chances of filling your position, be sure to rank multiple students.