Candidate Qualification. Broadly speaking, this refers to a stage within the employer's hiring process at which the candidate is considered to have met the basic job qualifications or otherwise still remains within a pool of candidates considered for a position after the elimination of unqualified candidates. The process and policy governing how candidates are qualified varies widely from employer-to-employer. The key aspect of "qualification" as an event, is that it is likely to trigger other hiring or evaluation processes, such as the scheduling of on-site or follow-up interviews and pre-employment assessments and screenings. Qualification often is not a single threshold, but a series of graduated thresholds, each of which might serve as an event trigger.

Candidate Application. A candidate or job seeker applies for a job. The legal definition as to what constitutes job application varies by jurisdiction, but broadly speaking, application is recognized as occurring when: 1. the employer has acted to fill a particular position, 2. the individual has followed the employer's standard procedures for submitting applications, and 3. the individual has indicated an interest in the particular position.

Employee Development Assessment. Performance appraisals, succession management planning, career development, and similar talent management activities can require or benefit from employee assessments to inform decision making. The completion of an assessment may trigger other activities, such as the preparation of developmental plans.