Frequently asked questions

Straight answers, including to the questions agencies usually leave you to find out the hard way. If something you need is not here, ask us and we will add it.

Money, and what it costs you

Does any of this cost me anything?

No. Never, at any stage. We are paid by the client, not by you. We do not charge a fee for placement, for being on our list, for a resume review, or for anything else.

If anyone claiming to be from Talent Civic asks you for money, it is not us. Please tell us at [email protected] so we can warn other people.

How often will I be paid?

Contract workers are paid every two weeks.

Why is my first pay period held back?

Your first pay period is held by one cycle. This is a normal arrangement in contract staffing, and for a young company it is what makes it possible to guarantee everyone gets paid on time regardless of when clients settle their invoices.

In practice: your first payment lands one cycle later than the steady rhythm, and everything after that is on the regular schedule. We give you the exact dates before you start, not after.

What happens if the client pays Talent Civic late?

You are paid on schedule anyway. We do not operate pay-when-paid. Chasing a client's accounts payable department is our job, not yours.

Will you tell me the bill rate, or only my rate?

We will tell you your rate before you agree to anything, and we will not move it after the fact. On the margin between your rate and the client's, ask us during the conversation and we will give you a straight answer for that specific role.

How you are engaged

Am I an employee or a contractor?

At present we engage contract workers primarily as incorporated contractors, invoicing through their own corporation. If you are not incorporated and do not want to be, tell us, because we can look at a T4 contract arrangement instead.

We are working towards offering T4 employment more broadly, alongside the salary and benefits questions that come with it. Tell us which structure you want early, because it changes both the rate conversation and the paperwork.

Do I need to be incorporated before you will talk to me?

No. Get in touch first. Whether incorporation makes sense for you depends on the role, the rate and your own circumstances, and it is worth a conversation with an accountant rather than a decision you make to satisfy an agency.

What is the difference between contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire, from my side?

Contract is a defined period with a known end date. Contract-to-hire starts on contract and converts to permanent employment with the client if it works for both sides, and you are not obliged to convert. Direct hire means you are hired permanently by the client from day one, on their payroll and their benefits. There is more detail on the For Candidates page.

What happens when my assignment ends?

We start on what comes next before it ends, not after. Contract work does carry gaps between assignments, and we would rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise. Keeping your availability current with us is what makes the redeployment work.

Applying and what happens next

How quickly will I hear back?

Within two business days, whether or not we have something for you. A no is still an answer and you should not have to chase us for it.

Will you send my resume to a client without asking me?

No. We share your details with a specific client only when we are pursuing a specific opportunity, and only after telling you which one. We do not add people to bids, proposals or headcount claims without their agreement, and we do not circulate resumes to build a pipeline.

This is not just a policy statement on a web page. It is written into our Terms of Use, and it is the commitment we would most want you to hold us to.

I have no government experience. Is that a problem?

No. Plenty of the work we place is private sector, and a good deal of government work maps cleanly from commercial experience. Tell us what you have actually done and we will tell you honestly whether it fits.

What disciplines do you place?

Administrative and clerical, program and contract management, IT and technical, human resources and recruiting, finance and accounting, and field and logistics support.

Can I send my resume as a file?

Not through the form yet, which is a gap we know about. For now, email it to [email protected] and it reaches the same place.

I am already registered with another agency. Does that matter?

No. Working with more than one agency is normal and sensible. Just tell us where you have already been submitted for a specific role so we do not put you forward twice, which helps nobody and can cost you the opportunity.

Security screening

Do I need a security clearance to work on government contracts?

It depends entirely on the role. Some government work carries no security requirement at all. Where a requirement exists, the level is set by the contract, not by us.

Can I apply for a clearance myself?

No, and this catches people out. Personnel security screening has to be sponsored by an organisation that holds a contract with a security requirement. An individual cannot apply on their own behalf. The authoritative explanation is on the Government of Canada's security requirements page.

How long does screening take?

It varies a great deal, depending on the level required and on your own history, including time spent outside Canada. Anyone who gives you one confident number is guessing. If a role needs screening you do not hold, we will tell you what level it needs and what the process involves before you commit time to it.

I already hold screening. What should I tell you?

The level and roughly when it was granted. It is one of the most useful things you can put in a first message, because it changes which roles we can realistically talk to you about.

Your information

What do you do with my personal information?

It is set out in full in our Privacy Policy: what we collect, what we use it for, who processes it on our behalf, and how to get it corrected or deleted. We do not sell it and we do not share it broadly.

Who else handles my details?

Our contact forms are relayed by a third-party service before the message reaches us, and our mailbox and website are hosted by third parties. All of them are named in the Privacy Policy. If you would rather not use the form relay, email us directly instead.

How do I get my information deleted?

Email [email protected] and ask. Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act you can also ask what we hold about you and ask us to correct it.

For employers and government buyers

What engagement models do you offer?

Contract staffing, contract-to-hire, and direct hire. Pricing, timelines and deliverables for any actual engagement are set out in a separate written agreement, not on this website.

Who employs the worker we take on?

At present, contract workers are engaged primarily as incorporated contractors, with a T4 contract arrangement available for people who are not incorporated. If your procurement process requires a specific employment structure, tell us at the outset and we will confirm what we can support.

How quickly will you respond to a requirement?

Within two business days. If you have a live requirement with a shorter fuse than that, say so in the first line of your message and we will treat it accordingly.

Do you serve both government and private-sector clients?

Yes. We built our sourcing, screening and record-keeping to meet what government work is contracted against, and private-sector clients get the same process. There is more on the Who we serve section of the homepage.

What about insurance, coverage, screening status and procurement registrations?

These are the questions a public-sector buyer needs answered before opening a file, and they deserve a proper page rather than a paragraph here. That page is being written. In the meantime, ask us directly and we will answer specifically rather than generally.