Ontario’s New Job Posting Rules: Clear Expectations, Better Hiring, and Nothing to Worry About

Ontario’s new job posting and recruitment rules are now in effect, bringing more clarity, fairness, and consistency to how jobs are advertised and how candidates are treated throughout the hiring process.

For some employers, new legislation can feel daunting. For others, it simply formalizes what good hiring should already look like.

At its core, these changes are about transparency, communication, and accountability, all things that lead to better hiring outcomes.

What has changed under the new rules

The updated legislation amends the Employment Standards Act and is supported by new regulations that spell out how publicly advertised jobs must be handled. For employers that fall within scope, the key requirements include:

• Clear compensation information: Public job postings must include expected compensation or a salary range. The goal is to give candidates meaningful information up front and eliminate unnecessary guesswork.

• Transparency around AI in hiring: If artificial intelligence is used to screen, assess, or evaluate candidates, that fact must be clearly disclosed in the job posting.

• Clarity on whether a role is truly open: Job postings must state whether they represent an active vacancy or whether applications are being collected for potential future opportunities.

• No “Canadian experience” requirements: Job postings may not require or imply that Canadian experience is mandatory, helping create fairer access to employment opportunities.

• Timely communication with interviewed candidates: Candidates who are interviewed must be informed when a hiring decision has been made, within the required timeframe.

• Proper record retention: Employers must keep copies of job postings, associated application materials, and post-interview communications for the prescribed period.

These rules apply primarily to employers with 25 or more employees and to publicly advertised job postings.

Why this is a positive step

While the list may seem detailed, the intent is simple. Candidates deserve clarity, and employers benefit from trust, professionalism, and well-structured hiring processes.

When expectations are clear from the start, everyone saves time, misunderstandings are reduced, and hiring decisions are stronger.

Why this feels familiar to us

For more than 20 years, this has been our standard approach at NAFOR. Transparent job postings, open conversations about compensation, respectful candidate communication, and organized recruitment records have always been part of how we operate.

The new Ontario requirements do not represent a change for us. They reflect what we have already been doing every day.

As of today, we are fully compliant with all current job posting and recruitment requirements, and we have been operating this way long before the legislation made it mandatory.

How this helps our clients

The biggest takeaway for employers is simple. You do not have to worry about this.

We manage the full recruitment process on behalf of our clients, ensuring job postings, candidate communications, and documentation meet current Ontario standards. Our clients can focus on running their businesses and selecting the right talent, while we handle the details behind the scenes.

There is no need to track legislative updates, interpret regulations, or adjust templates on your own. We have it covered.

Final thoughts

Ontario’s new job posting rules are a step toward better hiring experiences for everyone involved. When transparency leads the process, trust follows.

If you have questions, want reassurance, or would simply like to hand this off to a team that already has it figured out, we are always happy to help.