What Real Job Posts
in Ontario SHOULD Look Like
Understanding what a compliant job posting should include is becoming increasingly important as legislation, automation, and hiring practices continue to evolve.
Legislation and Rights
If you’ve been active in the job market lately, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed recent changes in job postings. Legislation is constantly evolving, often trying to keep pace with rapid shifts in technology and society. As part of this, several amendments came into effect on January 1, 2026.
Under the Pay Transparency Act, employers who advertise public job postings must include the expected compensation range for the position. This removes much of the guesswork from the application process, saving time for both applicants and recruiters. It can be incredibly frustrating to invest time in a role, only to discover during interviews that the salary is significantly below expectations.
Bill 149, the Working for Workers Four Act, introduces two particularly important changes. Line 8.3 specifies that employers can no longer require Canadian experience in a job posting. This may not be immediately noticeable unless you are a newcomer to the country, but it plays a significant role in reducing systemic barriers for many job seekers.
Line 8.4 addresses a change that more applicants are likely to have seen. Employers must now disclose the use of AI in screening, assessing, or selecting candidates. While many organizations include this disclosure, it is often vague and does not clearly explain how AI is being used.
How Do Recruiters Use AI?
Whatever your personal views on the use of AI, it has quickly scaled into a critical tool in recruitment. It allows corporations and agencies to rapidly review and filter large volumes of applications based on predetermined criteria.
There are several ways recruiters use AI in recruitment and selection. One of the most common is in drafting job postings. Recruiters can input responsibilities, requirements, and qualifications, and receive a structured job description in return.
A common misconception is that AI is widely used to scan candidates. While this does occur in some organizations, most companies still rely on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems filter candidates based on keywords, qualifications, and screening questions, such as eligibility to work in the country or required experience.
AI may play a larger role in candidate screening in the future; however, many organizations remain cautious due to concerns around data security, cost, and bias.
AI has the potential to reduce bias-but only when implemented carefully. A well-known example is the Amazon recruitment tool developed in 2018. Intended to reduce bias, the system instead reinforced it, favouring male candidates because it was trained on historically biased data.
Another emerging use of AI is in interview processes. Some organizations now use AI-driven video interviews, where candidates respond to pre-set questions. These tools are increasingly used as a pre-screening method and can be efficient when managing large applicant volumes.
Summary
So what does this mean for job seekers?
One of the most important things you can do is equip yourself with knowledge. Job postings should now include salary ranges, disclose AI usage, and cannot require Canadian experience. These are not optional best practices-they are legal requirements.
Even when a role is legitimate, it is reasonable to expect employers to meet these standards. If a company does not meet the minimum requirements in a job posting, there is a strong possibility that their internal processes and policies may also fall short.
At the same time, the increasing use of automated screening and high-volume hiring systems means that job seekers are often making decisions based on limited or incomplete information.
Understanding what a compliant job posting should look like is an important first step. However, in a market shaped by speed, volume, and automation, independent verification is becoming increasingly important. JobChecked is designed to provide that additional layer of assurance-because in the current job market, it is no longer something you can afford to go without.