Its considered to be common if the pool - as you said - is being updated and the pilots kept motivated.
Well... Considering the 20000 different answers one gets when asking someone at HR, the feedback some of us got and information that reaches us, none of the above mentioned is achieved.
If there were clear goals stated as how many pilots QR needs of each category for 2013, the intentions with the pool and official statements that are not ambigous, then we'd come closer to that. Shouldnt the HR provide as precise information that it leaves no room for interpretation? For the benefit of everyone - the HR because they dont get written to and called every other day and the pilots that know what they are at.
To be honest - I dont know where Im at with QR. I wish I knew, so I could join soon. But that is wishful thinking according to the information at hand.