Have you ever read a job posting that said “salary DOE?” Or has a staffing company suggested you do a “Stay interview?”
If you’re confused about the language of recruitment and unsure what some of the words and phrases mean, you’re not the only one.
Here’s a breakdown of common terms used by recruiters and employment agencies that may not make the most sense to the common, everyday job seeker.
A
Active Candidate: a person who is actively looking for a new position.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS): a software that digitally stores applicants’ applications, documents, and data. It also gives recruiters and employment agencies insights about the performance of their online recruitment channels.
B
Behavioral Interview: an interviewing technique that recruiters use to assess how a candidate handled different work situations in the past. It helps HR professionals predict future performance.
Boomerang Employee: an employee who leaves a company, but then returns to work for the same company again.
C
Candidate Experience: the general candidate’s opinion about a company’s recruiting and hiring processes.
Career Plateau: a point in time in an employee’s career when they feel like they have reached a point where they can’t make further progress.
Competency-Based Pay: a pay structure that rewards employees based on their skills, knowledge, and experience rather than their job title.
D
Disability Leave: paid time off for disabled employees who need treatment or rehabilitation.
Disposable Earnings: the income an employee receives after taxes and payment obligations have been met.
DOE: the acronym DOE indicates that compensation “Depends on Experience.”
E
Emotional Intelligence: the capacity to identify and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of other people.
Employee Assessments: a review of a worker’s job performance.
Employee Engagement: the amount of enthusiasm and connection an employee feels for their company.
Employee Referral: an internal method for finding job candidates. Recruiters use it to find talent by asking their existing employees to recommend candidates from their personal networks.
Employee Onboarding: the process of bringing new employees to a company.
Employee Orientation: the process of introducing a new employee to their jobs, responsibilities, and workplace.
Employment Agency: companies that match employers to employees.
Exit Interview: an interview in which a departing employee explains their reasons for leaving the company.
F
Flexible Work Arrangements: when employees are given more freedom with their working hours and place of work. The most common flexible work arrangements are working from home, telecommuting, and a compressed workweek.
Fringe Benefits: additions to employee compensation, including paid time off or use of a company car.
G
Group Interview: a screening process where a recruiter interviews multiple candidates at the same time.
H
Head Hunter: a recruiter who looks for qualified employees for typically senior roles.
I
Independent Recruiter: a recruiter who’s not employed by a job placement agency and works on their own.
Internship: an unpaid or low-paid position at a company that beginner employees can take in order to gain relevant work experience.
J
Job Shadowing: when one employee spends time with another employee who has a similar or higher position in order to observe and learn.
K
KSA: an acronym that refers to Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. It relates to the characteristics an employee should possess to perform a job correctly.
L
Lateral Job Transfer: the movement of an employee to a new position with similar roles, responsibilities, and rate of pay.
M
Maternity Leave: the period when a woman can legally take weeks off from work before and after she has a baby.
Mock Interview: a simulation of an actual job interview during which employees can practice for a real interview.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): a psychological test that measures people’s psychological preferences.
N
Niche Recruiter: a recruiter who only operates in one specific field.
Nonexempt Employee: a worker who is entitled to overtime pay and minimum wage.
Nontraditional Resume: a type of resume that includes more than employment history and skills. It can also include infographics, video resumes, or personalized websites.
O
OTE: an acronym that refers to On Target Earnings. It’s the estimated amount an employee will receive assuming they meet all their targets.
Open Job Interview: a type of interview event when all interested applicants can attend to submit their application and get interviewed by the company.
Outplacement: a support service that some companies offer to help former employees find new jobs.
P
Passive Candidate: a candidate who is not actively looking for a job.
Panel Interview: a type of interview that is conducted by a group of two or more interviewers.
Performance Review: a method that recruiters use to document and evaluate an employee’s job performance.
Prescreening Interview: an initial conversation, usually over the phone, that helps recruiters and employment agencies ensure that a candidate is fit for the open job position.
R
Redundancy: when an employee is let go because their position is no longer needed.
Referral Bonus: when a company rewards an employee for referring a candidate who then accepts a position.
Rotational Training: a training strategy where employees are rotated between departments and jobs to upgrade their skills and knowledge.
S
Stay Interview: a type of interview that helps recruiters understand why an employee stays with a company and what might cause them to leave.
T
Transferrable Skills: a type of portable skills, such as communication and teamwork, that can be applied in various industries and different job positions.
Talent Management: a program for recruiting, hiring, retaining, and developing the most talented employees.
U
Unstructured Interview: a type of interview in which the recruiter doesn’t follow a formal list of questions.
W
Work-Life Balance: a harmony between an employee’s personal and professional life.
And there you have it! A thorough list of some of the most commonly used terms by recruiters and staffing agencies. Hopefully, now you’ll understand their meaning and be able to communicate with HR professionals more effectively.
Good luck!
