XOBIPEDIA
HR Glossary
The human resource space is full of acronyms and jargon, and Xobipedia is here to help. Our HR glossary is a dictionary of the terminology most commonly used by human resource professionals.
Expand your human resource vocabulary today!
Want to know the difference between a career break and a sabbatical? Or what the heck do ATS, CTC, and KPI stand for? Maybe you’re looking for a refresher on the Cognitive Ability Test and Aptitude Test? Browse our HR Glossary and learn to speak the language of HR Professionals!
A
Acquihire
Acquihire refers to when a company buys another company primarily for its staff and skills rather than its products or services.
Agile HR
Agile HR is a way of working in such a dynamic workplace where there is a constant need for updated solutions.
Applicant Tracking System
An applicant tracking system is a recruitment software that helps the company in its recruitment process.
Appointment Letter
An appointment letter is an official document given out by the company to the candidate who has been selected for the job.
Appraisal Letter
An appraisal letter formally assesses or evaluates the performance of individuals during a set time.
Aptitude Test
Aptitude tests, sometimes also referred to as psychometric tests, are a great way of assessing an individual’s abilities. These tests are designed to measure an individual’s abilities.
Assessment Centres
An assessment center is a selection process where individuals are assessed using a wide range of selection practices and exercises.
Attrition
Attrition can be defined as a reduction in the workforce when the employees leave the company and are not replaced.
B
Balanced Scorecard
A balanced scorecard is a performance management tool, used to improve the internal functioning of a business.
Behavioral Competency
Behavioral competency refers to the personality traits or attributes of an individual.
Boolean Search
A query methodology is used to widen, narrow, or filter search results.
C
Campus Recruitment
Campus recruitment is the process of recruiting young talent directly out of colleges/universities.
Candidate Experience
A candidate’s experience with a company, with their experience of the hiring process.
Change Management
A method and manner that describes and implements changes within a company in both its internal and external processes.
Cognitive Ability Test
A candidate’s ability to solve problems and think critically.
Compensation and Benefits
A bonus wage and other direct or indirect benefits are provided by a company to its employees.
Cost Per Hire
The total cost of recruiting a new employee for the company, including the cost of recruitment, equipment, travel costs, administrative costs, and benefits.
Cost to Company (CTC)
A yearly expenditure is spent by a company on its employee.
Cross-Functional Team
A team of people from different operational areas comes together to implement process improvements or to solve problems.
Cultural Fit
An employee who fits smoothly within the company’s organizational culture, the value systems, leadership structure, and practices of an organization.
D
Deferred Compensation
Deferred compensation refers to a part of an employee’s salary which is saved and paid at a later date.
Domain Skill
Domain skill refers to skills in a specialized profession or discipline. It refers to skills particular in a specific industry or activity.
E
Employee Assessments
Employee assessments refer to the evaluation or performance appraisal of an employee.
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement refers to the level of dedication and commitment the employees have towards their job.
Employee Lifecycle
Employee lifecycle shows the journey of an employee within their company.
Employee Referral Program
The employee referral program is a method used by companies to hire people from the networks of their existing employees.
Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction refers to how satisfied the employees are with their job. It is a measure of the level of satisfaction and content that the employees feel with their job.
Employee Turnover
Employee turnover refers to the number of employees that leave the company and are replaced by new employees.
Employer Branding
This refers to the marketing of a company to attract job seekers and employees.
Expatriate
An employee is sent to a foreign country for a long-term work assignment by their employers.
F
Freelancer
This refers to the independent and self-employed people who provide services to any organization.
Fresher Hiring
This refers to the hiring of people freshly graduated college students or people with no working experience.
G
Gratuity
A lump sum is provided to an employee when they leave the organization for the services provided by them during the period of employment by their employer.
Group Interview
An interview was conducted to interview multiple candidates at a time.
H
Headhunter
A headhunter refers to an individual or a company that provides recruitment services to employers and sources the perfect candidates.
HR Analytics
HR analytics refers to the process of analyzing the HR functions at your company.
HR Business Partner
An HR employee who works with the senior leaders of the company and develops an HR strategy that supports the aims of the organization.
HRIS
A human resource information system is also known as HRIS is an HR software that integrates the HR processes into information technology.
Human Capital Management
This refers to the management of employees of an organization so that they could contribute significantly to the overall productivity of the organization.
I
Inbound Recruiting
Inbound recruitment is a technique used to attract job seekers to apply to your company through engaging content and blog posts.
Inclusion
Inclusion refers to a state of the environment in work where everyone feels that they belong there.
Internship
Internship refers to the practical work experience in a company, usually offered to people who are new to a field.
Interview Scorecard
An interview scorecard is something that employers use during the hiring process. An interview scorecard helps in standardizing the recruitment process by evaluating candidates on certain standards.
J
Job Board
Job board refers to websites that are used to advertise the job openings within the company.
Job Description
A job description provides the applicants with the idea of their general tasks and responsibilities in the job they’re applying for.
Job Posting
Job posting refers to advertising the open job position in your company to potential candidates. It is a form of advertising about open positions in your company.
Job Requisition
A formal document used by department managers to request the hiring of new employees.
K
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A quantifiable performance indicator metric that analyzes how is the organization is working to achieve its goals and objectives.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
A model under which a candidate is analyzed on the basis of their knowledge, skills, and abilities and then recruited for successful job performance.
L
Lateral Hiring
This refers to the process of hiring passive candidates to fill a specialized or executive position.
Layoff
Downsizing of an organization’s workforce by suspension or permanent termination of a worker or group of workers by the employer.
Leadership Development
This refers to the activities and training used to improve the skills, abilities, and confidence of leaders in an organization.
Learning Management System
A software application that handles all aspects of the learning process.
M
Management Styles
The method of dealing with employees by a manager at the workplace.
Maternity Leave
A time period during which a woman stops working following the birth or adoption of a child.
N
Non-Compete Clause (NCA)
A non-compete clause or NCA is a legal agreement prohibiting an employee from joining the competition after their employment is over.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
A non-disclosure agreement or NDA is a written contract between two parties (people or organizations) that prohibits the sharing of confidential information shared between both ends.
O
Offer Letter
An offer letter is a formal letter from the employer to the employee. It is a letter indicating that the employee has been selected for the job.
Offshoring
Offshoring refers to the process of setting up the operations of a business in a different country to minimize costs.
Objectives and Key Results (OKR)
OKR is a tool used for setting goals and measuring their results. It helps in keel ng the track for measuring the goals.
Organisational Culture
Organizational culture refers to the way of working in a company. The culture in an organization is formed by the beliefs, assumptions, and values of the company.
Organisational Development
Organizational development refers to the process of building different strategies, policies that help the organization in growing and achieving its goals.
Orientation
Orientation refers to introducing new employees to the company. It means getting the employees familiarized with the company policies, their co-workers, and their role in the company in detail.
P
Performance Management
A tool used to monitor and evaluate employees’ work by a supervisor.
Pre-employment Testing Software
A tool that helps recruiters test and then identify the potential candidates from the talent pool.
Pre-recorded Video Interview
An interview where the candidate is asked several pre-recorded questions and the response by them gets recorded.
Probation
Probation refers to a time period under which the employees are exempted from certain contracts.
Psychometric Test
Psychometric tests are used to assess and understand the personality traits and attributes of a candidate.
Q
Quality of Hire
A metric used to measure the value a new hire brings to the company.
R
Recruitment Software
A system that makes the hiring process for any organization efficient.
Recruitment
The process of searching and selecting the best candidate for a job opening.
Reference Check
A method of contacting a job applicant’s previous employees, schools, etc. to get more information about them.
Returnship
A full-time paid internship for individuals who have been out of the workforce for a while.
Rewards and Recognition
A system in which employees are acknowledged and appreciated for their performance, internal and external work.
S
Sabbatical
A break during which employees are not expected to report to work or perform any of their normal duties, while still being employed by the company.
Sensitivity Training
A training designed to help employees in an organization accept and respond to attitudes and behaviors that may unintentionally cause offense to others.
Situational Interview
It refers to the interview where the candidates are asked hypothetical questions that are focused on the future.
Situational Leadership
A leadership style in which a leader adapts their style of leading to suit the current work environment and requirements of a team.
Skill Gap
The difference between the skills required for a job and the skills actually possessed by the employees or employee seekers.
Skill Test
An assessment test is used to evaluate the skills and abilities of job candidates.
Staffing
The process of hiring and training a candidate to fill a job position.
Structured Interview
An interview with potential employees to identify specific skills, wherein a set of questions are asked in a specific order.
Succession Planning
The process where an organization ensures that its employees are developed to fill each key role within the company.
T
Talent Acquistion
Talent acquisition is a process of sourcing applicants, meeting qualified candidates, and identifying the right applicants for the organization’s hiring needs.
Team Building
Team building refers to the process of using different management techniques and activities to create strong bonds amongst the team members.
Technical Interview
Technical interviews are conducted for job positions that require technical skills.
Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are such skills that are useful across all industries.
Turnover Rate
Turnover rate refers to the percentage of employees that leave a company in a given period of time.
U
Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias refers to certain stereotypes or prejudices against certain people or groups of people.
Unstructured Interview
Unstructured interview refers to an interview type where the interviewer doesn’t have a fixed set of questions.
V
Video Interview
A video interview is an interview that takes place on a video call.
W
Wellness Programs
Wellness programs are programs adapted by HR to improve employee health and promote healthy working behaviour in the workplace.
Whiteboard Interview
An interview where a panel of experienced tech recruiters tests the interviewee’s technical and coding knowledge and skills.
Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance can be defined as the balance between one’s personal life and professional life.
Wrongful Termination
Wrongful termination refers to an employee getting fired for any illegal reasons or without any just cause.
Y
Yield Ratio
The percentage of candidates passing from one stage of the hiring process to another.
