HR Glossary

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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.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

HR Glossary

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.

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Agile HR

Agile HR is a way of working in such a dynamic workplace where there is a constant need for updated solutions.

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Applicant Tracking System

An applicant tracking system is a recruitment software that helps the company in its recruitment process.

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Appointment Letter

An appointment letter is an official document given out by the company to the candidate who has been selected for the job.

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Appraisal Letter

An appraisal letter formally assesses or evaluates the performance of individuals during a set time.

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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.

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Assessment Centres

An assessment center is a selection process where individuals are assessed using a wide range of selection practices and exercises.

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Attrition

Attrition can be defined as a reduction in the workforce when the employees leave the company and are not replaced.

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B

Balanced Scorecard

A balanced scorecard is a performance management tool, used to improve the internal functioning of a business.

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Behavioral Competency

Behavioral competency refers to the personality traits or attributes of an individual.

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Boolean Search

A query methodology is used to widen, narrow, or filter search results.

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C

Campus Recruitment

Campus recruitment is the process of recruiting young talent directly out of colleges/universities.

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Candidate Experience

A candidate’s experience with a company, with their experience of the hiring process.

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Career Break

A period out of employment.

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Change Management

A method and manner that describes and implements changes within a company in both its internal and external processes.

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Cognitive Ability Test

A candidate’s ability to solve problems and think critically.

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Compensation and Benefits

A bonus wage and other direct or indirect benefits are provided by a company to its employees.

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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.

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Cost to Company (CTC)

A yearly expenditure is spent by a company on its employee.

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Cross-Functional Team

A team of people from different operational areas comes together to implement process improvements or to solve problems.

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Cultural Fit

An employee who fits smoothly within the company’s organizational culture, the value systems, leadership structure, and practices of an organization.

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D

Deferred Compensation

Deferred compensation refers to a part of an employee’s salary which is saved and paid at a later date.

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Domain Skill

Domain skill refers to skills in a specialized profession or discipline. It refers to skills particular in a specific industry or activity.

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E

Employee Assessments

Employee assessments refer to the evaluation or performance appraisal of an employee.

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Employee Engagement

Employee engagement refers to the level of dedication and commitment the employees have towards their job.

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Employee Lifecycle

Employee lifecycle shows the journey of an employee within their company.

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Employee Referral Program

The employee referral program is a method used by companies to hire people from the networks of their existing employees.

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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.

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Employee Turnover

Employee turnover refers to the number of employees that leave the company and are replaced by new employees.

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Employer Branding

This refers to the marketing of a company to attract job seekers and employees.

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Exit Interview

A meeting with a departing employee and an HR staff member.

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Expatriate

An employee is sent to a foreign country for a long-term work assignment by their employers.

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F

Freelancer

This refers to the independent and self-employed people who provide services to any organization.

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Fresher Hiring

This refers to the hiring of people freshly graduated college students or people with no working experience.

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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.

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Group Interview

An interview was conducted to interview multiple candidates at a time.

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H

Headhunter

A headhunter refers to an individual or a company that provides recruitment services to employers and sources the perfect candidates.

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HR Analytics

HR analytics refers to the process of analyzing the HR functions at your company.

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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.

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HRIS

A human resource information system is also known as HRIS is an HR software that integrates the HR processes into information technology.

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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.

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I

Inbound Recruiting

Inbound recruitment is a technique used to attract job seekers to apply to your company through engaging content and blog posts.

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Inclusion

Inclusion refers to a state of the environment in work where everyone feels that they belong there.

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Internship

Internship refers to the practical work experience in a company, usually offered to people who are new to a field.

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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.

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J

Job Board

Job board refers to websites that are used to advertise the job openings within the company.

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Job Description

A job description provides the applicants with the idea of their general tasks and responsibilities in the job they’re applying for.

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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.

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Job Requisition

A formal document used by department managers to request the hiring of new employees.

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K

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

A quantifiable performance indicator metric that analyzes how is the organization is working to achieve its goals and objectives.

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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.

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L

Lateral Hiring

This refers to the process of hiring passive candidates to fill a specialized or executive position.

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Layoff

Downsizing of an organization’s workforce by suspension or permanent termination of a worker or group of workers by the employer.

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Leadership Development

This refers to the activities and training used to improve the skills, abilities, and confidence of leaders in an organization.

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Learning Management System

A software application that handles all aspects of the learning process.

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M

Management Styles

The method of dealing with employees by a manager at the workplace.

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Maternity Leave

A time period during which a woman stops working following the birth or adoption of a child.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Offshoring

Offshoring refers to the process of setting up the operations of a business in a different country to minimize costs.

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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.

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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.

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Organisational Development

Organizational development refers to the process of building different strategies, policies that help the organization in growing and achieving its goals.

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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.

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P

Performance Management

A tool used to monitor and evaluate employees’ work by a supervisor.

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Pre-employment Testing Software

A tool that helps recruiters test and then identify the potential candidates from the talent pool.

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Pre-recorded Video Interview

An interview where the candidate is asked several pre-recorded questions and the response by them gets recorded.

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Probation

Probation refers to a time period under which the employees are exempted from certain contracts.

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Psychometric Test

Psychometric tests are used to assess and understand the personality traits and attributes of a candidate.

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Q

Quality of Hire

A metric used to measure the value a new hire brings to the company.

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R

Recruitment Software

A system that makes the hiring process for any organization efficient.

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Recruitment

The process of searching and selecting the best candidate for a job opening.

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Reference Check

A method of contacting a job applicant’s previous employees, schools, etc. to get more information about them.

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Resume Parsing

Automated storage, organization, and analysis of resumes.

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Returnship

A full-time paid internship for individuals who have been out of the workforce for a while.

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Rewards and Recognition

A system in which employees are acknowledged and appreciated for their performance, internal and external work.

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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.

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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.

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Situational Interview

It refers to the interview where the candidates are asked hypothetical questions that are focused on the future.

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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.

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Skill Gap

The difference between the skills required for a job and the skills actually possessed by the employees or employee seekers.

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Skill Test

An assessment test is used to evaluate the skills and abilities of job candidates.

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Staffing

The process of hiring and training a candidate to fill a job position.

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Structured Interview

An interview with potential employees to identify specific skills, wherein a set of questions are asked in a specific order.

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Succession Planning

The process where an organization ensures that its employees are developed to fill each key role within the company.

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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.

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Team Building

Team building refers to the process of using different management techniques and activities to create strong bonds amongst the team members.

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Technical Interview

Technical interviews are conducted for job positions that require technical skills.

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Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are such skills that are useful across all industries.

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Turnover Rate

Turnover rate refers to the percentage of employees that leave a company in a given period of time.

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U

Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias refers to certain stereotypes or prejudices against certain people or groups of people.

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Unstructured Interview

Unstructured interview refers to an interview type where the interviewer doesn’t have a fixed set of questions.

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V

Vacancy

Vacancy refers to an open job position in the company.

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Video Interview

A video interview is an interview that takes place on a video call.

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W

Wellness Programs

Wellness programs are programs adapted by HR to improve employee health and promote healthy working behaviour in the workplace.

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Whiteboard Interview

An interview where a panel of experienced tech recruiters tests the interviewee’s technical and coding knowledge and skills.

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Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance can be defined as the balance between one’s personal life and professional life.

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Wrongful Termination

Wrongful termination refers to an employee getting fired for any illegal reasons or without any just cause.

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Y

Yield Ratio

The percentage of candidates passing from one stage of the hiring process to another.

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