Glossary

tech recruiting & hiring glossary a acquisition the process of successfully hiring a candidate, often used interchangeably with "recruitment " active candidate a job seeker who is actively looking for new employment opportunities and applying to positions activity based recruiting recruiting approach focused on volume metrics (emails sent, calls made, responses received) rather than quality of candidates or successful placements agency recruiter external recruiter working for staffing agency, typically paid on commission or retainer basis for successful placements assessment structured evaluation of a candidate's skills, personality, or cultural fit, often including technical tests, behavioral assessments, or psychometric evaluations attrition rate at which employees leave an organization, either voluntarily or involuntarily, typically expressed as annual percentage at will employment legal doctrine allowing either employer or employee to terminate employment relationship at any time without cause (primarily us concept) ats (applicant tracking system) software platform used to manage job postings, track applications, and organize candidate data throughout the hiring process popular systems include greenhouse, workday, and lever b background check verification process examining candidate's employment history, education, criminal record, and other relevant information backfill process of replacing employee who has left the organization, often urgent need batch processing handling multiple similar tasks or candidates simultaneously for efficiency (e g , scheduling multiple phone screens) behavioral interview interview technique focusing on past experiences to predict future performance, often using hypothetical scenarios bench pool of pre screened, qualified candidates ready for immediate placement when suitable roles become available bias unconscious or conscious prejudice affecting hiring decisions, including confirmation bias, halo effect, and affinity bias boolean search advanced search technique using operators (and, or, not) to find specific candidates on platforms like linkedin, github, or job boards example "software engineer" and (python or java) not manager blue card eu work permit for highly skilled non eu citizens, facilitating international tech talent mobility across european countries boomerang employee former employee who returns to work for the same company after leaving broadband compensation flexible salary structure with wider pay ranges allowing for merit based increases within same role burndown rate speed at which open positions are being filled, typically measured as positions closed per week or month burnout physical and emotional exhaustion affecting employee performance and retention, increasingly important consideration in hiring discussions buy vs build strategic decision whether to hire external talent (buy) or develop internal employees (build) for specific roles c candidate experience overall impression and journey a candidate has throughout the entire hiring process, from first contact to final decision candidate journey complete experience from first company interaction through onboarding, focusing on touchpoints and experience quality candidate nurturing ongoing relationship building with potential candidates not ready for current opportunities but valuable for future roles candidate persona detailed profile of ideal candidate including skills, background, motivations, and preferences career pivot significant change in career direction, often requiring transferable skill assessment and potential for growth closing final phase of recruitment process involving offer presentation, negotiation, and securing candidate acceptance closing ratio percentage of final stage candidates who accept job offers cold outreach unsolicited contact with potential candidates who haven't expressed interest in the role collective bargaining agreement negotiated contract between employer and trade union covering wages, working conditions, and employment terms, common in european companies competency based interview interview format focusing on specific skills and behaviors rather than general questions, often using the star method (situation, task, action, result) contingency fee payment structure where recruiting agency only gets paid after successful candidate placement and start date contractor independent worker hired for specific project or time period, typically not eligible for employee benefits conversion funnel visual representation of how candidates move through each stage of hiring process, showing drop off rates conversion rate percentage of candidates who progress from one stage of the hiring process to the next corporate recruiter internal recruiter employed directly by company to fill positions exclusively for that organization counteroffer improved compensation or conditions offered by current employer to retain employee considering external opportunity cultural add vs cultural fit modern approach emphasizing what unique perspectives a candidate brings (cultural add) rather than how well they match existing culture (cultural fit) d debrief post interview discussion among interviewers to evaluate candidate performance and make hiring decisions digital nomad remote worker who travels while working, requiring consideration of time zones, work authorization, and tax implications direct hire permanent placement where candidate becomes company employee immediately (versus contract to hire) direct sourcing proactively identifying and contacting candidates directly, rather than waiting for applications diversity & inclusion (d\&i) strategies and practices to ensure diverse representation and inclusive environments in hiring and workplace culture diversity sourcing targeted recruiting strategies to increase representation of underrepresented groups in candidate pipeline drop off rate percentage of candidates who withdraw or don't complete the application process e employee referral program system encouraging current employees to recommend qualified candidates, often with incentives employee retention organization's ability to keep employees and prevent turnover through compensation, culture, and career development employee stock ownership plan (esop) program giving employees ownership stake in company, often used for retention purposes employment gap period of unemployment in candidate's work history that may require explanation during interviews equal employment opportunity (eeo) legal requirement to provide fair hiring practices regardless of race, gender, age, religion, or other protected characteristics equity package compensation including stock options, rsus (restricted stock units), or other ownership stakes in the company executive recruiter specialist focusing on c level and senior leadership positions, often working on retained search basis executive search specialized recruitment for senior level positions, often conducted by external search firms exit interview conversation with departing employee to understand reasons for leaving and gather feedback f flight risk employee considered likely to leave organization soon, often requiring retention interventions follow up sequence planned series of communications to maintain candidate engagement throughout hiring process fractional hiring engaging part time or contract executives/specialists for specific expertise without full time commitment fte (full time equivalent) measurement unit representing workload of full time employee, used in headcount planning full desk recruiter recruiter who handles both sourcing and client relationship management, managing entire recruitment lifecycle full cycle recruiting single recruiter manages entire process from job requisition to offer acceptance funnel metrics data tracking candidate progression through each stage of the hiring process g gdpr compliance european data protection regulations affecting how candidate information is collected, stored, and processed ghosting when candidate or company suddenly stops all communication without explanation, often after interviews or during negotiation process gig economy labor market characterized by short term contracts and freelance work rather than permanent employment global mobility ability to relocate employees across international offices, important for multinational tech companies golden handcuffs retention strategies (like stock vesting schedules) that make it financially disadvantageous for employees to leave great resignation post pandemic trend of employees voluntarily leaving jobs in large numbers, creating competitive hiring market great stay phenomenon where employees remain in current positions due to economic uncertainty, job market fears, or satisfaction with remote work arrangements greenfield new team or project being built from scratch, often requiring specialized recruitment approaches h hackerrank/leetcode popular platforms for technical coding assessments and algorithm challenges hard skills technical, measurable abilities specific to a job (e g , programming languages, certifications) headhunting aggressive recruitment targeting specific high value candidates, typically for senior roles hiring freeze temporary suspension of new hiring, often due to budget constraints or organizational changes hiring manager person who will directly manage the new hire and has decision making authority in the recruitment process hiring velocity speed at which organization fills open positions, critical metric in competitive markets h 1b visa us work visa for specialty occupations, commonly used for international tech talent with annual caps and lottery system hold pattern temporary pause in hiring process, often due to budget freezes, reorganization, or changing priorities hot job urgent, high priority position requiring immediate attention and faster hiring process hybrid interview process combination of virtual and in person interview stages i implicit bias training education to help interviewers recognize and mitigate unconscious prejudices in hiring decisions inbound recruiting strategy focusing on attracting candidates to apply, rather than actively sourcing them inmail linkedin's premium messaging system allowing direct contact with professionals outside your network in house recruiter internal recruiter employed directly by company, as opposed to agency or contract recruiters intake meeting initial meeting between recruiter and hiring manager to discuss role requirements, candidate profile, timeline, and expectations internal mobility movement of existing employees to different roles within same organization interview debrief post interview discussion among hiring team to evaluate candidate performance and determine next steps interview feedback structured input from interviewers about candidate performance, typically collected within 24 48 hours interview loop series of interviews with different stakeholders, often scheduled consecutively for efficiency interview panel multiple interviewers evaluating a candidate simultaneously or in sequence interview scorecard standardized evaluation form used by interviewers to assess and compare candidates consistently j job analysis systematic study of position requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications needed for success job board online platform where employers post openings and candidates search for positions (indeed, stack overflow jobs, angellist) job description (jd) document outlining role responsibilities, required qualifications, and company information job fair event where multiple employers meet potential candidates in person or virtually job posting public advertisement of open position on job boards, company website, or social media job requisition formal request to fill a position, often including budget approval and headcount authorization just in time sourcing recruiting approach where candidate sourcing begins only after position approval k keeping candidates warm maintaining regular communication and engagement with promising candidates throughout extended hiring processes key performance indicators (kpis) metrics measuring recruiting effectiveness, such as time to fill, quality of hire, and source effectiveness kick off meeting initial project meeting (often synonymous with intake meeting) to align stakeholders on hiring strategy and requirements knowledge worker employee whose primary job involves handling or using information, typical in tech roles l lateral hire recruiting someone at same seniority level from another company, rather than promoting internally lead generation process of identifying potential candidates before active recruiting begins linkedin recruiter premium linkedin tool for advanced candidate searching and messaging loop interview series of back to back interviews with different team members or stakeholders lowball offer below market compensation offer, often used when company has limited budget or high candidate interest m market mapping research to understand competitive landscape, salary benchmarks, and available talent pool minimum viable candidate (mvc) candidate with essential skills needed for immediate productivity, borrowed from "minimum viable product" concept mixed recruiting model hybrid approach combining internal recruiters with external agencies or rpos msa (master service agreement) contract framework governing relationship between company and external recruiting vendors multithread strategy of building relationships with multiple decision makers or influencers within target candidate's network mutual nda non disclosure agreement signed by both company and candidate to protect confidential information during interviews n nearshoring practice of hiring talent in nearby countries or regions to reduce costs while maintaining similar time zones and cultural alignment net promoter score (nps) metric measuring how likely candidates are to recommend company's interview process to others networking building professional relationships to identify potential candidates or opportunities non compete clause contract provision restricting employee's ability to work for competitors after leaving company non traditional candidate job seeker who doesn't follow conventional career path, such as career changers, bootcamp graduates, or self taught professionals no show rate percentage of scheduled candidates who don't attend interviews without notice notice period required advance warning time before employee can leave current position, varies by country and seniority level o offer acceptance rate percentage of job offers that candidates accept, key metric for recruiting effectiveness offer letter formal document outlining employment terms, compensation, benefits, and conditions of employment offer management strategic process of preparing, presenting, negotiating, and closing job offers while managing multiple candidates simultaneously offer negotiation discussion process between candidate and employer to reach mutually acceptable employment terms offer to acceptance ratio percentage of job offers that candidates accept offshoring practice of hiring talent in distant countries, typically to reduce labor costs while accessing global talent pools onboarding process of integrating new hires into company culture, systems, and role responsibilities onsite interview in person interview conducted at company premises, often final stage before offer open requisition approved position actively being recruited for organic growth expanding team through hiring rather than acquisitions or mergers outbound recruiting proactive sourcing and contacting of candidates who aren't actively job searching overqualified candidate perception that applicant has significantly more experience or education than role requires, potentially leading to concerns about retention p passive aggressive recruiting overly persistent or manipulative recruiting tactics that can damage employer brand passive candidate professional not actively job searching but potentially interested in right opportunity perm placement permanent full time hire, as opposed to contract or temporary placement phantom job posting job advertisement for position that doesn't actually exist, used to build talent pipeline or test market pipeline pool of potential candidates at various stages of the recruitment process pipeline management strategic oversight of candidate flow through different stages of recruitment process poaching aggressively recruiting employees from competitors, often targeting specific individuals or teams post pandemic hiring recruitment strategies adapted to remote work preferences, changed candidate priorities, and new market dynamics pre closing process of addressing potential objections and concerns before extending formal offer pre screening initial evaluation to determine basic qualifications before full interview process probationary period initial employment phase (typically 3 6 months) during which performance is closely monitored and employment can be terminated more easily probezeit german term for probationary period, typically lasting 6 months during which employment can be terminated with shorter notice periods process check in regular communication with candidates about hiring timeline and next steps to maintain engagement protected class groups legally protected from employment discrimination (race, gender, age, disability, religion, etc ) purple squirrel candidate who perfectly matches all job requirements, often unrealistically specific q quality of hire metric assessing how well new hires perform and integrate into the organization qualified candidate individual meeting essential job requirements and worthy of interview consideration quick rejection immediate "no" decision, often due to clear misalignment with basic requirements quick screen brief initial conversation to assess basic fit before scheduling formal interviews quiet quitting employee disengagement where worker does minimum required, affecting team dynamics and hiring needs r right to disconnect european legal concept giving employees right to ignore work communications outside business hours, affecting candidate expectations rage applying candidate behavior of applying to numerous jobs simultaneously when frustrated with current situation rage applying candidate behavior of applying to numerous jobs simultaneously when frustrated with current situation recruiting coordinator administrative role supporting recruiting process through scheduling, communication, and candidate experience management recruiter professional responsible for finding, attracting, and hiring candidates recruiter spam generic, poorly targeted outreach messages that candidates often ignore or find annoying red flag warning sign about candidate's suitability, such as employment gaps, job hopping, or concerning references reference check verification of candidate's work performance and character through contact with former supervisors or colleagues referral bonus financial incentive paid to employees for successful candidate recommendations relocation package financial assistance provided to help new hire move to job location, including moving expenses, temporary housing, and travel costs remote first company culture and processes designed primarily for distributed/remote work research recruiter specialist who focuses on identifying and researching potential candidates, often supporting other recruiters with lead generation requisition formal approval to hire for specific position, including budget and timeline retained search executive search model where recruiting firm is paid upfront fee regardless of placement success retention rate percentage of new hires who remain with company after specific time periods rpo (recruitment process outsourcing) strategic partnership where external provider manages all or part of company's recruitment function s salary band predetermined compensation range for specific role or level within organization screening initial evaluation of candidates to determine interview worthiness sell call conversation focused on convincing candidate to accept offer by highlighting role benefits and company value proposition shotgunning recruiting practice of sending generic, mass outreach messages to large numbers of candidates without personalization or proper targeting silver medalist strong second choice candidate who didn't get initial offer but should be kept warm for future opportunities skills based hiring recruiting approach prioritizing demonstrated abilities over formal education or traditional career paths social recruiting using social media platforms (linkedin, twitter, github) to identify and engage potential candidates soft skills interpersonal and communication abilities that complement technical skills (teamwork, leadership, problem solving) sourcer recruiting specialist focused exclusively on identifying and initial outreach to potential candidates, typically passing qualified leads to recruiters for further engagement sourcing process of identifying and attracting potential candidates through various channels sponsorship company's legal and financial commitment to support international employee's work visa application and maintenance stack ranking comparative evaluation system ranking candidates against each other stakeholder anyone involved in or affected by hiring decision, including team members, hiring managers, and leadership star method interview technique focusing on situation, task, action, and result to evaluate past behavior statement of work (sow) detailed document outlining specific deliverables, timeline, and compensation for contract work stay interview proactive conversation with current employees to understand what keeps them engaged and identify retention strategies succession planning strategic process of identifying and developing internal candidates for key positions t 10x engineer developer who is perceived to be 10 times more productive than average engineer, though this concept is often debated and can create unrealistic hiring expectations talent acquisition strategic approach to finding, attracting, and hiring skilled workers talent acquisition strategic approach to finding, attracting, and hiring skilled workers talent hoarding practice of keeping good candidates "warm" even without immediate openings, building relationships for future needs talent pipeline ongoing relationship building with potential candidates for future opportunities talent pool collection of candidates who have shown interest in company but may not be right for current openings talent shortage market condition where demand for skilled workers exceeds available supply, particularly acute in tech sectors technical debt accumulated shortcuts in hiring process that may create long term problems (e g , hiring quickly without proper vetting) technical recruiter specialist recruiter with deep understanding of technical roles, programming languages, and engineering practices, able to effectively evaluate and engage with technical candidates technical screen skills based evaluation, often including coding challenges or technical discussions temperature check assessment of candidate's current interest level and likelihood to proceed with opportunity time to fill average time from job posting to offer acceptance time to productivity period required for new hire to reach full effectiveness in their role top of funnel early stages of recruitment process, typically sourcing and initial outreach turnover rate percentage of employees who leave organization within specific time period, key metric for assessing retention and recruiting needs turnover, involuntary employees terminated by company due to performance, conduct, or business reasons turnover, voluntary employees who choose to leave organization for other opportunities, retirement, or personal reasons touch base brief check in communication with candidates to maintain relationship and gauge continued interest transferable skills abilities that apply across different roles or industries, valuable when evaluating career changers u umbrella company third party organization that employs contractors and handles payroll, taxes, and benefits administration unconscious bias implicit prejudices affecting hiring decisions without conscious awareness underqualified candidate lacking essential skills or experience required for the role, though may have potential for growth unicorn candidate extremely rare candidate with perfect skill combination, often unrealistic expectations upskilling training existing employees for new roles rather than external hiring user experience (ux) research methodology for understanding candidate experience throughout hiring process v value proposition unique benefits and opportunities company offers to potential employees vendor management overseeing relationships with external recruiting agencies or contractors vendor management system (vms) technology platform for managing relationships with multiple external recruiting agencies and contractors vesting schedule timeline for when equity compensation becomes owned by employee virtual interview remote interview conducted via video conferencing platforms visa legal document permitting foreign national to work in specific country, with various types (h 1b, l 1, o 1 in us; tier 2 in uk) volume hiring large scale recruitment for multiple similar positions simultaneously w walk in interview unscheduled interview opportunity, typically for high volume hiring situations war for talent competitive landscape where companies aggressively compete for skilled workers, especially in high demand fields warm introduction candidate referral or introduction through mutual connection, typically more effective than cold outreach warm outreach contacting candidates with existing connection or mutual contact white glove treatment premium candidate experience for high priority or executive level hires whiteboarding technical interview practice where candidates solve problems on whiteboard, increasingly controversial due to artificial pressure work authorization legal permission to work in specific country, important for international hiring work council european employee representative body with legal rights to consultation on workplace matters, layoffs, and major business decisions work life balance equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal life, key recruitment selling point x x factor intangible quality that makes candidate stand out beyond technical qualifications x functional team cross functional collaboration in hiring decisions, involving multiple departments y year over year (yoy) comparison metric looking at changes from same period in previous year yellow flag concerning but not disqualifying candidate characteristic that requires further investigation or consideration (less severe than red flag) yield rate percentage of contacted candidates who respond positively to recruiting outreach z zero party data information candidates voluntarily provide about their preferences, interests, and career goals zoom fatigue exhaustion from excessive video calls, affecting virtual interview scheduling and candidate experience this glossary covers terminology commonly used across us and european tech companies specific terms and their usage may vary by organization, region, and industry vertical