HR & people-ops, in plain English.
Recruiting
ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
Software to manage candidate pipelines from application to offer.
Candidate Experience
How applicants perceive your hiring process — from job ad to rejection email.
Employee Referral
A candidate introduced by an existing employee.
Sourcing
Proactive identification and outreach to potential candidates.
Careers Site
Public-facing site listing open roles.
Hiring Funnel
Stages a candidate moves through, from application to hire.
Public Sector Recruiting
Hiring practice common in government + regulated sectors.
Recruitment Marketing
Building employer brand demand among future candidates.
HR Systems
HRIS (Human Resources Information System)
System of record for employee data — directory, time off, payroll-ready data, performance.
HRMS (Human Resources Management System)
End-to-end system for managing the employee lifecycle and HR operations.
HCM (Human Capital Management)
An umbrella term for the full HR tech stack, including ATS, HRIS, payroll, and talent management.
ATS vs HRIS
ATS handles pre-hire (candidates). HRIS handles post-hire (employees). Many modern platforms do both.
Employee Record
Single source of truth for an employee's data.
Org Chart
Visual representation of reporting relationships.
Interviews
Structured Interview
Interview with predefined questions and a scoring rubric, scored independently per dimension.
Interview Rubric
Scoring grid with dimensions, levels (1–5), and anchored behaviors per level.
Interview Calibration
Process of aligning interviewers on scoring standards.
Async (Asynchronous) Interview
Interview where the candidate records answers on their own time, scored later.
Hiring Bias
Systematic deviation from accurate assessment of candidates.
Interview Scorecard
Structured form interviewers complete after each interview.
Hiring Debrief
Cross-interviewer meeting to make a hiring decision.
Take-Home Assignment
Asynchronous skill assessment given before or instead of a live interview.
Work-Sample Test
Assessment that resembles the actual job task.
Psychometric Assessment
Standardised test of cognitive or personality traits.
Employee Lifecycle
Onboarding
Structured first 30/60/90 days for new hires.
Preboarding
Period between offer-accept and start date.
Offer Letter
Written, signed offer of employment.
Background Check
Verification of employment history, education, and (where applicable) criminal record.
Leave (Time Off)
Authorised absence from work — vacation, sick, parental, etc.
First 90 Days
Critical onboarding window for a new hire.
Performance
Performance Review
Periodic structured assessment of employee performance.
OKR (Objectives & Key Results)
Goal-setting framework with qualitative objectives and measurable key results.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
Quantitative metric used to measure performance.
PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)
Formal plan with measurable goals to address underperformance.
Feedback
Specific, timely information about behaviour and impact.
1:1 (One-on-One)
Recurring private meeting between a manager and a direct report.
eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score)
"How likely are you to recommend us as a place to work?" score.
Employee Engagement
Degree to which employees are committed to their work and company.
Retention
Rate at which employees stay (the inverse of attrition).
Attrition (Turnover)
Rate at which employees leave the company.
Workforce
Compensation
Compensation Band
Salary range for a role/level/region used to anchor offers.
Pay Equity
Fair pay for substantially similar work, controlled for legitimate factors.
Leveling
Defining role levels with consistent expectations.
Equity (Stock-Based Compensation)
Ownership stake granted as part of compensation.
Compliance
EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity)
US framework for non-discriminatory hiring practices.
DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)
Programs and metrics around demographic representation and inclusion.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
EU regulation on personal data processing.
SOC 2
Audit standard for service organizations covering security, availability, and confidentiality.
Data Retention
How long you can/should keep candidate and employee records.