This glossary isn’t just a list of definitions, it’s a reflection of how we, as recruiters and HR professionals, actually use these terms in the real world.
I’ve written this with fellow talent acquisition specialists and HR peers in mind—people who’ve sat in interviews, built hiring funnels from scratch, and navigated complex conversations with hiring managers. These definitions are shaped by practical experience, not pulled from textbooks or theory.
Whether you’re onboarding new team members, refreshing your own understanding, or aligning with stakeholders, this is a resource meant to add clarity, consistency, and a bit of shared language to the work we all do every day.
1. Workforce Planning & Role Definition
Manpower Planning:
As someone who’s walked the hiring journey, I often start with manpower planning—it’s my roadmap to ensure we have the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. It’s about balancing current needs with future growth, so the organization never skips a beat.
Job Analysis
When I do a job analysis, I really get to the heart of a role—its day-to-day tasks, the skills it demands, and how it fits into the bigger picture. It’s like peeling back the layers until I understand exactly what’s needed.
Job Description
This is the story we tell applicants about the role. It’s a clear, concise overview of responsibilities, expectations, and impact—crafted with empathy so both hiring managers and candidates feel seen and understood.
Job Specification
I use job specifications as my checklist for the perfect match: the necessary education, experience, and soft skills. It’s about being thoughtful knowing what’s essential and what’s hopeful.
Skill Mapping
I map skills like a talent GPS—spotlighting who’s already equipped for what, and where we need development or hiring. It’s strategic, intentional, and all about bridging gaps.
2. Requisition & Planning
Job Requisition
I create a job requisition as my formal ‘go-ahead’—it’s the moment HR, finance, and the hiring manager align on the need, budget, and timeline. It’s our collective green light to begin the search.
Hiring Funnel
I visualize the hiring process as a funnel—from hundreds of applicants narrowing to a few great hires. Each stage is a checkpoint were quality and fit matter most.
Selection Ratio
I track selection ratio to measure hiring efficiency—how many candidates entered the process versus how many accepted offers. It helps me refine sourcing and decision-making.
3. Sourcing Strategy & Employer Branding
Employer Branding
I think of employer branding as our heartbeat in the marketplace—our personality, promise, and values radiating outwards, so the best candidates feel inspired to join us.
Sourcing Channels
When I talk about sourcing channels, I mean all the paths—LinkedIn, niche job boards, meetups—that lead talent toward us. It’s a dynamic blend, tuned to each role and audience.
Recruitment Partner
A recruitment partner is more than a vendor—they’re an extension of our team: trusted, proactive, and aligned with our goals and culture.
Internal Hiring
Internal hiring is about growth from within—lifting up our team members, celebrating their journey, and deepening engagement by giving them new opportunities.
Referral Hiring
Our employees make our strongest ambassadors. Referral hiring taps into that—I lean into it knowing it often brings our best culture-fit candidates.
Campus Recruitment
Campus recruitment means building early-career pipelines—engaging students, running workshops, offering internships—all to nurture future talent.
Job Fair
I approach job fairs as talent showcases—our chance to meet a diverse array of candidates, tell our story face-to-face, and make connections that could last a lifetime.
Walk‑in Interviews
Walk-ins are a window to spontaneity. They let us assess candidates who drop by—and sometimes, we find unexpected gems.
Executive Search
Executive search is highly strategic. It’s deep relationship-building with senior leaders, delivering exactly the caliber of candidate who’ll shape our future.
Talent Acquisition
Talent acquisition to me is both art and science: identifying, attracting, and engaging great people with a deep understanding of our culture.
Talent Pipeline
I build talent pipelines so we’re never scrambling mid‑hire. It’s nurturing relationships with potential candidates—even before roles go live.
Candidate Sourcing
Candidate sourcing is active talent hunting—reaching out, engaging, and sparking interest before they even consider us.
4. Application Management
Job Posting
When I post a job, I design it thoughtfully—clear, engaging, and reflective of our values—so it resonates with both skill‑set and spirit.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Our ATS is my organizational nerve center—it keeps applicants moving smoothly through the funnel, ensures nothing falls through the cracks, and helps me stay human even while working at scale.
CV/Resume Screening
Resume screening is where I balance heart and head—spotting the right mix of experience and potential, while being mindful of bias and inclusion.
5. Assessment & Interviews
Pre‑employment Testing
These tests help me objectively check for job‑related skills. I use them thoughtfully, not mechanically.
Psychometric Testing
Psychometric testing lets me understand a candidate’s personality, work style, and cultural fit—useful, but always part of a broader picture.
Interview Scheduling
Scheduling interviews is more than logistics—it’s coordination with care, respect for everyone’s time, and creating a welcoming experience.
Interview Coordination
I coordinate with interviewers to ensure clarity on roles, expectations, and candidate experience. It’s my way of keeping interviews professional, fair, and consistent.
Interview Panel
I form interview panels that bring diverse viewpoints to the table—so candidates meet multiple sides of our team and culture.
Behavioral Interviewing
I champion behavioral interviewing—asking real-world scenarios so people can share stories, not rehearsed answers.
Interview Scorecard
My interview scorecard creates structure and fairness—it captures insights about skills, fit, and potential in a tangible, transparent way.
Interview Feedback
Feedback is where I close the loop—giving timely, respectful insights to candidates and the hiring team so we learn and move confidently.
6. Selection & Offer Process
Background Verification
I treat background checks as due diligence—not just boxes to tick, but confidence-building for everyone involved.
Job Offer Management
I take ownership of the offer process—balancing compensation, expectations, and timing so the welcome feels as thoughtful as the candidate’s journey.
Offer Letter
For me, the offer letter is a warm handshake in writing—a clear, respectful, exciting invitation to join our team.
Offer Acceptance Rate
I monitor offer acceptance rates to understand candidate motivation and how we can improve our employer experience.
7. Recruitment Analysis & Metrics
Recruitment Metrics
I track recruitment metrics to uncover patterns—time-to-hire, source quality, cost-per-hire—so we can continuously improve.
Recruitment Analytics
Recruitment analytics takes those metrics and transforms them into insights—helping me tell strategic hiring stories and shape future decisions.
This glossary was created by someone who’s lived the recruitment life—crafted for recruiters, talent acquisition specialists, and HR professionals who want clear, experience-based definitions. Use it as a practical tool to align teams, onboard faster, and bring consistency to how we talk about the work we do every day. 😊
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