Recruiting Glossary

AI recruiting refers to the application of artificial intelligence technologies — including machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analyt…

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that manages the entire recruitment workflow, from posting job listings and collecting applications to screening …

Blind matching is a recruiting methodology where identifying personal information — such as name, photo, gender, age, and educational institution — is removed o…

Boolean search is a sourcing technique that uses logical operators — AND, OR, NOT, and parentheses — to construct precise search queries across recruiting datab…

Candidate experience encompasses every interaction a job seeker has with a company during the hiring process, from the initial job listing discovery through app…

Candidate nurturing is the ongoing process of maintaining relationships with potential hires who are not yet ready to make a job change. Borrowed from sales and…

A candidate persona is a semi-fictional representation of the ideal candidate for a specific role, built from data about successful past hires, market research,…

A candidate pipeline is the pool of qualified prospects at various stages of the recruiting funnel, from initial sourcing through screening, interviews, and off…

Career pathing is the practice of defining and communicating potential career progression routes within an organization, helping employees understand the skills…

Compensation benchmarking is the process of comparing a company's salary, equity, and benefits packages against market data for equivalent roles at peer compani…

Compliance in recruiting refers to adherence to the legal and regulatory requirements governing hiring practices, including anti-discrimination laws (Title VII,…

Contingency recruiting is a fee model where external recruiting agencies are only paid when they successfully place a candidate. The typical fee ranges from 20-…

A counter-offer is a response from a candidate's current employer when they learn the employee has received an external job offer, typically including a salary …

Culture fit refers to the alignment between a candidate's values, work style, and professional goals with an organization's culture and team dynamics. While cul…

Diversity hiring encompasses strategies and practices designed to build a workforce that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and id…

An employee referral program incentivizes current employees to recommend qualified candidates from their professional networks for open positions. Referrals are…

An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is the unique set of benefits and experiences that a company offers employees in exchange for their skills and contributions…

An employer brand audit is a systematic evaluation of how your company is perceived as an employer across all touchpoints — job listings, careers pages, Glassdo…

Employer branding is the perception of a company as an employer, encompassing its reputation, culture, values, and employee value proposition. A strong employer…

An Employer of Record (EOR) is a third-party organization that serves as the legal employer for workers in jurisdictions where the hiring company doesn't have a…

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is the legal principle that all individuals should have equal access to employment and advancement without discrimination bas…

Equity compensation grants employees an ownership stake in the company, typically through stock options (ISOs or NSOs), Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), or direct…

Hiring bias refers to systematic errors in the evaluation and selection of candidates that result in unfair advantages or disadvantages based on characteristics…

Hiring costs represent the total expenditure required to fill an open position, including direct costs (job board fees, recruiter salaries, agency fees, softwar…

The hiring funnel is a framework for visualizing and measuring the stages candidates pass through from initial awareness to accepted offer. A typical funnel inc…

The hiring manager is the person who has an open position on their team and will ultimately manage the new hire. In tech organizations, this is typically an eng…

A hiring plan is a strategic document that outlines an organization's projected hiring needs over a defined period, typically aligned with business goals, headc…

Inbound recruiting is a strategy where companies attract candidates through content marketing, employer branding, and engagement rather than actively sourcing t…

Inclusive hiring is the practice of designing every stage of the recruitment process to be accessible and equitable for candidates of all backgrounds, abilities…

Interviewer training equips team members with the knowledge, frameworks, and skills needed to evaluate candidates consistently, fairly, and effectively. Given t…

Job description optimization is the practice of crafting and refining job postings to maximize the quantity and quality of applicants while accurately represent…

Machine learning in hiring applies statistical learning algorithms to recruitment data — past hires, candidate profiles, interview outcomes, and retention metri…

Match Day is KASP's signature hiring event where pre-qualified candidates receive multiple salary-backed offers from vetted companies simultaneously. Inspired b…

Offer management encompasses the tools, processes, and strategies used to create, extend, negotiate, and close job offers. Effective offer management is critica…

Onboarding is the structured process of integrating new hires into an organization, encompassing everything from Day 1 logistics (equipment, accounts, facilitie…

Outbound recruiting is the proactive approach of identifying and contacting potential candidates who haven't applied for open positions. This includes LinkedIn …

Passive candidates are professionals who are not actively job searching but may be open to compelling opportunities. Research suggests that approximately 70% of…

Predictive hiring uses data analytics and machine learning models to forecast a candidate's likelihood of success in a given role. Rather than relying solely on…

Quality of hire is a composite metric that measures the value new employees bring to an organization, encompassing performance ratings, time to full productivit…

A recruiting agency (or staffing firm) is a third-party service provider that sources, screens, and presents candidates to companies with open positions. Agenci…

Recruiting automation uses technology to streamline repetitive tasks in the hiring process, including resume screening, interview scheduling, candidate communic…

Recruiting metrics are quantitative measures used to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of the hiring process. Core metrics include time-to-hir…

Recruitment marketing applies marketing strategies and tactics to attract, engage, and nurture potential candidates before they apply for a job. It sits at the …

Remote hiring encompasses the strategies, tools, and processes used to recruit, evaluate, and onboard employees who will work remotely or in distributed teams. …

Retained search is a recruiting engagement model where a company pays an executive search firm an upfront fee (typically one-third of expected first-year compen…

Salary transparency refers to the practice of openly sharing compensation information, either within an organization (internal transparency) or on job listings …

Skills-based hiring is a recruiting approach that prioritizes demonstrated skills and competencies over traditional credentials like degrees, certifications, an…

Source of hire is a recruiting metric that tracks which channels and platforms produce actual hires, as opposed to just applicants. Understanding source of hire…

A structured interview uses a standardized set of questions, evaluation criteria, and scoring rubrics to assess all candidates for a given role consistently. Re…

Talent acquisition is the strategic, ongoing process of identifying, attracting, and hiring skilled workers to meet organizational needs. Unlike traditional rec…

Talent attraction is the component of talent acquisition focused on drawing qualified candidates to your organization and open roles. It encompasses every activ…

Talent intelligence is the use of data analytics, market research, and AI to inform strategic workforce decisions including hiring, retention, workforce plannin…

A talent marketplace is a platform that connects job seekers with employers through two-sided matching, creating a dynamic environment where both parties can di…

A talent pool is a curated database of potential candidates who have been identified as possible fits for current or future roles. Unlike a candidate pipeline (…

Talent sourcing is the process of identifying and engaging potential candidates for current or future job openings. Sourcing sits at the top of the recruiting f…

A technical assessment evaluates a candidate's job-relevant technical skills through standardized exercises, coding challenges, system design problems, or work …

Time to hire measures the number of days between a candidate entering the pipeline (application or sourcing) and accepting an offer. It is one of the most widel…

Total compensation (TC) is the complete value of an employee's pay package, encompassing base salary, equity grants (options or RSUs), annual bonuses, signing b…