Recruiting is filled with a number of abbreviations and acronyms that are hard to remember. Considering Recruiting Operations often has to understand multiple different department terminology it can make it even harder.

Here is a dictionary of key terms that will be updated regularly (Google Sheet View):

Analysis

The process of examining and interpreting data in order to identify patterns, relationships, and insights that can inform decision-making or help answer research questions. This may involve various techniques and methods such as statistical analysis, data mining, machine learning, or other analytical tools

Applicant

A person who has applied for a job and is being considered for the position

AR

Attrition Rate - The rate at which employees are leaving the company

ATS

Applicant Tracking System

Benefits

Non-wage perks provided to employees such as healthcare, retirement plans, or time off.

BL

Business Lead

Boolean Search

A method of searching for candidates using a combination of keywords and operators to narrow down search results.

Candidate

A person being considered for a job opportunity

CIAA

Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement

Code Deployment

The process of releasing software to a production environment, where it can be accessed and used by end-users. This involves transferring the code from the development environment to the production environment, configuring the necessary infrastructure, and ensuring that the software is functional and meets the required quality standards. Code deployment may be done manually or through automated tools, and may involve various stages such as testing, staging, and production. The ultimate goal of code deployment is to deliver a reliable, scalable, and secure software application to end-users

Code Freeze

A period during software development where no new features or changes are allowed to be added to the codebase. This is done to stabilize the software and ensure it is ready for release. During the code freeze, developers may focus on fixing bugs and improving the quality of the code. The code freeze typically lasts for a fixed period of time and ends when the software is ready to be released to the public

Comp

Compensation - A human resources function that deals with designing and implementing a company's compensation and benefits program. This involves determining how employees will be compensated for their work, including their salary, bonuses, and other benefits. Compensation professionals work to ensure that the company's compensation packages are competitive and aligned with the company's goals and values.

Contingent Search

A type of recruitment where a recruiting agency is paid a fee only if they successfully place a candidate with the hiring organization

CoS

Chief of Staff

CRM

Customer Relationship Management (Sales)

Candidate Relationship Management (Recruiting)

DEIB

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Early Career

Recruiting encompasses a broader range of candidates, including recent graduates, entry-level professionals, and individuals who have been in the workforce for a few years. This includes both undergraduate and graduate candidates

EEOC

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - A federal agency responsible for enforcing laws that prohibit workplace discrimination based on factors such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information

Employer Branding

The process of promoting an organization as an employer of choice to attract and retain talented employees

EVP

Employer Value Proposition - A set of benefits and values that an organization offers to its employees in exchange for their skills and contributions.

External Job Title

This is the job title that will be externally facing. The internal and external job titles can be the same depending on the company's size. However, the two titles may differ if the company is large enough, with the internal title being connected to a job code. For example, an internal job title could be Software Development Engineer 4 but the external job title is Senior Software Engineer

FP&A

A financial function that deals with analyzing and planning a company's finances. It involves forecasting, budgeting, and financial analysis to help the company make informed decisions about its financial future. FP&A professionals provide insights to business units and management teams by analyzing and interpreting financial data to help them understand the financial implications of business decisions.

GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation - A regulation in the European Union (EU) that governs the protection of personal data of EU citizens. It sets guidelines for how organizations can collect, use, and process personal data and imposes penalties for noncompliance

GH

Greenhouse

GM

Global Mobility - Moving employees to work in a different country

GreenDay

The Greenhouse-Workday integration where Workday serves as the HRIS/HCM and Greenhouse is the ATS

HC

Headcount - The number of people in an organization or department

HCM

Human Capital Management - A set of practices and processes that focus on managing an organization's workforce, including recruitment, training, performance management, and compensation

Hell week

For sales, the final week of the quarter. For engineering, the final week before a deployment

HRIS

Human Resources Information System - A software system used to manage HR data and processes, including employee information, benefits administration, payroll, and performance management

ICP

Ideal Customer Profile - A description of the type of customer most likely to benefit from and succeed with a company's product or service. It includes information such as demographics, industry, size, needs, and pain points and helps companies focus their marketing and sales efforts on the right target audience

IDEA

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access

IM

Internal Mobility - Moving employees within an organization to new roles

Internal Job Title

This is the job title that will be used internally within the company. The internal and external job titles can be the same depending on the company's size. However, the two titles may differ if the company is large enough, with the internal title being connected to a job code. For example, an internal job title could be Software Development Engineer 4 but the external job title is Senior Software Engineer

Job Architecture

Systematic organization of job roles, responsibilities, levels, and pay structures within an organization to ensure equity, consistency, and competitiveness.

KPI

Key Performance Indicator - A metric used to measure the performance of an individual, team, or organization in achieving specific objectives or goals. KPIs are used to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions

LMS

Learning Management System

Metrics

The quantifiable data used to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment efforts, such as time-to-hire and cost-per-hire.

MVP

Minimally Viable Product - The most basic version of a product that can be released to the market to test the idea, get customer feedback, and make improvements

NDA

Non-Disclosure Agreement - Usually provided to candidates or employees leaving the company, it is a legal contract that prohibits sharing confidential or proprietary information between parties, often used to protect sensitive business information or trade secrets

OAR

Offer Acceptance Rate - Derived by dividing the number of accepted offers by the number of total offers (# of Offers Extended / Total # Offers), this metric can be used to gauge the strength of your proposed offers to candidates. Not to be confused with the CSR

OKR

Objectives and Key Results - A goal-setting framework used to define and track objectives and their outcomes. OKRs help align the work of individuals and teams with organizational goals, track progress, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives

Onboarding

The process of integrating and assimilating new employees into an organization

OTE

On-Target Earnings - Refers to the expected or target amount of variable compensation a salesperson can earn, such as commission, bonuses, and other incentives, based on achieving specific performance targets or goals. OTE does not include fixed compensation such as base salary or benefits

Pre-onboarding

The process of preparing new employees for their role before their official start date

PMM

Product Marketing Manager. The PMM is responsible for creating and implementing strategies to promote and sell a company's products or services. They work closely with cross-functional teams, such as product development, sales, and marketing, to ensure the successful launch and ongoing promotion of products. Their primary focus is understanding the target market and customers' needs, conducting market research, and developing marketing campaigns that effectively communicate the value and benefits of the product. They craft compelling product messaging, positioning, and pricing strategies, and collaborate with the sales team to enable them with the necessary tools and materials. Additionally, Product Marketing Managers track market trends, analyze competitors, and gather customer feedback to drive product enhancements and improvements. Their goal is to drive product adoption, increase market share, and achieve revenue objectives

Product Management

A discipline that involves overseeing the development, marketing, and management of a product or product line throughout its lifecycle. Product management is a long-term, strategic role

Project Management

The practice of planning, organizing, and managing resources to complete a specific project on time, within budget, and to the required level of quality. Project management is typically a shorter-term, tactical role

Quota

A predetermined target or limit set for a specific activity, such as sales or production. Quotas are often used to measure performance. Quotas may be set based on historical data, market trends, or other factors. Examples can be sales targets, outbound reach out, number of hires, etc

Radford Code

A four digit code within the Radford Data & Analytics platform that has a corresponding job assigned to it. These codes are used to find salary ranges by geography and level

Recruiting agency

A company specializing in helping organizations find and hire qualified candidates for specific positions. Recruiting agencies typically work on a fee-for-service basis, charging a fee for each successful placement. Agreements with agencies are often structured as either contingent or retained

Renege Rate

The percentage of candidates that accept and sign an offer letter but do not start. This is an important gauge pre/onboarding since it will tell you if you are keeping your potential new hire engaged

Retained Search

A type of recruitment where a recruiting agency is paid a fee upfront to conduct a thorough search for a candidate to fill a specific position

RPO

Recruitment Process Outsourcing - A type of outsourcing where an organization transfers all or part of its recruitment processes to an external provider. RPO providers typically handle the entire recruitment process, including sourcing candidates, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and coordinating the hiring process

SLA

Service Level Agreement - A written document that defines the level of service a customer, usually the hiring manager, can expect from the recruiting team. This is a bi-directional document on most recruiting teams that also lays out expectations for the hiring team. SLAs in recruiting typically include metrics such as response time and turnaround time and may have specific recourse if failure to meet the agreed-upon service levels

Talent Pool

A group of potential candidates who have expressed interest in an organization or have previously applied for a position

Total Rewards

A comprehensive approach to employee compensation and benefits that goes beyond just a base salary. It includes all forms of compensation and benefits that employees receive, such as bonuses, stock options, health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other perks. The goal of Total Rewards is to attract, retain, and motivate employees by providing a competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package that meets their needs and supports the organization's goals

TPM

Technical Program Manager. A technical program manager is a specialized generalist role typically found in technology-based companies and organizations. The role leverages project management skills applied across technology and people to lead projects and programs (usually around software)

TTC

Total Target Compensation - Used primarily in quota-carrying roles it is the total amount of money a salesperson will bring home if they hit the milestones. TTC includes all base pay, variable pay, commission, and bonuses a rep will likely earn if they hit quota. It differs from On-Target Earnings (OTE) as TTC includes all components of compensation, both fixed and variable

TTF

Time to Fill - Usually measured from the time the role was opened to when a candidate signs their offer letter

TTH

Time to Hire - Usually measured from the time the role was opened to when a candidate starts on their first day

UR

University Recruiting - Recruiting that focuses explicitly on recruiting and hiring students

WARN

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act - A US labor law requiring employers of a certain size to provide at least 60 days advance notice to employees of plant closings or mass layoffs. This is intended to give employees and their families time to prepare for the potential loss of employment and to seek new job opportunities

WD

Workday