Recruiting Glossary

Key terms and concepts every recruiter, hiring manager, and HR professional should know.

12 terms

AI & Technology

AI Recruiting

The use of artificial intelligence technologies — including machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics — to automate and improve various stages of the hiring process.

Concepts

Candidate Experience

The overall perception and feelings a job candidate has about an organization's recruiting and hiring process, from initial contact through onboarding.

Employer Branding

The reputation and image an organization projects as an employer, encompassing its culture, values, work environment, and employee value proposition.

Passive Candidate

A professional who is not actively looking for a new job but may be open to the right opportunity if approached directly.

Sourcing vs. Recruiting

Sourcing focuses on finding and identifying potential candidates, while recruiting encompasses the full process of attracting, evaluating, and hiring them.

Talent Pipeline

A pool of pre-qualified candidates who have been identified, engaged, or nurtured for current or future open positions within an organization.

Employment Types

Contract-to-Hire

An employment arrangement where a worker starts as a contractor for a defined period, with the possibility of converting to a full-time employee based on performance and mutual fit.

Processes

Full-Cycle Recruiting

A recruiting approach where a single recruiter manages the entire hiring process from job requisition through sourcing, screening, interviewing, and onboarding.

Roles

Technical Sourcer

A recruiting specialist who focuses on identifying, engaging, and building pipelines of qualified technical candidates — typically software engineers, data scientists, and other engineering roles.

Techniques

Boolean Search

A search technique that uses logical operators (AND, OR, NOT) to combine or exclude keywords, helping recruiters find specific candidate profiles on platforms like LinkedIn and job boards.

Tools

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

Software that manages the hiring process by collecting, organizing, and tracking job applications and candidate data throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

LinkedIn Recruiter Alternative

Tools and platforms that offer candidate sourcing, search, and engagement capabilities similar to LinkedIn Recruiter, often with AI-powered features, broader data sources, or lower pricing.