HIRING GLOSSARY
The small-business hiring terms, defined
Plain-English definitions of the recruiting and applicant tracking terms a small business actually runs into - what they mean, and how they fit together when you hire.
Hiring basics
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that organizes hiring in one place - it posts your jobs, collects every application, and tracks each candidate as they move from applied to hired.
Read definition →Offer Letter
An offer letter is the formal document a business sends to extend a job to a chosen candidate.
Read definition →Job Description
A job description explains what a role involves - its responsibilities, required skills and experience, location, and pay range.
Read definition →Onboarding
Onboarding is everything that happens after a candidate accepts the job and before they are fully up to speed - paperwork, training, equipment, and introductions to the team.
Read definition →Sourcing & posting
Job Board
A job board is a website where employers publish open roles and job seekers search and apply, such as Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, or Google for Jobs.
Read definition →Careers Page
A careers page is the part of your website that shows your open roles and lets candidates apply directly to you.
Read definition →Candidate Sourcing
Candidate sourcing is the work of actively finding potential applicants and inviting them to apply, rather than only waiting for inbound applications.
Read definition →Job Posting
A job posting is the published advertisement for an open role - the live listing candidates actually see and apply to.
Read definition →Talent Pool
A talent pool is a saved group of promising candidates you can return to when a new role opens.
Read definition →Process & metrics
Applicant Pipeline
An applicant pipeline is the path every candidate follows during hiring, organized into stages such as new applicant, screening, interview, offer, and hired.
Read definition →Resume Parsing
Resume parsing is when software automatically reads an uploaded resume and extracts the key details - name, contact information, work history, education, and skills - into structured fields.
Read definition →Time to Hire
Time to hire measures how long it takes to fill an open role, usually counted from when a candidate applies to when they accept your offer.
Read definition →Cost per Hire
Cost per hire is the total amount a business spends to fill a role - including job board fees, recruiting software, and the time your team puts in - divided by the number of people hired.
Read definition →Candidate Screening
Candidate screening is the first review of incoming applicants to decide who moves forward.
Read definition →Interview Scorecard
An interview scorecard is a simple form interviewers fill out to rate a candidate against the same set of criteria - skills, experience, and fit.
Read definition →Recruiting Funnel
A recruiting funnel describes how a large group of applicants narrows down at each stage of hiring - from many applications, to a handful of interviews, to one offer and hire.
Read definition →Put the hiring terms into practice
ParsleyHR is recruiting software for small business - an applicant tracking system with flat pricing, no contract, and one-click job posting. Start free for 14 days, no credit card.