Recruiting has its own language, and it changes fast. This glossary covers 50 terms every recruiter, hiring manager, and staffing professional should know in 2026, grouped by category so you can jump straight to what you need. For the full, continuously updated list, see BrightMove’s HR Glossary.
Recruiting and sourcing
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Software that manages job postings, applications, and candidates through every stage of the hiring process.
- Sourcing: The proactive search for candidates who have not applied, typically through databases, social platforms, or referrals.
- Passive candidate: Someone who is not actively job hunting but could be open to the right opportunity.
- Requisition (req): A formal request to fill an open position, usually requiring internal approval before recruiting begins.
- Candidate pipeline: The pool of candidates at various stages of the hiring process for a given role.
- Boolean search: A search technique using AND, OR, and NOT operators to narrow or broaden candidate searches across databases and job boards.
- Job board distribution: Posting a single job listing to multiple boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and others) at once, typically through an ATS integration.
- Employee referral: A candidate recommended by a current employee, often the highest-quality and fastest-closing source of hire.
- Talent pool: A maintained group of qualified candidates who can be tapped for current or future openings.
- Employer branding: How a company presents itself to potential candidates, including reputation, culture, and values.
ATS and recruiting technology
- Submittal: The formal act of presenting a candidate to a hiring manager or client for consideration on a specific job.
- AI candidate screening: Using artificial intelligence to evaluate a candidate against job requirements automatically, producing a score or synopsis.
- Candidate matching: Technology that ranks or scores candidates against a job’s requirements, typically using skills, experience, and keywords.
- VMS (Vendor Management System): A platform used by enterprise clients to manage contingent labor and staffing vendors, common in IT and light industrial staffing.
- MSP (Managed Service Provider): A third party that manages an organization’s contingent workforce program, often layered on top of a VMS.
- Parsing: The process of extracting structured data (name, skills, work history) from an unstructured resume.
- API integration: A connection that allows an ATS to exchange data automatically with other systems, such as payroll, background checks, or job boards.
- White-label platform: Software a staffing or RPO firm can rebrand with its own logo and colors for client-facing use.
- Cycle time analytics: Reporting that measures how long candidates spend at each stage of the hiring process.
- Single sign-on (SSO): One login that gives a user access to multiple systems or client accounts without re-authenticating.
Compensation and benefits
- Bill rate: The amount a staffing agency charges a client for a contractor’s or temp employee’s time.
- Pay rate: The amount a staffing agency or employer pays the worker directly, distinct from the bill rate.
- Markup: The difference between bill rate and pay rate, expressed as a percentage, representing the agency’s margin.
- Contract-to-hire: An arrangement where a worker is placed on a temporary contract with the option to convert to a permanent employee.
- Total compensation: The full value of an employee’s pay, including base salary, bonuses, equity, and benefits.
- PEO (Professional Employer Organization): A firm that handles payroll, benefits, and HR compliance for client companies under a co-employment model.
- Per diem: A daily allowance paid to a worker to cover expenses like travel, meals, or lodging.
- Overtime exempt: A classification meaning an employee is not entitled to overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Benefits administration: The process of managing employee enrollment, changes, and compliance for health, retirement, and other benefit plans.
- Salary band: A defined pay range for a role or level, used to keep compensation consistent and competitive.
Compliance and legal
- EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): The federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination in hiring and employment.
- OFCCP compliance: Requirements for federal contractors related to affirmative action and non-discrimination in hiring.
- Background check: A screening process that verifies a candidate’s criminal history, employment history, education, or credit, depending on the role.
- I-9 verification: The federally required process of confirming a new hire’s identity and authorization to work in the United States.
- Ban the box: State and local laws that restrict when employers can ask about a candidate’s criminal history in the hiring process.
- ADA accommodation: A modification to a job or workplace that allows a qualified candidate or employee with a disability to perform the role.
- Adverse impact: An unintentional discriminatory effect that a hiring practice has on a protected group, even without discriminatory intent.
- Right-to-work state: A state where employees cannot be required to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment.
- Non-compete agreement: A contract restricting an employee from working for a competitor for a defined period after leaving a company.
- W-2 vs. 1099: The two primary US worker classifications: W-2 employees have taxes withheld by the employer, while 1099 workers are independent contractors responsible for their own taxes.
Performance, retention, and metrics
- Time-to-hire: The number of days between a candidate applying and accepting an offer.
- Time-to-fill: The number of days between a requisition opening and a candidate starting the role.
- Quality of hire: A measure of how well a new hire performs and stays with the company, often tracked through manager feedback and retention data.
- First-year turnover: The percentage of new hires who leave the company within their first year.
- Offer acceptance rate: The percentage of extended offers that candidates accept.
- Onboarding: The structured process of integrating a new employee into a company, covering paperwork, training, and cultural orientation.
- Performance improvement plan (PIP): A formal, documented plan to help an underperforming employee meet expectations within a set timeframe.
- Succession planning: Identifying and developing employees to fill key roles as they become vacant.
- Employee net promoter score (eNPS): A survey metric measuring how likely employees are to recommend their employer as a place to work.
- Attrition rate: The rate at which employees leave a company over a given period, whether voluntary or involuntary.
Bookmark this list, or head to the full, continuously updated BrightMove HR Glossary for definitions on dozens of additional terms across recruiting, compliance, and HR technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does recruiting terminology matter?
Shared terminology keeps recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates aligned, especially in staffing and RPO settings where multiple client teams use the same ATS.
What is the difference between time-to-hire and time-to-fill?
Time-to-hire measures from a candidate’s application to their acceptance. Time-to-fill measures from the requisition opening to the new hire’s start date, capturing the full recruiting cycle.
Is a staffing agency’s markup the same as its profit margin?
Not exactly. Markup is the percentage difference between bill rate and pay rate, but actual profit margin also accounts for taxes, insurance, and overhead costs the agency carries.
Where can I find more HR and recruiting definitions?
BrightMove maintains a full HR Glossary covering recruiting, compliance, compensation, and technology terms in more depth.