Resources

HR glossary

Clear definitions for common HR and people analytics terms — with links to deeper feature pages where relevant.

360-degree feedbackFeedback gathered from multiple perspectives — peers, reports, managers, and sometimes customers — t…

Applicant tracking system (ATS)Software that stores candidates, job postings, and pipeline stages — often with search, tags, and co…

Attrition rateThe rate at which employees leave an organisation over a period, often expressed as a percentage of …

Bench strengthThe depth of ready-now and ready-soon talent behind critical roles — often reviewed in succession an…

BurnoutChronic workplace stress leading to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy — increasingly tracke…

Candidate experienceHow applicants perceive your hiring process — clarity, speed, respect for time, and communication qu…

Compa-ratioAn employee's pay divided by the midpoint of their salary range — used to spot compression, outliers…

Compliance trainingMandatory learning on policies and regulations — harassment prevention, data handling, safety — ofte…

Continuous performance managementOngoing goals, feedback, and check-ins instead of a single annual review — often paired with lightwe…

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)Programs and practices that broaden representation, remove barriers, and foster belonging — measured…

Employee experience (EX)The cumulative effect of systems, culture, tools, and moments across the employee journey — from hir…

Employee lifecycleStages from attract → hire → onboard → develop → perform → transition — used to align HR programs an…

Employee NPS (eNPS)A survey metric adapted from Net Promoter Score, measuring how likely employees are to recommend the…

Employee referral programIncentives for employees to recommend candidates — often high ROI when paired with inclusive sourcin…

Employer brandingHow your organisation is perceived as a place to work — shaped by careers pages, employee voices, in…

Employer value proposition (EVP)The distinct mix of culture, rewards, career opportunity, and work experience you promise employees …

Flight riskAn estimate that an employee may leave soon — inferred from signals like engagement, manager relatio…

Gig workerWorkers engaged on short-term or platform-mediated assignments — relevant for workforce classificati…

Goal cascadeTranslating company objectives into team and individual goals so priorities align vertically and can…

Headcount planningForecasting how many people each team needs, when, and at what cost — aligning hiring plans with bud…

Hiring scorecardA structured definition of outcomes and competencies for a role — used to align interviews and reduc…

HR business partner (HRBP)An HR role embedded with business units to align people strategy with operational goals — distinct f…

HR operations (HR Ops)The function that runs processes, data quality, SLAs, and tooling for HR services — payroll handoffs…

HRISHuman Resources Information System — core employee records, org structure, job data, and often integ…

Hybrid workPolicies blending remote and on-site work — requiring clarity on collaboration norms, performance ex…

Internal mobilityMovement of employees across roles, teams, or locations — a retention lever when paired with skills …

Job architectureA structured map of roles, levels, and families that supports compensation, career paths, and org de…

Job description (JD)A written summary of responsibilities, outcomes, and requirements for a role — should align to score…

Key performance indicator (KPI)A measurable indicator of ongoing health or throughput — distinct from time-bound OKRs that describe…

Learning management system (LMS)Software to assign, deliver, and track learning content — often integrated with compliance attestati…

Learning pathA sequenced set of learning activities — courses, tasks, mentorship — designed to build specific ski…

Manager effectivenessHow well managers coach, set expectations, run 1:1s, and distribute work fairly — a top driver of en…

Merit cycleA recurring process for performance ratings, calibration, and compensation decisions — must be expla…

Nine-box gridA talent mapping grid (performance × potential) used in calibration — useful if transparent; harmful…

Offer acceptance rateAccepted offers divided by extended offers — signals competitiveness of compensation, speed, and can…

OKRObjectives and Key Results — a goal-setting framework that pairs a qualitative objective with measur…

On-call policyRules for after-hours availability and compensation — common in engineering and operations roles.

OnboardingThe process of integrating a new hire into the organisation — tools, training, culture, and role cla…

One-on-one (1:1)A recurring manager–report conversation for priorities, blockers, feedback, and career — a basic uni…

Organisation designStructuring roles, spans, layers, and decision rights to execute strategy — often paired with headco…

Pay equityFair compensation relative to role, level, and performance across gender and demographic groups — of…

Pay transparencyHow openly an organisation shares ranges, criteria, and decision processes — increasingly regulated …

People operations (People Ops)A modern HR model emphasising employee experience, data-informed decisions, and scalable service del…

Performance calibrationA meeting where managers align ratings across teams to reduce bias and ensure similar performance re…

Performance improvement plan (PIP)A formal plan with expectations, support, and timelines when performance is below standard — must be…

Pulse surveyShort, frequent engagement surveys to spot trends quickly — requires action norms to avoid survey fa…

Quality of hireHow well a hire meets role needs over time — often blended from manager ratings, ramp time, and rete…

Radical candorA communication stance pairing direct challenge with personal care — popular framing for feedback cu…

Recruiting funnelStages from sourced/applied → screen → interview → offer — conversion metrics highlight bottlenecks …

Remote-firstAn operating model where remote work is the default design for collaboration, tools, and policies — …

Skills taxonomyA structured catalogue of skills and levels used to tag roles, learning, and workforce plans — enabl…

Span of controlAverage number of direct reports per manager — very high spans can reduce coaching capacity; very lo…

Stay interviewA proactive conversation about what keeps someone engaged and what might cause them to leave — compl…

Structured interviewAn interview where all candidates receive the same core questions and scoring criteria — improving f…

Succession planningThe process of identifying and developing employees to fill critical roles if current incumbents lea…

Talent acquisitionThe strategic function of attracting, assessing, and hiring talent — broader than transactional recr…

Talent densityThe concentration of high performers in a team — popularised in culture discussions; use carefully t…

Time to hireThe number of days from when a candidate enters your pipeline (often application or first screen) to…

Total rewardsThe full value proposition: cash, equity, benefits, learning, flexibility, and culture — beyond base…

TurnoverEmployees leaving over a period — voluntary vs involuntary splits matter for diagnosis; compare to r…

Workforce analyticsUsing people data — hiring, performance, engagement, retention — to inform decisions about structure…

Workforce planningConnecting business plans to headcount, skills, locations, and cost — scenario modelling for growth,…

Written warningA formal disciplinary document outlining issues, expectations, and consequences — part of progressiv…