HR & Remote Work Glossary

Paid time off that employees are entitled to take each year, separate from sick leave or public holidays.

Software that automates the collection, sorting, and management of job applications throughout the hiring process.

A style of communication where participants do not need to be online at the same time — messages are sent and responded to on each person's own schedule.

An employment arrangement where either the employer or the employee can end the working relationship at any time, for any legal reason, without advance notice.

A process through which an employer verifies a candidate's identity, employment history, qualifications, and — where permitted — criminal record.

An interview technique that asks candidates to describe past experiences as evidence of how they will perform in the future.

A structured search technique using operators like AND, OR, and NOT to refine candidate searches on platforms like LinkedIn or job boards.

A former employee who leaves a company and later returns to work there again.

The overall impression a job seeker forms of a company based on every interaction throughout the hiring process — from the job listing to the final decision.

A pool of candidates at various stages of the hiring process, maintained proactively so that roles can be filled quickly when a vacancy arises.

The complete set of monetary and non-monetary rewards an employer offers an employee, including salary, bonuses, equity, and benefits.

A worker engaged by a company on a project or fixed-term basis, typically classified as self-employed rather than a permanent employee.

A recruiting metric that measures the total cost of filling a vacancy, including advertising, recruiter time, tools, and onboarding.

The degree to which a candidate's values, behaviours, and working style align with a company's existing culture and ways of working.

A person who uses technology to work remotely while travelling and living in different locations, often across multiple countries.

An employee who reports directly to a specific manager in an organisational hierarchy.

A team whose members work from different geographic locations — whether across cities, countries, or continents — and coordinate primarily through digital tools.

A framework for creating workplaces where people of all backgrounds are represented, treated fairly, and can fully participate.

The degree to which employees feel motivated, invested in their work, and connected to their organisation's mission.

The unique set of benefits, values, and opportunities that an employer offers in exchange for an employee's skills, experience, and commitment.

Ownership stake in a company granted to employees, typically in the form of stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs), as part of their compensation.

A structured conversation between an employer and a departing employee to understand why they are leaving and gather feedback to improve the organisation.

A working arrangement that gives employees control over when, where, or how many hours they work, rather than adhering to a fixed schedule or location.

A form of self-employment where a person provides services to multiple clients on a project or contract basis, without being a permanent employee of any single organisation.

A unit of measurement that represents the workload of one full-time employee, used to compare staffing levels across different employment types.

A visual model representing the stages candidates move through during the recruitment process, from awareness of a vacancy to accepting an offer.

A job listing that remains publicly active even though the company has paused, closed, or abandoned the hiring process for that role.

A labour market characterised by short-term contracts and freelance work, where individuals are paid per task or project rather than as salaried employees.

A recruiter — typically working for a specialist agency — who proactively identifies and approaches high-quality candidates for senior or specialist roles, often when those candidates are not actively job seeking.

A temporary halt to all or most hiring activities, typically implemented to control costs during periods of economic uncertainty or company restructuring.

A working model that combines time spent working in an office with time spent working remotely, typically on a schedule agreed between the employee and their employer.

A recruitment approach designed to attract, assess, and select candidates from diverse backgrounds fairly, removing systemic barriers from the hiring process.

A self-employed individual who provides services under a contract, without being classified as an employee of the engaging company.

The movement of employees across different roles, teams, or functions within the same organisation, driven by career development rather than external hiring.

A formal document that outlines the responsibilities, required qualifications, and expectations for a specific role.

A structured framework for defining and differentiating roles within an organisation by responsibility, scope, and seniority — used to bring consistency to titles and compensation.

A measurable value that indicates how effectively an individual, team, or organisation is achieving a defined objective.

A professional whose primary work involves creating, analysing, or applying knowledge rather than manual or physical tasks.

A career change where an employee moves to a different role at a similar level of seniority and compensation, rather than upwards or downwards.

Work that can be performed from any geographic location, without a requirement to be in a specific city, office, or country.

A salary increase awarded to an employee based on their individual performance, as assessed through performance reviews or manager recommendation.

A management style characterised by excessive oversight, control, and attention to minor details, leaving employees with little autonomy over how they complete their work.

A contract clause that restricts an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a defined period after leaving a company.

A legal contract that prevents one or both parties from disclosing confidential information shared during the course of a business relationship.

The amount of time an employee or employer must give before ending an employment contract, allowing for an orderly transition.

A formal written communication from an employer to a candidate outlining the terms of employment, including role, salary, start date, and conditions.

A goal-setting framework that pairs a qualitative Objective (what you want to achieve) with a set of measurable Key Results (how you will know you've achieved it).

The process of integrating a new employee into an organisation — covering everything from administrative setup to cultural immersion and role-specific training.

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

A structured document that sets out clear performance expectations for an underperforming employee, with specific goals, timelines, and consequences for failure to improve.

A structured evaluation of an employee's work over a defined period, typically involving self-assessment, manager feedback, and goal-setting for the next period.

An initial period at the start of employment — typically 3–6 months — during which both the employer and employee assess whether the role and organisation are a mutual fit.

A job applicant who meets the minimum criteria for a role as defined in the job description — typically in terms of skills, experience, and qualifications.

The practice of doing exactly what a job requires — no more, no less — without going above and beyond, often as a response to burnout or disengagement.

A verification step in which a prospective employer contacts former managers or colleagues to assess a candidate's past performance and validate key claims.

A work arrangement in which employees perform their job duties from a location outside a traditional office — typically from home, a coworking space, or any location of their choice.

An organisational philosophy where remote work is the default mode of operation, and all systems, processes, and culture are designed with remote employees as the primary user.

The percentage of employees who remain at an organisation over a given period, used as a measure of workforce stability and employee satisfaction.

A defined range of pay — with a minimum, midpoint, and maximum — associated with a specific role, level, or job grade within an organisation.

A recruitment approach that prioritises a candidate's demonstrated skills and abilities over traditional proxies like educational credentials or years of experience.

The proactive process of identifying and reaching out to potential candidates — particularly passive ones — before a vacancy has been formally opened or advertised.

An interview format in which all candidates are asked the same pre-defined questions in the same order, and responses are evaluated against a standardised scoring rubric.

The long-term strategic function of finding, attracting, and hiring the skilled individuals an organisation needs to achieve its goals.

An interview designed to assess a candidate's domain-specific technical knowledge and problem-solving ability, typically used for engineering, data, and technology roles.

A recruiting metric measuring the number of days between a candidate entering the pipeline (typically applying) and accepting a job offer.

The complete financial value of an employment package, including base salary, bonuses, equity, benefits, and other monetary perks.

A leave policy in which employees are not given a fixed number of paid vacation days and are instead trusted to take time off as needed, with manager approval.

The process of learning new skills or deepening existing ones to remain relevant, advance in a career, or take on new responsibilities.

The timeline over which an employee gains ownership of equity grants, typically structured to incentivise long-term tenure.

A group of people working towards shared goals while physically located in different places, coordinating entirely through digital communication tools.

The equilibrium between an individual's professional responsibilities and personal life — encompassing health, relationships, hobbies, and rest.

The process of forecasting an organisation's future talent needs and developing strategies to ensure it has the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles, at the right time.

Involving or requiring collaboration between people from different departments, disciplines, or areas of expertise within an organisation.

An annual assessment of an employee's performance, development, and contributions over the preceding year, typically linked to compensation decisions and goal-setting for the year ahead.

An employment contract in which the employer is not obliged to provide a minimum number of working hours, and the employee is not obliged to accept any hours offered.