It is not always easy to understand job advertisements and other terms connected with the field of Human Resources. This site aims to clarify these problems.
Terms connected to the recruitment process:
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Recruitment is the first stage of filling a vacancy in a business.
- The employer writes the job description, publishes a job advertisement (or job ad or want ad), invites candidates for a job interview, conducts testing (optional), compiles a short list of candidates (a person can be short-listed), selects a new employee and makes a job offer.
- The candidate reads the job ad, writes a letter of application and CV (or resumé), includes references (optional), receives an invitation for the job interview and takes part in the same, and finally receives a job offer or a letter of rejection.
Words and phrases to describe an applicant:
skills mix, soft skills (or people skills), problem-solving skills, computer skills, computer-literate, sales-oriented, highly motivated, a working knowledge of …, a sound grasp of…, self-starter, multi-lingual, troubleshooter
Words and phrases to describe a job:
fast track, fast-paced, benefit package, challenging field, incentives, competitive salary, upward mobility, advancement
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Terms describing personnel:
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employee, employer, staff, workforce, workers, labor
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white collar workers:
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office worker in professional, managerial, or administrative position
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blue collar workers:
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those working in factories or doing manual labor
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pink collar workers:
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female employees in women-dominated professions
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apprentice:
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works for a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or profession
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temp or temporary workers, part-times, to temp
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self-employed
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skilled worker:
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trained worker
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semi-skilled worker:
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worker possessing limited skills
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portfolio worker:
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holds more than one position, either simultaneously or sequentially, and carries a unique set of skills and abilities to each employment situation
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freelancer:
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one who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to one employer
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to moonlight:
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to hold a second job in addition to a regular one
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Terms describing the distribution of work:
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outsourcing:
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the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities traditionally handled by internal staff and resources
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insourcing:
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the organisation carries out its functions internally and is thereofre not reliant on outside support
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job-sharing (or
work-sharing):
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the practice of dividing up a job normally performed by one person for two (or more) part-time employees
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job-rotation:
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moving an employee through several different specialized jobs
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teleworking:
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working for a company from home, using telephone, fax, or computer links
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overtime:
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time worked in excess of an agreed number of hours per day or week
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flexitime:
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employees can choose the time they start and finish work (with certain limits)
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shift work:
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a change of one group of workers for another in regular alternation
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graveyard shift:
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a work shift beginning late at night
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Terms for forms of payment:
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salary:
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fixed regular payment by employers, usually monthly, for professional or office work
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wage:
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money paid (per day or week; per hour is hourly wage) to manual workers
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increment:
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an automatic, usually annual increase in salary
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fringe benefit:
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advantages given to company employees in addition to their salary, such as a company car, health insurance, etc. (also: perks)
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commission:
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money paid to sales representatives, proportional to the total amount they sell
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bonus:
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something extra, usually a payment, often given as a reward for good work or high productivity
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severance pay:
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money given to a worker who is made redundant (also: golden handshake, usually for higher level management)
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profit-sharing:
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an arrangement in which an employer shares some the company profits with its employees. The compensation can be stocks, bonds, or cash, and can be immediate or deferred until retirement
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performance-related
pay (PRP):
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pay is linked to performance and competence
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to be paid cash-in-hand
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Some trendy neologisms:
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e-business:
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stands for companies based on internet business
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dot-coms:
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individual internet companies, which usually involve the exploitation of the work mania of ambitious singles under 35 (now jokingly called dot-gones)
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McJobs:
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poorly paid jobs
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open-collar workers:
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workers who do not wear a tie
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desk-sharing:
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office organisation without fixed workplaces
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flexplace-office:
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office organisation with a maximum flexbility of space
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pink-slip parties:
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where people looking for a job meet potential employers
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Human resources.pdf (123.49 KB)
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