HR & Recruitment Glossary
Every hiring term, clearly defined.

An AI interview is an automated candidate evaluation process in which artificial intelligence — typically natural language processing and machine learning — conducts, scores, and analyzes candidate responses to structured questions, replacing or supplementing the initial human screening rounds.

A video interview is a job interview conducted through video technology rather than in person, in either a live synchronous format (both parties connect in real time) or an asynchronous format (the candidate records responses to structured questions for later review by recruiters or hiring managers).

Interview as a Service (IaaS) is a structured hiring model in which a platform connects an employer's open role to vetted domain-specialist interviewers who conduct the technical interview using the employer's rubric, record the session, and deliver a scored behavioral scorecard within a defined SLA.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that manages job applications, candidate pipelines, recruiter workflows, and hiring team collaboration across the full recruitment lifecycle — from job posting through offer and hire. It serves as the system of record for all talent acquisition activity.

Candidate screening is the systematic process of evaluating job applicants against defined criteria to identify which candidates meet the minimum qualifications and behavioral standards required to advance to the interview stage, reducing a large applicant pool to a qualified shortlist for further evaluation.

Time to hire is the number of calendar days between when a candidate enters your hiring pipeline (typically the application date or recruiter screen) and when that candidate accepts a job offer — measuring the speed and efficiency of the hiring process from the candidate's perspective.

Cost per hire (CPH) is the total investment required to fill an open position, calculated by dividing all internal and external recruiting costs by the number of hires made in a defined period. SHRM defines it as (Internal Recruiting Costs + External Recruiting Costs) ÷ Total Hires.

A structured interview is an evaluation format in which every candidate for the same role receives the same set of predetermined questions, evaluated against the same behavioral rubric and scoring anchors, producing comparable interview data across the candidate cohort rather than relying on interviewer impression and improvisation.

An asynchronous interview is a candidate evaluation format in which the interviewer and candidate do not interact in real time — the candidate receives structured questions, records responses (typically via video) within a defined window, and evaluators review the recordings on their own schedule rather than conducting a live conversation.

A one-way video interview is a pre-recorded video screening format in which candidates record responses to a structured set of questions independently — without a live interviewer present — and recruiters or hiring managers review the recordings at their convenience, often assisted by AI scoring.

Talent acquisition is the strategic, ongoing function of identifying, attracting, evaluating, and hiring employees to meet organizational workforce needs — distinct from transactional recruiting in its long-term focus on employer branding, talent pipelines, workforce planning, and the quality of hire rather than just speed of fill.

The hiring funnel is the staged process through which job candidates progress from initial application to final hire, with each stage filtering the candidate pool to a progressively smaller, more qualified cohort — typically: application, screen, assessment, interview, offer, and hire.

A behavioral interview is an evaluation format based on the premise that past behavior predicts future performance — using structured questions that ask candidates to describe specific past situations where they demonstrated key competencies, evaluated against predefined rubrics for behavioral evidence quality.

A technical interview is an evaluation format specifically designed to assess a candidate's domain-specific technical knowledge, problem-solving approach, and engineering judgment — using coding exercises, system design questions, technical case studies, or domain-specific knowledge evaluation conducted by subject-matter experts.

A talent pipeline is a proactively developed pool of qualified candidates — sourced, engaged, and maintained before specific roles open — enabling organizations to fill positions faster and with higher-quality candidates than reactive sourcing can produce when a position suddenly becomes available.

Candidate experience is the sum of every interaction a job applicant has with an organization throughout the hiring process — from first encounter with the employer brand through the application, screening, interview, offer, and either rejection or onboarding — and how those interactions shape the candidate's perception of the employer.

Recruitment automation is the use of technology — including AI, scheduling software, and workflow tools — to execute or support hiring tasks that previously required manual recruiter effort, increasing the volume and consistency of recruiting operations without proportional headcount increases.