English for Human Resources Professionals: Top HR Terms to Know in 2025

Key takeaways:

• HR professionals are often expected to use English terminology in their day-to-day life, especially when working for big international companies.
• HR deals with processes such as recruitment, onboarding, employee management, and more.
• In the last couple of years, HR has become more digitalized than ever. Because of this, many new AI-related terms have emerged, such as HR chatbot and human-centered AI.

If you’re in HR or aspire to be, chances are that you’ve come across a good number of buzzwords, business jargon terms, and confusing acronyms. These may be especially difficult to understand for anyone who’s not a native English speaker or is new in the field.

In this article, we’re going to go over some of the most common HR terminology that will help you communicate more easily and effectively with your colleagues.

Why is English important for HR professionals?

Today, English is considered to be the business lingua franca. It’s the language people often turn to when dealing with clients, business partners, or employees who don’t share the same language as them.

For a human resources professional, it’s especially important to be able to speak English fluently and confidently. If you’re hiring a job candidate from a different country, you’ll have to explain everything to them: from job details to salary expectations, team setup, the onboarding process, and more. You’ll also have to be able to answer any questions they may have.

Without knowing English and all the important HR terms, you may struggle with conveying information clearly, which could lead to issues down the line. That’s why it’s essential for anyone working in HR to perfect their English, either through self-study or language training.

What are HR terms?

Human resources terminology refers to words and phrases that are used by human resources professionals. They can include complex acronyms, as well as technical terms and popular buzzwords.

These words and phrases can describe anything from recruitment to job performance evaluation, employee and performance management, and compensation. It’s important for anyone working in HR to know these terms, as they are used on a day-to-day basis.

40 HR words and phrases used in business

Learning all the different HR terms may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to start slowly and be methodical about it. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of 40 of the most useful HR words and phrases. We’ve also sorted them into specific categories to make it easier for you to understand their use and purpose.

HR glossary related to hiring process and recruitment

Hiring, staffing, and recruitment are all important processes in the HR world. HR professionals are often present at job interviews, and it’s their job to guide qualified candidates through the process, as well as work behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.

These are some of the most important words and phrases you should know:

1. Applicant

An applicant is someone who has applied for a job, often one advertised by the company or a recruiter.

For example: There were over 150 applicants for the social media manager job position, but only 20 of them fit the criteria.

2. Application completion rate

When a job posting is shared on social media, it often comes with an application process. Job seekers have to fill out the application and then send it to the company that’s hiring. The application completion rate refers to the number of applicants who have started and completed the entire application process.

For example: Our application completion rate was very low, so we decided to simplify the form and make it more suitable for mobile.

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 3. Candidate

When an applicant gets selected and invited to an interview, they become a candidate (or a potential employee) for the job position.

For example:

Out of 67 applicants, we’ve selected 5 candidates to progress to the remote interview stage, as well as two candidates from the employee referral program.

4. Fill a vacancy

If you hire someone for a position in your company that is currently or soon-to-be empty, you’ve filled a vacancy.

For example:

We’ve decided to hire Michael to fill the vacancy for the marketing manager.

5. Full-time

When someone works full-time, they usually work between 30 and 40 hours a week. It’s likely their main employment.

For example: My full-time job requires me to be at the office five times a day, from 9 am to 5 pm.

6. Interview-to-hire ratio

Interview-to-hire ratio describes the relationship between the number of interviews and the number of candidates selected and hired or the position.

For example: Our interview-to-hire ratio improved this year. We now hire one candidate for every five interviews instead of one in ten.

7. Job description

A job description includes information such as the title of the position, what the day-to-day workload looks like, where the office is located, whether the work is remote, hybrid, or in-person, and more.

For example: The job description clearly stated that I would be responsible for both visual and content design.

8. Job specification

A job specification is all about what is expected of the candidate. For instance, if a Master’s degree in business is required, or if those applying should be flexible, adaptable, and punctual.

For example: According to the job specification, only candidates with three years of experience will be considered for this position.

9. Outsource

Sometimes, a company may have to hire external workers or organizations to complete a part of a project or supply specific material they may need. This is called outsourcing.

 For example: We decided to outsource our customer support to a specialized agency to save time and reduce costs.

10. Part-time

When someone works part-time, they work less than 30 hours per week. Often, students will have a part-time job during their university studies.

For example: I used to work part-time as a cleaner. I’d work 16 hours a week.

HR words to describe an employee experience

Human resources workers don’t just deal with the hiring and recruitment process. Their jobs go much further than that. One of their tasks is to evaluate and oversee employee performance. This also comes with its own specialized terms, such as:

1. 360-degree feedback

This type of review collects information from everyone who works with a specific employee. This means that an employee’s manager, subordinates, and peers may all be asked for feedback on that person’s performance.

 For example: Our company uses 360-degree feedback to get a complete picture of each employee’s strengths and areas for improvement.

2. Demote

If someone underperforms and causes issues at work, they can get demoted. In practice, this means that they will be given a lower-rank position at the company. 

For example: Stephen kept showing up late for months, so he was demoted from team leader to junior associate.

3. Employee burnout

Employee burnout is something that HR needs to be aware of. When workers have too many tasks and their job becomes too demanding, this may negatively affect their mental health and cause them to feel stressed at work.

 A 2025 report found that 66% of people in America experience employee burnout. This is a serious issue, and it’s something that the HR departments in companies across the U.S. will likely have to address.

For example: After months of working overtime with no breaks, Maria started showing clear signs of employee burnout.

4. Hustle culture

Someone with a hustle culture mindset believes that they should always put in extra work to succeed in their career. Sometimes, employers expect their employees to always go above and beyond and work overtime, which could be considered hustle culture.

For example: Hustle culture requires a lot of additional effort from employees, which can lead to burnout.

5. Incentives

Incentives are bonuses and additional perks given to employees, often to reward them for their good performance and motivate them further.

For example: The company introduced new incentives, such as performance bonuses and extra vacation days, to boost employee motivation.

6. PDP

PDP stands for performance improvement plan. It’s a document that states an employee’s career goals and the steps they can take to achieve them.

For example: As part of his PDP, Gary set a goal to complete a leadership course within the next six months.

 7. Performance appraisal

A performance appraisal is a process of evaluating an employee’s performance over a set period of time, such as a year, six months, or once a quarter.

For example: During her annual performance appraisal, Emma received positive feedback on her teamwork and problem-solving skills.

8. Performance coaching

Performance coaching involves a coach helping an individual or a team to work on their skills in a specific area. The goal is to improve the employees’ performance and help them advance in their careers.

For example: After struggling with time management, Lucas joined performance coaching sessions to improve his productivity at work.

 If you’d like to know more about what a performance coach does, you can watch this helpful video:

9. Promote

When someone gets promoted, they move to a higher position within a company. Usually, a person gets promoted after performing well at their job and showing potential.

For example: Lily got promoted to senior designer after consistently delivering excellent work and taking on leadership responsibilities.

10. Quiet quitting

Quiet quitting is a newer term. It refers to someone doing the bare minimum at work to still get the job done without overworking themselves. It’s a direct response to hustle culture, which can often lead to burnout. Some believe that it's a way to achieve a better work life balance.

For example: After months of unpaid overtime, Tim started quiet quitting and only completing the tasks that were part of his job description.

HR vocabulary for employee performance management

Another part of an HR worker’s job is managing employees. This includes making sure that they’re happy at their job and that there are no issues happening between colleagues. Some useful words and phrases to keep in mind are:

1. Be on leave

When someone is on leave, they are not required to go to work for a specific period of time, as approved by their employer. Often, people go on maternity and paternity leave, or they can take leave due to an injury or illness.

For example: Anna just had a baby, so she’ll be on leave for the next six months.

2. Career lattice

Career lattice is a career growth model that is flexible and non-linear. Employees can progress not just by moving vertically, but also horizontally and diagonally within an organization.

For example: Instead of waiting for a promotion, Sarah used the career lattice approach to gain experience in different departments and expand her skills.

3. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an important term for anyone working in HR. When information is confidential, it means that it shouldn’t be shared with anyone outside of the company. Breaching confidentiality could lead to serious consequences.

For example: The HR manager reminded all employees that confidentiality must be maintained, especially regarding employees' salary information and personal employee records.

4. Discrimination

Discrimination is something HR has to look out for, as it should never take place in a workplace. When someone is being discriminated, they’re being treated unfairly based on a certain characteristic, such as race, gender, nationality, or age.

For example: The company set up an on-the-job training program to prevent discrimination and make sure that all employees are treated fairly regardless of their background.

5. Employee experience

Employee experience (or EX) is an employee’s overall journey in a company. It includes how they feel about how they’re treated during the hiring process, the employment, and eventual exit.

For example: The HR team focused on improving EX by establishing regular feedback sessions.

6. Retention

Retention is the ability of a company to keep their employees working for them without them leaving their jobs.

For example: Offering higher minimum wage and better benefits has improved employee retention at our company.

7. Succession planning

Succession planning is the process of identifying and preparing employees to fill key roles in a company in the future.

For example: The CEO implemented succession planning to ensure that the company would have qualified leaders ready to step in when needed.

8. Talent mapping

Talent mapping is a way for HR to understand what talent and skills they currently have at their company. This helps them know how they can fill any potential gaps or positions that may arise in the future.

For example: HR used talent mapping to find employees with the skills needed for upcoming leadership positions.

9. Turnover

When many employees quit their jobs and leave a company, leading to the start of yet another hiring process, that company has a high turnover rate.

For example: The company experienced high turnover last year, with over twenty employees leaving for better opportunities elsewhere.

10. Workplace flexibility

Workplace flexibility allows employees to adjust their own work routine and set-up based on specific allowances and criteria.

For example: Our company has decided to implement more workplace flexibility. From now on, employees can choose to work from home up to 3 days a week.

HR vocabulary of the future

HR is always developing, and with the rise of AI technology, new terms have emerged over the last couple of years. Here are some of the most important terms you should be aware of:

1. Agile performance management

The word agile has become a popular buzzword in the world of business. In HR, agile performance management is a specific collaborative approach to evaluating employees’ work and helping them grow in their careers.

For example: Our HR team adopted agile performance management, holding monthly check-ins to provide continuous feedback and support employee growth.

2. AI onboarding

AI onboarding uses artificial intelligence to help streamline the process of onboarding. This can include things like training, submitting and reading documents, and learning about the company’s culture.

For example: We decided to use AI onboarding to guide our new hires through company policies and their employment contract.

3. Digital HR

Digital HR prioritizes cloud-based and data-driven processes to make their work more effective, simple, and accessible.

For example: By adopting digital HR tools, the company was able to track employee performance and manage payroll entirely online.

4. HR automation

HR automation involves using software to automate repetitive tasks that can be done using technology.

For example: Thanks to HR automation, our team now has more time to address even the smallest concerns of all our employees.

5. HR chatbot

An HR chatbot is a virtual assistant that can help employees with some basic questions and simple tasks.

For example: Louis used the HR chatbot to find out how many vacation days he has left.

6. HR tech stack

An HR tech stack is a collection of digital tools and software that a company uses to manage HR processes efficiently.

For example: Our HR tech stack includes payroll software, performance management tools, and an AI-powered recruitment platform.

7. Human-centered AI

Human-centered AI is a way to approach AI while keeping people at the forefront of everything. Its goal is to help workers with their job instead of replacing employees completely.

For example: The company implemented human-centered AI to assist employees with data analysis.

8. HRIS

HRIS stands for human resources information system. It’s a software solution that helps HR manage employee data, payroll, benefits, and other processes.

For example: The HR department uses an HRIS to track employee attendance and store personal records safely.

9. Inclusive communication

Inclusive communication is important in a workplace. It makes sure that all employees feel listened to and safe to speak their mind.

For example: HR made it clear that using inclusive communication includes treating people with respect.

10. Intercultural competence

Last but not least, we have intercultural competence, which is the ability to understand, communicate, and work with people from different cultural backgrounds with ease.

For example: During the big project, Stacy’s intercultural competence helped her navigate cultural differences and build strong relationships with her colleagues from around the world.

Enhance your HR vocabulary with Promova Corporate

Learning HR vocabulary is important for anyone interested in working in this department. We know it can seem like a lot, but don’t worry! We can help.

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Final thoughts

Working in HR requires employees to know their terms and be able to use them confidently. Whether it’s to do with recruitment, staffing, hiring, employee management, employee engagement, or employee satisfaction, you should be aware of at least the most common terms. This article is a great place to start, so get learning!