Top 10 recruitment buzzwords you NEED to know

Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM Blogs
Published in
5 min readApr 20, 2023

--

Don’t miss out on these top 10 recruitment buzzwords that will make you stand out from the crowd. Get ahead of the competition with our must-know guide right away!

Recruitment buzzwords

Are you tired of hearing the same recruitment buzzwords day in and day out? Do you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of corporate jargon?

Well, fear not. We’ve got you covered.

Take it from our list of the top 10 buzzwords you need to know and ace your recruiting game like a pro.

1. Purple squirrel

Recruitment buzzwords

Sorry to break your bubble but no, it is not a purple-coloured squirrel. The term is used in recruitment to describe the ideal and flawless applicant for a position.

This ideal applicant possesses ALL the qualities you seek in a candidate with the appropriate training, industry-specific certifications, accomplishments, expertise, and experience.

Purple squirrels are the perfect fit for your client’s organization. Their extensive skill set and specialized training can enhance any company’s productivity.

2. Unicorn

Recruitment buzzwords

Wondering about a mythical creature with wings? Well, stop thinking!

The term “unicorn” or “purple unicorn” in recruitment refers to the “ideal and perfect” individual who possesses the necessary combination of abilities, education, and work history.

Professionals who qualify as a unicorn possess a special combination of traits that make them more valuable than others in the industry.

3. Boomerang employee

Recruitment buzzwords

No, they are not the employees who make “boomerangs” for their Instagram.

A boomerang employee is someone who quits their job and later comes back to work for the same firm.

People want the freedom to seek alternative careers without tearing up their previous professional relationships because they spend many of their lifetimes working.

Nowadays, recruiters and HR experts realize loyalty doesn’t always end when workers focus on new possibilities or goals.

Boomerang workers generally return to the same organisation because of its employer brand, benefiting the company and themselves.

4. Kickoff

Recruitment buzzwords

Although kickoff, in layman’s terms, means the start of a football game.

But it is different in the world of recruitment.

A kickoff is the initial meeting between a hiring manager and a recruiter where they describe the “purple squirrel” they expect you to find.

Everyone can learn, share, and discuss relevant information during this routine exercise and talk about their expectations.

Kickoff meetings provide the groundwork for cooperation that benefits both parties.

5. Quiet quitting

Recruitment buzzwords

Quiet quitting is a response to the overbearing demands of work. It is frequently linked to employee burnout and involves deliberate disengagement from work.

Employees do the absolute least necessary and establish clear limits rather than quitting.

But how horrible is this really?

Quiet quitting does not always mean that the employee is quitting. It implies that they are less motivated to work and are unsatisfied with their current role.

Workplace stress and a hustling culture mentality are two key causes of this behavior.

6. Poaching

Recruitment buzzwords

Poaching refers to the process of searching, attracting, and hiring current employees from your rival companies or competitors.

Poaching is a word that carries a lot of weight and instantly conjures up strong emotions in people.

In reality, you seek potential passive applicants through obvious sources for hiring.

It is a frequent hiring procedure where a talented individual still employed by their current employer is also looking for better opportunities.

7. Ghost jobs

Recruitment buzzwords

Ghost jobs, huh? Sounds spooky, right?

Ghost jobs refer to positions that are advertised but aren’t actually available or are already filled.

You can use these phantom posts to gauge the talent pool, maintain appearances, or gather information on competitors.

These jobs may not always be real, active openings, but they help recruiters look for A-list candidates lurking in the job market shadows.

8. Fit

Recruitment buzzwords

The word “fit” describes how well a candidate is suited for a given role.

Countless factors can affect a job’s suitability or fit.

Personality, for example, can significantly influence how pleased a person will be in a given situation.

Recruiters can increase their confidence that their applicants will be happy in their jobs by using employment personality tests to evaluate various personality qualities linked to job fit.

9. Hands-on

Recruitment buzzwords

This buzzword is frequently used in job descriptions to denote the requirement for direct involvement with people, things, or locations.

Hiring managers frequently use it to indicate that candidates must have hands-on experience to succeed in the position.

It can help in forming the candidate’s expectations for the position.

For example, “In this organization, you can expect a hands-on work environment that will keep you active and motivated.”

10. Side hustle or side gig

Recruitment buzzwords

This snazzy lingo refers to those passion projects or extra income sources your candidates might have besides their main job.

It’s not just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer in the recruitment industry!

Why? Because discovering a candidate’s side hustle can reveal hidden talents and diverse skills that add value to their role.

Make sure next time you chat with a candidate, don’t forget to ask about their side gig. You might just find the perfect match for your company’s culture!

So there you have it — our top 10 recruitment buzzwords you need to know.

You need to know these words (just like you need your coffee!)as GenZ and Millennials are taking over the job market.

Have you heard any of these words before? Let us know in the comments.

--

--

Recruit CRM builds cloud-based software for the Global Recruitment & Staffing Industry. We are on a mission to help recruitment firms grow faster effortlessly.