Reference
SaaS Hiring Glossary.
A working definition of every term we use across the site, the contracts and the conversations. Bookmark it.
Calibration (Hiring)
The process of aligning interviewers, recruiters and hiring managers on what 'good' looks like for a role before interviews begin.
Candidate Experience
The end-to-end perception a candidate forms of a company through the hiring process, from first contact to offer.
Cost Per Hire
The fully-loaded cost of acquiring a single hire, including agency fees, internal recruiter time, tooling and overhead.
CVaaS (CV as a Service)
An on-demand sourcing service that delivers a steady flow of pre-qualified, headhunted CVs into the customer's pipeline without per-hire fees.
Embedded Talent Acquisition
A delivery model where an external recruiter joins the customer's team and tooling for the duration of the engagement, rather than working at arm's length.
Executive Search
A retained, confidential headhunting process used to identify and hire C-suite and VP-level leadership.
Headcount Planning
The process of deciding how many people to hire, into which functions, and when, in alignment with the financial plan.
Headhunting
Proactive, targeted outreach to passive candidates who are not actively job hunting, rather than processing inbound applicants.
Interview Scorecard
A structured assessment instrument used by interviewers to evaluate candidates against the same competencies and rating scale.
Offer Acceptance Rate
The percentage of formal offers that are accepted by the candidate, typically measured over a quarter or year.
RaaS (Recruitment as a Service)
A subscription-based hiring model where an external partner runs an embedded recruitment function for a flat monthly fee, replacing per-hire commercials.
RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing)
A long-term outsourcing contract in which a third party operates some or all of an enterprise's recruitment function.
SaaS Scale-up
A SaaS company that has achieved product-market fit and is now scaling go-to-market, typically between Series A and Series D.
Talent Density
The proportion of high-performers within a team. Often a stronger predictor of company performance than headcount.
Time to Hire
The number of days between role kickoff and a signed offer.
Time to Shortlist
The number of days between role kickoff and the delivery of the first calibrated candidate shortlist.
Top of Funnel (Sourcing)
The earliest stage of the hiring funnel: identifying and engaging potential candidates before they enter the formal interview process.
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